Wedding: June 25, 2022
Getting Ready Location: Windsor Court Hotel
Ceremony: Holy Name of Jesus Church
Reception: Audubon Clubhouse
Band / DJ: Stephen Menold
Coordinator: Elizabeth Broekman, Michelle Borchard
Florist: Mitch’s Flowers by Monique Chauvin
Bakery: Zoe’s Bakery

How did you meet?
We met at Loyola University New Orleans on a school trip to Washington D.C. We instantly fell in love with each other’s humor and kindness and became fast friends for the rest of the school year. After a summer apart, Jonathan realized how much he missed me and decided to ask me out.

Include a little bit about yourselves. What do you do?
Jonathan is a writer, specializing in fiction, multimedia and artistic criticism. Madeline is a violinist by trade and has freelanced in the New Orleans area during her undergraduate degree.

Where was your ceremony held and why did you pick this site?
Our ceremony took place in Holy Name of Jesus near the Loyola University campus. The university is so close to our hearts that we had one of our former Jesuit professors officiate the marriage.

Where was your Reception held and why did you pick this site?
Madeline loves the outdoors and had her heart set on a garden wedding. Audubon Clubhouse was the perfect venue in the park, just off the lagoon and surrounded by giant oak trees.

Did it really go by as quickly as everyone says?
Not at all! This day felt like the longest day of our lives, filled with good food, good friends, and God’s blessings on our wedding and the rest of our marriage to come.

What was the inspiration behind picking the color palette and decor that you picked?
I had my heart set on a garden wedding and chose an array of pinks, whites, and greens that would mimic a diverse rose garden. My flowers were my favorite part of the wedding with roses, orchids, eucalyptus leaves, and various ferns. These hung on the aisles and altar of the church, decorated the tables at the receptions, and perfectly complemented the bridesmaids’ dresses.

Did you have a coordinator or did you plan everything yourself? If you didn’t have a coordinator any advice for brides planning their own wedding?
I (the bride) planned everything myself along with the help of my mother, my mother-in-law, and my now husband. I am an organized person by nature with big-picture vision and was determined to realize the wedding of my dreams. Luckily Jonathan is a team player and my other half in every way, and we were able to get the job done without burnout. We also had a somewhat unconditional ceremony at HNJ that Jonathan, our officiant and I put together ourselves to honor both sides of our family and their respective faiths. The best part was seeing how much people enjoyed themselves, especially our families and wedding party.

We want to hear YOUR advice for future brides.
Honestly, I planned every minute detail of this wedding and things still went awry just before the big day. However, my mother told me to sit back, be grateful, and realize that our marriage is more important than the wedding ever would be. Every guest is coming to support and celebrate you, not judge whatever decorations you have or don’t have, how much money you spent on food, etc etc. It’s a little hard to switch over from planner to bride, but it’s worth it. This day is about you and your partner, nothing else!