Bailey and Jay’s wedding was a true destination weekend — but for Bailey, it was really a homecoming. She grew up in New Orleans and always dreamed of getting married in the city that raised her, so she and Jay brought everyone they love down to Louisiana for a few days of good food, good music, and the kind of celebrating New Orleans does better than anywhere else.

The rehearsal day started at Il Mercato, their wedding venue, where the wedding party walked through the ceremony for the next day. There’s something I love about watching a run-through — the nerves and the giddiness bubbling up all at once, everyone figuring out where to stand while it slowly sinks in that this is really happening tomorrow.

From there we headed into the French Quarter for the rehearsal dinner at Broussard’s, one of those historic Creole spots that feels like the heart of the city. Over incredible food and easy conversation, family and friends who’d traveled from all over finally got to be in the same room, toasting Bailey and Jay and soaking up every bit of that Louisiana magic.

It was the perfect start to a weekend that felt exactly like Bailey hoped it would — like home. Bailey and Jay, thank you for bringing us along to New Orleans for all of it.

Dreaming up a destination wedding of your own? I’d love to hear all about it — get in touch.

More from Bailey & Jay: Their Stockyards proposal  ·  Their New Orleans wedding  ·  Their rehearsal portraits

The Team

• Ceremony Venue: Il Mercato
• Rehearsal Dinner: Broussard’s
• Planning: Plan Lovely Events