Stef + Eric | Wedding | St. Basil Orthodox Church | Ace Hotel | New Orleans, LA

This simplistic and intimate May wedding in New Orleans, Louisiana is sure to make you SWOON!! Stef and Eric had one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have ever had the pleasure of capturing. They were married at St. Basil Antiochian Orthodox Church in Metairie and then headed for their cocktail hour and reception at the Ace Hotel. Just before we left for the church, Stef and Eric decided to share a private first look near the hotel at Lafayette Square. These two have the most unique and joy-filled love and it shines ever so brightly through their portraits!! Be sure to scroll to see for yourselves!

I arrived in Stef’s getting ready suite at the Ace Hotel and was immediately greeted by chill and laid back vibes. This day was one of the most easy-going, candid, and carefree days I have ever been apart of. When Stef and I spoke over the phone about the wedding day, she had mentioned this is the vibe she was going for. She didn’t want anything to feel too planned and wanted much more of a go with the flow kind of day. I absolutely LOVED every minute of it. Even with the overall simplistic vibes, we still took 30 minutes to walk over to Lafayette Square to get some ‘wall-worthy’ portraits of the two of them. As I was capturing the day, it honestly felt like we were in a movie…and I was just capturing it with hardly any direction. One of my absolute FAVORITE parts was when Stef and I got off the elevator and was heading to meet Eric. We turned the corner, and there sat Stef’s sweet dad just sitting alone in the empty lounge of the hotel. He was looking at his phone and Stef asked if she could go see him real quick. Of course I was like ‘YES ABSOLUTELY!’ I shuffled my camera settings real quick and he stood up and gazed at how absolutely gorgeous his daughter was!! His reaction was authentic and un-staged….it was absolutely PERFECT. As a photographer who has captured many wedding days over my career, I wish more brides would take this approach to seeing some of their loved ones for the first time on the wedding day.

It goes without saying that Stef and Eric are absolutely perfect for each other! From their amazing engagement session in downtown Covington to their New Orleans wedding day, I could tell just how much they mean to each other. When a couple can’t stop laughing when posing for portraits it reveals to me that they bring out the happiest and purest version of each other when they are near each other. And that my friends, is why I will forever love this job. I couldn’t be happier for Stef and Eric as they get to experience this amazing season of life with one another!! Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley!!

xoxo Krystal