Best Wedding Photo Locations in New Orleans
Updated: Oct 11
New Orleans offers historic architecture, live oak trees, iron balconies, courtyards, greenery, and modern downtown backgrounds within a relatively small area.
The best wedding photo location is not always the most famous one. It should fit your venue, timeline, transportation plan, lighting, and the overall look you want for your gallery.
I help couples choose portrait locations that work with the wedding day instead of adding unnecessary travel or stress. Learn more about my New Orleans wedding photography services.
Planning Your New Orleans Wedding Portraits?
From historic French Quarter architecture to City Park's oak trees, I'll help you choose portrait locations that fit your wedding style, venue and timeline.
Jackson Square
Jackson Square is one of the most recognizable wedding photo locations in the city. It works well for couples who want St. Louis Cathedral, historic architecture, and a clear New Orleans feel in their portraits.
Morning sessions generally provide fewer crowds, while late afternoon can add warmer light and more activity.
Explore more French Quarter wedding photo locations.
City Park
City Park is a strong option for couples who want live oak trees, open space, greenery, and a quieter portrait experience.
The park provides enough variety for couple portraits, wedding-party photographs, and family groups without changing locations.
French Quarter Side Streets
You do not need to take every photograph in the busiest part of the French Quarter.
Quieter side streets can provide textured walls, shutters, balconies, courtyards, and cleaner backgrounds while still giving your photographs a recognizable New Orleans look.
Garden District streets
The Garden District works well for couples who want historic homes, ironwork, mature trees, and a polished residential setting.
It usually offers a calmer pace than the French Quarter and can provide strong portrait variety within a relatively small area.
CBD/Warehouse District
The CBD and Downtown New Orleans are good choices for couples who want a cleaner, more modern or editorial look.
Brick buildings, stone walls, hotel exteriors, rooftops, and city streets can complement formal wedding attire while keeping portraits close to many downtown venues.
Location | Recommended wedding-day consideration |
Jackson Square | Best when the ceremony or reception is already nearby; plan for crowds and permits |
City Park | Offers room for larger wedding parties, but allow for transportation and walking between photo spots |
French Quarter side streets | Efficient for couples staying near a French Quarter venue; account for narrow sidewalks and pedestrian traffic |
Garden District | Good for elegant couple portraits; consider walking in formal shoes and avoiding private-property access |
CBD/Warehouse District | Convenient for many downtown hotels and venues, with modern architectural backgrounds |
Already have your venue and want help building the photography timeline around it? Explore my New Orleans wedding photography coverage or send me your wedding date and venue.
Do You Need a Permit for Wedding Photos in New Orleans?
Some popular New Orleans portrait locations require advance permission for professional wedding photography.
Professional photography inside Jackson Square must be scheduled and permitted through the City of New Orleans. New Orleans City Park also has permitting requirements for professional photography sessions.
Requirements may differ for nearby public streets, private courtyards, hotels, and other properties. Before selecting a portrait location, we'll confirm any applicable photography rules, access restrictions, fees, and reservations.
You can review the official Jackson Square Photography Guidelines and City Park Photography Permit Information when planning your session.
Choose a Location That Fits Your Timeline
The best approach is usually to keep portraits close to your ceremony or reception venue. A convenient location gives you more time for photographs and less time dealing with traffic, parking, crowds, and transportation.
Browse my complete New Orleans photography location guide for more options throughout the French Quarter, Garden District, City Park, downtown, the lakefront, and nearby neighborhoods.
For wedding-day portraits, I usually recommend choosing one convenient location rather than spending valuable coverage time traveling across New Orleans. A nearby street, courtyard, hotel exterior, or shaded area can provide several different looks within a short portrait session.
If you want photographs at two separate locations, we'll consider travel time, parking, the size of your wedding party, your ceremony and reception schedules, and whether a first look gives us additional time before the wedding.
Send me your wedding date, venue, ceremony time, portrait schedule, and the type of background you prefer. I’ll help you choose a location and start time that fit your day.
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