10 New Orleans Wedding Venues: A Local Photographer’s Guide
Updated: Oct 11
New Orleans offers historic hotels, Garden District mansions, modern ballrooms, and large event spaces for weddings of different sizes and styles.
From a wedding photography perspective, the right venue should fit your guest count, timeline, lighting needs, and portrait plans. Here are 10 New Orleans wedding venues to consider.
10 New Orleans Wedding Venues to Consider
The Columns
Located on St. Charles Avenue, Columns is a historic 1883 hotel known for its large front porch and residential-style interiors. It can be a strong choice for couples planning an intimate wedding with a relaxed Garden District atmosphere.
Audubon Tea Room
The Audubon Tea Room offers a freestanding ballroom with hardwood floors, high ceilings, private gardens, and outdoor ceremony options. On-site parking and the mix of indoor and outdoor spaces can also make the wedding-day timeline easier to manage.
The Roosevelt New Orleans
Located in the New Orleans CBD, The Roosevelt offers grand ballrooms, spacious suites, and several event spaces for ceremonies and receptions. Its classic interiors work well for couples who want a traditional hotel wedding in the center of the city.
The Cannery
The Cannery is a flexible event venue near Bayou St. John with approximately 12,000 square feet of space. Its terrace, foyer, ballroom, and lounge allow couples to plan different parts of the wedding in separate areas without moving to another venue.
The Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery
The Old No. 77 is located in the Warehouse Arts District and combines exposed brick, original artwork, and modern interiors. Its event and dining spaces may work well for smaller receptions, rehearsal dinners, or other wedding-weekend gatherings.
The Barnett
Formerly known as Ace Hotel New Orleans, The Barnett offers more than 16,000 square feet of flexible event space inside a historic Art Deco building. The hotel can accommodate intimate wedding events as well as larger ballroom celebrations.
Elms Mansion
Elms Mansion is a historic Italianate mansion on St. Charles Avenue. Its period interiors, gardens, and patios give couples several options for ceremonies, portraits, and receptions in one Garden District location.
Mardi Gras World
Mardi Gras World and River City Venues offer large event spaces along the Mississippi River. The setting works especially well for larger weddings and couples who want a reception surrounded by recognizable New Orleans float designs and Carnival details.
The Civic Theatre
Civic Theatre is a historic downtown theater that can be converted into a ceremony and reception space. Its stage, lighting, architecture, and open floor plan offer a different look from a traditional hotel ballroom.
Hotel Monteleone
Hotel Monteleone offers more than 27,000 square feet of wedding and event space in the French Quarter. The hotel’s ballrooms provide the main setting for ceremonies and receptions, while the Carousel Bar can add a recognizable New Orleans stop to the wedding weekend.
Wedding Photography Considerations at These Venues
As a New Orleans wedding photographer, I recommend looking beyond a venue's appearance and considering how its layout, lighting, and portrait locations will affect your wedding day.
The Columns and Elms Mansion: Historic interiors, porches, and gardens offer beautiful portrait opportunities. Ask which areas will be available for private photographs and at what times.
Audubon Tea Room: Consider the transition between outdoor ceremonies and indoor receptions, including a covered photography option if the weather changes.
The Roosevelt and Hotel Monteleone: Large ballrooms offer elegant backdrops, but reception lighting can change dramatically after the formal events begin.
The Cannery, The Barnett, and Civic Theatre: Flexible event lighting allows dramatic photographs, but it's important to coordinate flash photography and lighting restrictions with the venue.
The Old No. 77: Confirm your event-space capacity and portrait options before planning a full wedding reception.
Choosing a venue with convenient portrait locations, predictable lighting, and an efficient floor plan can make your photography timeline smoother and leave more time for celebrating with your guests.
Choosing Your New Orleans Wedding Venue
Before booking, compare each venue’s guest capacity, ceremony and reception flow, indoor backup options, parking, vendor access, and portrait locations. It also helps to ask how much time is available for setup and whether the venue has restrictions on photography, second lines, or special effects.
For more detailed photography considerations, including venue layouts, portrait locations, and wedding-day planning, explore my New Orleans Wedding Venues Guide.
I photograph weddings throughout New Orleans and can help couples plan portrait timing, family photographs, lighting, and reception coverage around the venue and wedding-day schedule.
Learn more about my New Orleans wedding photography services or send your date, venue, and estimated coverage time to check availability.
Already have your wedding venue selected? Contact Chad Populis Photography with your wedding date, venue, and estimated guest count. I'll help you determine the photography coverage that best fits your celebration.
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