Approximately a year and a half ago I knew I wanted to have a wedding in New Orleans and began looking at venues. New Orleans is a city built for celebrations so at first it was difficult to narrow down the search. We had a destination wedd...ing (coming from NYC) and I didn't want a reception at a hotel as we could have done that up here. Once I saw Federal Ballroom, the search ended. The former federal reserve bank has floor to ceiling windows, crown moldings, etc. and the whole space can be customized. And the food and drink is second to none. The caterer is Capdeboscq and not only is everything made from scratch/fresh and will be the best southern wedding food you will have but the options are endless. Our menu for the dinner portion only was the following: caesar salad, shrimp and grits, crawfish etouffe, pasta primavera, lasagna, chicken and sausage gumbo, roast beef debris with mashed potatoes, beef tenderloin carving station, fried turkey carving station, roasted pig carving station with pork tenderloins and jambalaya, alligator sausage, crawfish sausage, shrimp sausage, grilled chicken breast, grilled catfish, bananas foster, coffee and beignets, french bread pudding with rum sauce, and of course wedding cake. The caterer was able to pull off every dish to perfection. It doesn't stop there, we had two top shelf open bars with speciality drinks (hurricanes and four different types of martinis). Nobody waited in line for drinks or food the whole night and it has been over a week and our friends and family are still commenting on the catering.
But on top of all that, there is also a secret weapon that no other venue has in New Orleans: Rebecca O'Meara.
Becca can make your dreams come true and will help you every step of the way. From having a menu with three different carving stations for dinner to having the Tulane University Marching Band lead our second line into the venue, there was nothing Becca wasn't willing to help with, make easier, and nothing is impossible under her watch. Having all the moving pieces we had and being a destination wedding can be stressful but with Becca, it went off without a hitch and I owe her the world.
Don't settle for a cookie cutter wedding; you are in New Orleans so use the best venue with a coordinator who cannot be matched. While the value of the venue is incredible, with Rebecca, it is priceless.