New Orleans Athletic Club

loved the historic feel of the space with the beautiful brick courtyard and the strings lights overhead. The first time I actually saw the venue in person was our wedding weekend during the walkthrough and I even happier with our decision. The indoor/outdoor space was ideal for the flip from ceremony to dinner and the surrounding blocks were very picturesque for getting in some extra photographs after the ceremony (pink walls, hanging plants, wrought iron railings). The staff was so nice the day of and helped us sneak in through the gym so our guests wouldn't see us! The location was unbeatable and was not only easy for our guests to get to (either by walking or by taxi/Uber) but was an easy transition to our afterparty in the French Quarter. NOAC is a very special place and I can't say enough amazing things about it!

not, the only option and a hidden gem that many people don't know about (at least yet). One of my favorite perks of the venue is the ability to use the bridal suite which is very beautifully designed and has great functionality for getting hair and makeup done (led mirrors and hair stylist chairs) as well as for getting dressed (two dressing spaces with curtains). Many other venues don't have one or have very outdated bridal suites which don't work well for photos. We stayed at Chateau LeMoyne which is right down the street and had our rehearsal dinner at Broussards which made for a stress-free weekend with zero travel time or costs. I love that the venue is a blank slate and allows you to totally customize your event with your selected vendors, however, the only downside is the cost. $8k is pretty steep for just the venue. Additionally, if you don't get married on a Saturday then they charge you an additional fee to use their bridal suite which is way more than it would cost you to pay for a hotel room or airbnb. We were required to hire a wedding coordinator and had to provide COI and ATC permits for all vendors to be approved which was a bit of a headache. We had a venue coordinator/contact who helped answer questions about the venue throughout the planning process, however, they didn't really help with anything outside of that. Someone was on site for the rehearsal and wedding but just sat on the side as a supervisor of sorts while the coordinator we hired was the main person in charge. I highly recommend if you do go with NOAC to hire a coordinator who has worked there before. We went with Three Little Words who has worked there multiple times and that was a huge help and blessing! Although this venue is marked as affordable, it is because the price does not include anything besides the space. Consider this and add up the other costs in detail like needing to rent chairs and tables as well as catering and bartending. It can quickly exceed the cost other venues that are inclusive of some of these costs and requires you to do more work of hiring separate vendors or hire a wedding full-time wedding planner if you are not willing to do these things yourself. Overall, absolutely stunning and unique venue with a prime location but I personally think it is overpriced for only the rental of the space and think it is outrageous that they charge you extra for the bridal suite on non-Saturdays.

erson. The courtyard with its exposed brick, string lights, and beautiful French doors was the perfect old New Orleans style we were looking for. I also loved the indoor hall that used to be a bowling alley, which made for the perfect setting for a DJ and dance floor. To top it off, its location in the French Quarter provided the perfect background for our second line and bridal party photos. Unfortunately, we were ultimately unable to have our wedding here due to the venue's proximity to the Hard Rock Hotel collapse, as our wedding was scheduled for the weekend after the tragic accident and the Athletic Club was under emergency evacuation. However, Shannon was INCREDIBLE. Given the circumstances, she graciously gave us essentially a full refund, allowing us to book another venue and still have the wedding of our dreams. Even though we weren't able to have our big day here as we initially planned, the Athletic Club will always have a special place in our wedding story. I'd highly recommend this venue - it's stunning, perfectly located, and Shannon is absolutely wonderful to work with.

ing guest are still drooling over this venue 6 weeks later! So much history and Authentic New Orleans style. You won't regret checking out this Venue!!! <3