Race & Religious

Race and Religious was absolutely perfect for our wedding reception. The photos we have seen so far are gorgeous!! SO many guests at the wedding told me that it was the most beautiful venue they have ever been to. It has a lot of different spaces for guests at your wedding, but all with a cohesive flow.

We are so thankful to Jill and Keri and the entire team at R&R for their amazing service and support in making our daughter's dream wedding a reality. We have been planning this destination dream wedding for her for so long and thought we had the ideal time picked in November. When a fluke hurricane threatened everything and rain was intense, Jill was an angel of reassurance, sending me pictures of clear tents at the venue to help calm my daughter showing how lovely things could still be with our contingency plan. She helped us make sure we had everything covered. Her team had such close attention to detail, making sure that no chair would be hit by drips. Everyone on the team is so kind and helpful. Keri, has been supportive from the start, and was there the day of our event, making sure the chairs were dry and graciously greeting our party upon arrival. The entire team was our safe haven in for all the unexpected storms we faced. We are so thankful for their help and professionalism.

This review is long overdue! What can I say. The first time my husband and I walked into Race and Religious we knew it was where we wanted to get married. But what made it perfect was working with JILL and HER TEAM. The venue really does speak for itself, but working with Jill, who ensured everything we needed was set, made it so much less stressful! She is a true hospitality professional who was able to accommodate our unique situation for a mid-week November destination wedding! Jill was always responsive via email answering my million and one questions, and was so helpful discussing details over the phone. So when I finally met her it felt like I knew her forever! On the day of our wedding, Jill personally checked in early in the day, and then again at the end of the evening, taking pride in making sure this bride was happy. Brian, who handled our specific event logistics, was there throughout, and partnered with our day of coordinator, caterers and photographer on setting up and break downs. He was a hit with us and especially with our guests providing mini tours of the houses! All our guests raved about the venue and it really was the perfect place to tie the knot. Even the purple flowers bloomed for our wedding! You will not be disappointed if you celebrate your special event at Race and Religious. There really is no other place like it! You and your family an friends are sure to have a memorable event! I will also note that old, historic and romantic venues in NOLA often have a complicated past and understanding the history of the R&R houses was important to my husband and I when choosing a venue to be married. I can assure you, R&R has done their work to acknowledge that history and openly shared that with us so clients and guests feel comfortable.

Race and Religious is the most stunning and unique venue. Crawling with historic charm while still having the cozy feel or modern amenities. We had our wedding here last weekend and stayed on thr property the whole weekend. Jill and her husband and staff were so friendly and accommodating. Every inch of this place was a dream! Thank you all for being a part of our special day/weekend!

I am SO very late to writing this review, but I wanted to make sure that I do-- because Race + Religious gave us the most beautiful and epic wedding. My original wedding date was April 2020, and was cancelled a month prior due to COVID. Race + Religious worked with us through three more postponement dates as the pandemic continued . R+R helped us navigate through all of the date changes with kindness and patience (as we were definitely stressed out basket cases). When the wedding finally did happen, it ended up being the most beautiful + magical day ever. The staff at R+R were so attentive (in addition to our amazing planner- Kelsey from Mint Julep). The R+R staff work so well/closely with the recommended vendors, everything was so seamless and turned out spectacular. When I saw how everything turned out day of, I was blown away at how gorgeous our wedding was. Our friends + family still tell us it was the best wedding they ever went to. I would highly recommend Race + Religious-- you will absolutely not regret it. Thank you R+R for giving us the best wedding ever, we will always be thankful!! -- Tom + Kate

We had 105 guests from the northeast come to New Orleans for our wedding. SO many of them came up to us and told us how it was the best wedding they've ever been to and how the venue was the most stunning they'd ever seen. The second I saw photos of Race and Religious I knew I had to get married there. I love all things old, antique, eccentric and unique. You barely have to add any decor because every corner of R+R is gorgeous. The ladies who run the venue were wonderful to work with. It's truly spectacular.

Race and religious was to die for and the perfect venue to celebrate our love in! Everything turned out perfect and the team there was great with communication!

We couldn't have picked a better venue for our wedding. I'll admit, it was my last stop on the venue tour because I knew I wouldn't be able to say no once I saw it in person. I looked at all the traditional New Orleans wedding venues and nothing seemed to fit our personality. R+R was a breath of fresh air. So much beauty and color in one place. You really don't need much to decorate, the space comes with the most beautiful aesthetic. Our guests raved about it and still are months later. Our photos are absolutely stunning, you literally can't take a bad photo there. Riki and Sarah went above and beyond to help me plan everything, they were quick to answer all of my questions.

Race + Religious is truly magical. We knew it was the place to celebrate our wedding the second we stepped foot on the property - it is a true New Orleans gem and wherever you are in the venue, you are surrounded by gorgeous colors, greenery, and character. Our guests were equally blown away by the stunning venue. Race + Religious was the perfect place to have our ceremony, reception, and the ultimate dance party. The whole team was fantastic to work with, especially as we navigated planning with them from afar throughout the pandemic. When it came to our wedding day, we felt right at home as we got ready in the beautiful rooms throughout the venue. We are truly honored we could celebrate our marriage at R+R, thank you to the whole team!

The Race and Religious crew were all awesome to work with.. the planner Kelsey did a wonderful job! We enjoyed the wedding day completely with no worries at all. Thank you for taking caring of us and our guest.

This venue could not have been more perfect for our October wedding. Our guests loved the quirks, charm, and decor as much as we did when we first booked it and were commenting on how amazing the space was all night (and into the next week). The team at Race made the day of stress-free and easy. If you want something truly special in New Orleans this is your venue!

My husband and I got married at R&R on February 8th and it was perfect! We fell in love with the grounds (the plants were blooming), layout, and decor immediately and knew it would be perfect for our intimate wedding. The ladies of R&R were a pleasure to work with throughout and Ricki was super helpful on the day of. Can’t thank them enough!

If you're looking for a unique venue, Race & Religious is your place! Our team works often with the girls over at R+R and we're so thankful for their great communication skills. The venue is breathtaking!

If the design of this location is exactly what you are looking for - then book it! It is beautiful and uniquely New Orleans and our guests loved this venue. However, do not rely on their team for any support or quick responses to questions. Throughout our process, balls were dropped when I called the venue for info. For example, I had to take the time to plan a rain layout with 3 different site reps. On the first 2 tries I was promised a layout by email that would help me plan our tents and rentals. But when I followed-up the person I had spoken with wasn't available and there were no notes in my file so I had to start over. This experience happened with multiple reps, so it appears to be the way R&R operates. Riki was the lone exception. She followed through when I spoke to her about questions and spent quality time answering our questions during a site visit. A little extra in service and this could be the most perfect venue in NOLA.

Unbelievable property. Just stunning. Everywhere you look is a piece of art. No where like this place. We also loved the freedom and flexibility this venue provides to do what you want.

R+R is SO STUNNING + AMAZING! What wedding dreams are made of – sometimes I cannot believe we had our wedding there! Our guests were completely wowed by the aesthetic experience, and how truly unique it is compared with many other wedding venues. It definitely is a venue that is space mainly and provides recommendations, so just know that if you are looking for a vendor that does the management for you. We found Race through my (now) husband, who had attended a law school even there. As soon as I saw the pictures, I was sold! In fact, we didn’t even look at it in person before locking it in – we were planning from NYC and we booked before we even got engaged (talk about untraditional, but it totally worked for us because we knew we would be getting engaged soon and we really wanted a certain date in the Spring, and we got it!) On that note, book really early - Race books up more than a year in advance. In terms of coordination, Race is really a well-oiled machine with a great group of ladies behind it. We scheduled a skype tour to see the place and ask our questions before booking, booked from afar as I mentioned, and then I proceeded to ask SO MANY questions to Sarah W. who is patient and responsive. Sarah recommended a lot of vendors – they also have a recommended vendor list in which we found a few leads. I also visited Race and was able to get my questions answered there. Some things we didn’t think to do and kicked ourselves later: look at the tables and chairs, make sure to check out all of the space and take pictures, especially if you are afar because you need to make a lot of layout decisions! Make sure to make layout decisions early – I thought of it much later and the linens and tables decision because unnecessarily hard! On the day of, we had a different person serve as day of contact, and she was so lovely and kept everything wonderful. She even started the fires (which lit my heart right up with joy! We did a Spring wedding so didn’t know if it would be the right temperature, but it was perfect). The venue was super well-kept and gorgeous the day of : ) The only thing I will say: if you are not from Nola and don’t have a full-time wedding planner, as in our case, it can be tricky to plan at a venue like Race. This is only because you need to hire and manage all of the vendors (Race is the kind of venue that doesn't also coordinate vendors for you, if that makes sense, and it is just something I didn’t think through before making the venue decision!) Ultimately, I am SO HAPPY we chose Race and wouldn’t change it for the world, but it was complicated to hire and manage around 18 different vendors without a full-time wedding planner. Just something to know about your decision. Overall, guests raved about the wedding and we couldn’t have been happier with our choice. I would recommend Race to any couple who wants a really unique experience and doesn’t mind the work of vendor management or has the budget for a planner! Thanks to the ladies of Race for making it all come true!

The best decision we made during our wedding planning was booking Race + Religious as our venue. I loved it from the pictures but the first time I did a venue tour on site, I fell in love. We are from out of town and that venue was what solidified having our wedding in fabulous New Orleans. The property is stunning and everything I was looking for in a venue. Our guests still talk about how beautiful and unique the place was. Aside from the property itself, the girls at R+R were unbelievable. They were so helpful with any question we had leading up to the wedding and even gave us ideas about where we could have our party the night before the wedding. They truly went above and beyond and I am so appreciative of it. The pictures of this venue speak for itself but I can definitely say that booking this venue ensured that my wedding was absolutely everything I could have ever dreamed it would be. If I could give this place ten stars I would.

The dreamiest venue ever! So blessed to have been able to have our special day here. Now if only I can convince one of our other friends to get married at Race so my husband and I can enjoy a wedding here as a guest to really take in all the amazing details :) The women at Race made sure everything was perfect for our day and seamlessly worked with all our vendors. CANNOT say enough great things about them <3

The most beautiful location I could have asked for for our wedding! We booked R&R sight unseen because we knew it would be the perfect venue for our wedding. The rustic exterior paired with the eclectically decorated interior is the perfect backdrop for a wedding. It's so beautiful it barely needs any decorations! I couldn't have imagined getting married any place else.

The luxurious beauty of Race + Religious speaks for itself and proved to be the best place in America for our wedding (we searched across the U.S. for venues). The layout of the venue was perfect because it allowed our guests to have different experiences: dancing to the band, exploring the historic homes, sitting down for a meal, putting their feet in the pool to relax, mingle with a cigar--a little something for anyone! The girls who manage the venue were more than accommodating, had great ideas, and are the sweetest people. They worked closely with our day-of coordinator to ensure flawless execution of our big day. Pro-tip: invest in their lighting package; it was magical. We can’t recommend Race + Religious highly enough!

What is there left to say about R&R? Rikki was great to work with and the venue is so gorgeous in itself. All of our out of town guests were amazed at the history and décor of the buildings, you really barely need to decorate - but the beauty of R&R is that you can make it whatever you want! We LOVED having our wedding there, everyone cannot stop talking about how unique and truly NOLA it was. The pictures just do not do it justice. We also stayed the night there with our wedding party which just added to the wonderful wedding weekend!

Absolutely STUNNING venue. Literally nothing bad I can say about this place - it’s spectacular. My husband and I fell in love with it the minute we saw it, and all our guests kept commenting on how unique and beautiful it is. We chose the package where we stayed overnight so we were able to stay up until the wee hours partying with our guests. I would highly recommend this if you can swing the money as it relaxes guests into feeling like they can stay as long as they like rather that being kicked out the minute the band stops at 11pm. The sonos system was great although I would say that the volume it needs to be kept at past 11pm is most effective in the middle courtyard, so move the dancing to that area if you can. Definitely tell your guests to bring their bathing suits because they WILL end up in the pool! The photos of people jumping in the pool can be incredible too. Jessica was on hand most of the day for our wedding and she was super helpful for any questions we had and for conversing with our coordinator and the vendors. She was also the main person we spoke with in the build up as Sarah was on maternity. Any questions we had were answered straight away, she had helpful suggestions and was very approachable. With her and Sarah we organised having a rehearsal at the venue the morning before the wedding too which I highly recommend doing. They are also pet friendly which is amazing as we were able to have our cat be in the ceremony! First ever cat at Race and Religious too! Only thing I will say is that this place is not cheap - it was a huge part of our budget and of course catering/glass rental etc are all extra - things that are included are chairs, tables, linens, microphone and sonos system. So be sure to save up so you can afford this place because it will be worth it. It was the best day of our lives and was made so special by being in such a unique and beautiful property. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Race and Religious was such a beautiful venue, and they were such a great vendor to communicate with. Kristy and Rickey were very responsive, and they were able to answer any questions we may have in a responsive manner. Not only did they help with the venue related questions, but they were helpful in other areas as well and help with finalizing details the week before the wedding go smoothly! This is a unique and historic place to have an indoor/outdoor wedding! I have no regrets!

Hands down the best wedding venue in New Orleans. Sarah and the other girls at Race and Religious are an absolute dream to work with. Sarah helped me pick all the best vendors, and knows them all so well and works with them closely. The venue is the most picturesque, unique, and beautiful place. This place blew all of our guests away- local and out-of-towners. I couldn't have imagined our wedding at any other venue. THIS PLACE IS A MUST BOOK!!!

Gorgeous venue! The only thing prettier than the location for our ceremony & reception (both held at Race & Religious) was my bride. The staff was very helpful throughout the planning process. All our guests went on and on about how beautiful the venue was. We had a blast, and of course, had to jump in the pool!

Let me just start by saying, every cent was worth it. I mean every last penny. We started our planning process looking for a destination wedding venue and looked everywhere, California, Hawaii, Greece, I mean literally all over the world. And nothing compares to the exquisite beauty of Race & Religious. We booked sight unseen, only knowing what we saw online. A few months later, we traveled down to New Orleans from Cleveland, Ohio and were literally speechless. I think I walked around for the first 10 minutes with my jaw dropped not able to speak, my husband was the same. Every nook and cranny is filled with so much history and character which is just what we were looking for. Then, the day of our wedding, we were blown away when it all finally came together with the flowers, our favors, filled with the people we love. Everyone always says they want a "fairytale wedding" or that they want it to feel "magical." Well, Race & Religious gave me that. And the staff at Race & Religious is fabulous. They were prompt with their responses and so helpful with planning and answering all of my questions. And shout out to the Race & Religious mascot, Soleil, she is the cutest! Every last wedding guest said this was the coolest wedding in the coolest venue and I agree. Thank you ladies for making my dreams come true!

From the moment I walked into Race & Religious I knew that it was the venue I wanted for our wedding! It is so completely beautiful and full of character. There is nothing that compares to it! We had a fairly quick engagement, and I still feel beyond lucky it was available for our date! The girls were so patient and helpful with all of my endless questions and site visits. My guests are still commenting on how amazingly cool the venue was. I couldn't recommend more highly!!

From the second we got engaged and decided to have our wedding in New Orleans, I knew that I wanted to be a Race and Religious bride! The venue is absolutely stunning. Everywhere you look there is beautiful greenery and unique antiques or art. It is sure to leave your guests in awe, mine definatly were! From my very first tour of the property all the way through our wedding night we received exceptional customer service from the R&R girls! They answered any questions I had throughout the entire process, they recommended the best of the best vendors that New Orleans has to offer, and even assisted my wedding planner before hand and on the big day! What I loved most about R&R is the convince. My entire wedding party was able to get ready on site and our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception were all held in the three different courtyards - making it super easy on my wedding planner and our guests! Making the decision to have our wedding at Race & Religious allowed the rest of my wedding planning to go smoothly and I could not have asked for a better day!

We couldn't really imagine our wedding taking place anywhere else after such a magical night! It was so fun to be able to have our dog with us (pretty rare to find among New Orleans venues), and to spend the night there. It also is nice to be able to get ready there all day, and not have to go back and forth from a hotel room. We added some outdoor string lighting which was definitely worth it. The amount of chairs and tables already included with the venue worked well for us (about 140 guests). So happy we chose R&R! It's such a beautiful space!

When you dream of your wedding, you don't actually expect it to come true. But my dreams came true getting married at Race + Religious. R+R is beyond beautiful. You don't really need very much decoration. It's so stunning and dramatic which is what my now husband and I were going for. The Ladies who run R+R were just amazing and I was able to drop in and check in. They were always so kind and helpful! Their response time was very impressive and they were super accommodating, you knew that they wanted to make your wedding dreams a reality. Truly a dream! New Orleans is a pretty epic city to get married in and to have a venue that really stands out above the rest is pretty amazing! Truly a perfect, magical day! Cannot exclaim enough about this venue!

We were married in December and could not have asked for a more beautiful location for our wedding. The staff was responsive, very flexible with a special needs family member.... just overall wonderful! We would highly recommend R&R for anyone looking for a beautiful, easy wedding with more character than a traditional ballroom!

From the first time we saw Race and Religious, my fiance and I knew that this was the venue for us. The staff is friendly and professional and made all of our arrangements seamless from beginning to end. (We live in NYC) All of our friends and family were completely impressed!

I wish I could give the ladies of Race + Religious 500 stars because they are truly amazing. My husband and I live in London and we put our complete faith in R+R as we wouldn't be seeing it until we flew over to New Orleans for our wedding, but never once did we doubt it would be an amazing day because the R+R team is so on top of it. All the girls helped us with different aspects of the process- initial booking, layout, vendor liaising, on the day help...and they really did an amazing job. All my many questions were answered and they went above and beyond to make the wedding day itself perfect, which it was. As for the venue itself, it is just unbelievably stunning and all my guests lost their minds over how cool it was to have the place to ourselves to wander through and hang out in the many beautiful nooks and crannies of the buildings and outside area. The ladies also gave us fabulous recommendations for possible vendors to use, and are essential in helping us create the best day I've ever had. If you have the pleasure of getting married in this awesome city, book Race + Religious with full confidence that it will be the most spectacular venue with the greatest team behind it. Thank you ladies!

Race & Religious was perfect for our wedding day! The venue is incredibly beautiful with natural greenery and a whimsical feel. Everyone on staff is very helpful and they will guide you through your wedding every step of the way. I highly recommend if you are looking for a wedding venue that is completely unique to book R&R! As a gift to our wedding party, we booked the venue for overnight and told the wedding party their Saturday night hotel stay was on us :)

The venue truly speaks for itself but the ladies behind it, are what take it to the next level!! Sarah, Kristy, Riki and Madeline are FAB-ulous. I felt like I was working with some of my best gal pals! I am a bit of a control freak but working with these ladies, I was completely stress free because I knew they would have it all together, just like I wanted. I may have driven them a tad crazy with all the questions I asked throughout the planning process, but they were always super responsive, helpful and assuring. Not to mention they are so fun and suggested the best vendors; being from Chicago, my husband and I basically researched a few vendors off the list they provided and just rolled with it! R+R is a verrrry oiled machine because they have such a phenom team behind it. Even though it poured rain the morning of our wedding and tents had to be put up, the ambiance was still so magical. Our guests thoroughly enjoyed walking around each and nook and cranny of the venue, exploring and just taking in all its uniqueness and beauty; it easily made our guests' list of favorite wedding ever (aside from their own!). Worth every single dollar and beyond!!

Getting married at Race and Religious was a decision made early in our wedding planning process - and proved to be one of the best! Our vendors loved working here, we loved the space we had available to us throughout the day of the wedding, and most of all, our guests raved about it! I will admit that we had a few bumps in scheduling - R+R is so popular that our rehearsal ended up being cancelled, which we found out about less than a week before the wedding, but the staff at R+R worked to accommodate us for a brief walk through - certainly not the least stressful thing for an entirely out out of town wedding party but overall the outcome was the best possible! The wedding day went smoothly - having the space all day, coupled with using R+R's in house wedding planning - made the whole day a breeze! We lucked out with beautiful weather but we loved knowing there was indoor space available as a backup! As a couple who met and fell in love in New Orleans, we couldn't imagine a more romantic, quirky, elegant spot to come "home" to to tie the knot!

Loved working with this venue. Our wedding was exactly what we wanted in a relaxed, beautiful atmosphere. The venue is so gorgeous there is little need for additional decoration. I have heard from so many guests that LOVED the venue. We also took advantage of the Lagniappe package and were able to spend the night onsite with our wedding party which allowed for continued merriment. Highly recommend.

Race + Religious is truly a special place. My husband and I were married here during Hurricane Nate and it was truly magic, we could not get over how amazing the R+R team and Sarah was, what a pleasure to work with (and I was a stressed bride)!!! Our guests explored the grounds and made full use of the pool, it was incredible!!!!! Choose race for your wedding venue and everything else will fall into place ;) Thank you!!!!!!

It is impossible to truly understand the uniqueness, beauty and character of Race & Religious until you have experienced it first hand. I am from out of town and chose New Orleans as our destination city because of it. From the moment we saw R & R online we knew it would be our wedding venue. All of our guest commented on how it was the most unique and incredible venue they had ever been to. It allows so many possibilities to make your wedding your own. Be prepared very few decorations are needed because of the character it provides. The staff is absolutely incredible and I cannot recommend R &R enough!

Race and Religious served as our incredible backdrop for an April wedding. I cannot say enough nice things about the staff, venue and overall experience we had. In fact, our guests are still talking about the venue and its amazing and unique qualities even now. Thanks so much R+R for making our wedding the experience it was.

Race and Religious is the perfect New Orleans venue. It speaks for itself, but all of my guest raved about how gorgeous it was and Eric and I knew immediately that it was perfect for us! The staff was extremely helpful. They answered numerous questions and inquiries that I had throughout the planning process. I couldn't be more happy with our decision!

Race and Religious is the most amazing venue and we had the wedding of our dreams there! You cannot go wrong with this venue, it is unbelievably stunning and unique and your guests will talk about it for the rest of their lives! Our wedding was beyond magical thanks to the help of Sarah, Riki and Jessica, and all of the other ladies who work at R&R. We booked the venue sight unseen and couldn't have been happier with how everything turned out. Highly highly recommend!

The most beautiful and unique venue!

Race & Religious is a dream. I’m not sure what I can say about it that hasn’t been said, but it’s one of the unique and breathtaking spaces I’ve set foot in. We had a dream evening on May 20 thanks to this truly magical place and the team behind it. We came here first during our New Orleans venue search and as other couples have pointed out here, it’s nearly impossible to pay attention at any other venue visit after R&R. No other place came close to achieving the vibe we were looking for. Elegant and sophisticated, yet relaxed and intimate is how I would describe the property. As soon as we met the lovely ladies of R&R and saw Soleil, R&R’s adorable pup taking a dip in the pool on our walkthrough, it was a done deal. It’s a space like no other – a unique preservation of New Orleans charms meshed with international accents and artwork throughout the home. The flexibility you have to make your wedding truly yours, all without needing to start from scratch and obsess over decorations thanks to its beautiful décor, is unparalleled. It was a lot of work and coordination as we were planning mostly remotely from NYC but paid off with a magical evening full of compliments and rave reviews from guests, many commenting that they've never been to a wedding like it. We had a very up-in-the-air weather forecast and decided against tenting the courtyard since the chance of rain was low and kept changing and we were worried about heat and pictures. We lucked out with a beautiful ceremony and then a quick heavy storm rolled through during the reception. The storm added a new dimension to the evening and the beauty of the property, with the DJ moving inside to continue the party and the rain clearing out the May heat for the rest of the evening. It’s easy to stress about weather with weddings, but the rain made it even more special. One thing I would recommend to R&R overnight couples is to make sure you do a formal exit and physically leave the property, which we didn’t end up doing since we were exhausted by 11 (oops) and people didn’t naturally leave on their own after the party ended without being rounded up to leave (no one wanted to go!) – that last point is meant to reflect on our planning, not on R&R in any way. I would describe the night more as a house party than a formal traditional wedding, which we loved. The relaxed and beautiful atmosphere immediately put our guests at ease to have a blast. We loved having a mostly unstructured evening that allowed guests to dance, mingle, eat, hang out at the bar, and explore the property on their terms. Everyone who works at R&R is incredible and we can’t thank them enough for the wedding of our dreams.