A Military Wedding at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, Louisiana

Karen Holliday (28 and a United States Marine) and Brian Holliday (26 and also a United States Marine) met while serving on active duty in the United States Marine Corps. They were both stationed in New Orleans at the same time, and ended up standing duty at the same Mardi Gras parade. (Brian had seen Karen’s name in advance on the roster, and switched with his buddy so he could be with her that day.) They ended up spending time together throughout the day, exchanged numbers and began dating shortly thereafter. Since they met and fell in love in New Orleans, Karen and Brian wanted to share the city with their family and friends from Mississippi and Massachusetts. They chose to get married in St. Louis Cathedral at the heart of the French Quarter and Second Line their way to the courtyard style reception at the Maison Dupuy Hotel. The couple aligned the colors of their wedding with the traditional Marine Corps dress blue uniform and scarlet and gold colors. Karen received her Pronovias dress from Brides Across America, an organization that donates designer wedding gowns to military service members or their spouses at locations all over the United States at no cost. The bride and her bridesmaids carried brooch bouquets, made by Karen’s mother, with fabric rosebuds. Following the formal ceremony in America’s oldest cathedral, Karen and Brian exited the church to a traditional Marine Corps sword arch performed by their peers. Cocktail hour began at the culmination of guests waving white handkerchiefs and dancing with umbrellas in a Second Line parade through the French Quarter, a standard tradition in New Orleans weddings and a fun cultural immersion for the couple’s northern guests. Once the parade entered the courtyard of the Maison Dupuy Hotel, guests snacked on local specialties such as bacon wrapped scallops, crawfish quiche and alligator sausage with the main buffet including crawfish etouffee, jambalaya and a raw oyster bar. Guests enjoyed dancing in the courtyard and karaoke style entertainment long into the night.