Elope to New Orleans

How did you find Simply Eloped?

How did you find Simply Eloped? 

Amanda: Pinterest was full of New Orleans elopements by Simply Eloped and that is how we discovered the Tree of Life. It was the PERFECT SPOT! Simply Eloped offered exactly what we pictured.

What attracted you to the venue you eloped at?

Amanda: The Tree of Life is a beautiful historical natural phenomenon in Audubon Park in uptown New Orleans. The old southern oak has such a mystical feel and brough the magic we were hoping to incorporate into our special day. Magic was a big theme for us.

How did you celebrate after?

Dave: After taking pictures around the French Quarter and enjoyed feeling like celebrities we followed up with an amazing dinner at Arnauds with our family. After they all turned in, we spent the night dancing in the streets, making friends and enjoying the fact that we finally did it!

What words of encouragement do you have for those considering eloping?

Amanda: Eloping helps you remember the whole point. It makes things so easy for the most important day of your lives and helps you to realize that it was always, and will always, be just about the magic of the two of you?

Why did you decide to elope?

Colby: Misty is very shy and wanted a smaller, more intimate, ceremony. We’ve also always wanted to visit New Orleans, so eloping there accomplished all of our wishes.

How did you know Simply Eloped was the right fit for you?

Misty: After the initial email, everyone was so helpful and didn’t complain when I asked like a hundred questions. Also, when COVID started, they were very helpful with refunding and let me know I was set to reschedule whenever I was ready.

What attracted you to the venue you eloped at?

Misty: I’ve always wanted to go to New Orleans and I fell in love with the Tree of Life when I saw the photos.

Tell us about your experience with Simply Eloped leading up to and on your elopement.

Misty: 10/10 would recommend to anyone. Our officiant was so helpful and even ran through a little mini rehearsal for us. Our photographer made us feel very comfortable and took some amazing shots that we will treasure forever. They took so much of the hassle and stress off of our shoulders.

How did you celebrate after your elopement?

Colby: Bourbon Street, baby!

What attracted you to the venue you chose for your elopement?

Alexandra: What attracted us was definitely the scenery. My favorite parts were the Spanish moss, the fountain, really the whole thing was absolutely gorgeous I couldn’t have asked for a better venue.

How would you describe your elopement venue to someone who has never been there?

Alexandra: I would describe our venue as a beautiful historic city with tons of culture. Everywhere you look there is history. It’s definitely an experience. The NOLA City Park is a lovely park to visit for any reason whether you’re getting married or just wanting to take a stroll. 10/10 recommend.

How was your experience with Simply Eloped? 

Alexandra: I will literally never stop raving about Simply Eloped. Even my family raves about how great this company is for eloping. Not only were the prices reasonable, but everyone on the team was super friendly and professional. They helped with any and all questions Sherman and I had for them. They updated me with everything along the way. I honestly was scared at first because it all sounded too good to be true, but I’m so happy with how everything turned out. I’ve already recommended Simply Eloped to a few friends and family members that are engaged.

How did you choose to celebrate your elopement? 

Alexandra: We celebrated with, of course, some drinks on Bourbon Street and a nice family lunch. Nothing too crazy but we definitely had a blast!

Why did you decide to elope?

Anna: We’ve known for a long time that we were each other’s person. When Covid hit, we, like many others, examined what was most important to us. We decided that was celebrating with our closest family and starting our life together as soon as possible!

What attracted you to the venue you chose for your elopement?

Anna: Our venue was changed just 48 hours before our ceremony. We had planned to get married at Jackson Square, where Matthew and I had spent our first Christmas together just a month before. At the last minute, the mayor decided to close Jackson Square to all of the public, including privately rented events. A sweet man from New Orleans Parks called to tell me of the last cancellation and then selflessly called around town to find me a replacement venue. He helped me secure Butler Fountain at City Park. It was perfect! It was much more private than Jackson Square would’ve been, and the Spanish Moss and Oak Trees were magical.

What did you do before the wedding? How did you get ready? How did you feel in the moments leading up to your elopement? 

Anna: We spent the morning of our wedding visiting all of the houses decorated for Yardi Gras! We were both so excited, but the New Orleans atmosphere was laid back, which made for a stress-free wedding day!

How did you celebrate after your elopement? 

Anna: An ice storm hit the SouthEast,However, at and we were iced in from going back home. We stayed our first night at the Hotel Monteleone and then moved to an Airbnb for the rest of the week. Our favorite part was being able to be in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.

What did you do before the wedding? How did you get ready? How did you feel in the moments leading up to your elopement? 

Kacey: There were a few emails between myself and the coordinator. I told her that I wanted hair/makeup and photography. She got me in contact with the stylist, photographer, and officiant. I told them what I wanted my hair and makeup to look like, what kind of vows I wanted with any changes I wanted to make, where we were going, and if there were any pictures that I wanted specifically. They made it all happen. I was on a video call with my future mother-in-law, and she asked me if I was nervous. I told her I wasn’t. I knew I was in good hands with organized people who had done this many times already. If I had questions or concerns, I messaged them they were all very quick to respond.

Jake and I each brought a couple with us as our witnesses and just had fun while we were there. I told the best man to keep Jake out and keep him fed every hour (only half-jokingly). Jake and I both get hangry, but Jake is far worse when he is hot and hangry. I did not want a crabby new husband during pictures. His best man succeeded. They wandered through the French Quarter eating, getting coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde, and searching for a painting for me as a surprise. Afterward, they came back to the Airbnb, got dressed, and we met at the park. When I saw Jake, I became overwhelmed with emotions. I was excited to spend the rest of my life with him and so happy with everything we had done.

How was your experience with Simply Eloped?

Kacey: Simply Eloped was absolutely wonderful. They did everything for me. I sent a few emails, and that was it. Jake and I eloped because we did not like the idea of spending so much money on one day for people we would’ve felt obligated to invite. I also did not want that much attention on me. I don’t like it. The average wedding cost where I live is $30,000. We were in New Orleans for one whole week. Jake and I spent $5,000. That includes plane tickets, our attire, everything from Simply Eloped, our Airbnb (split between three couples), everything we did, and all of the food we bought. I could not have enjoyed myself more with a traditional wedding. Jake felt the same way, and we can’t wait to go back. It was easy, it was cheap, and it was perfect.

How did you choose to celebrate your elopement?

Kacey: We spent an entire week in New Orleans. We took our wedding party to dinner the night of our elopement, went back to the Airbnb, and decompressed with some games and drinking. Jake and I stepped away before we started games to talk about everything and have a little bit of time just for the two of us.

What words of encouragement do you have for those considering eloping?

Kacey: Even if it’s just a thought, check out the “Simply Eloped” website. They have different packages for different needs. You can take a survey that will give you a quote immediately. You don’t even have to talk to anyone. You will know exactly what you’re getting at the cost. It’s worth exploring, and for us, it was absolutely worth doing.

What attracted you to the venue you chose for your elopement? What were your favorite parts about eloping there? 

Brian: We found pictures of City Park on the Simply Eloped webpage and thought it looked fantastic. Neither of us had been to the park, but it just looked ideal. We planned the entire ceremony at home and made a quick road trip down to New Orleans about three months before the ceremony to check everything out. As soon as we pulled up to the ceremony location, it just felt right. The trees were beautiful, and there were so many places within walking distance to take wedding photos!

Amy: We chose City Park by the Butler Fountain, basically because it was so darned pretty. We briefly considered Jackson Square, but that was a little too public for me. I thought the park was perfect, again, so pretty, and there was a Cafe du Monde right in the park! We had a small number of guests at our wedding, and I know they enjoyed some beignets after the ceremony while we did some wedding pictures.

How would you describe your elopement venue to someone who has never been there?

Brian: City Park is such a beautiful location. The moss-covered Live Oak trees make such a beautiful place to have a ceremony or take pictures.

Amy: It is beautiful, natural, and almost magical. It was perfect for our low-key vibe.

What things did you do before the wedding? How did you get ready? How did you feel in the moments leading up to your elopement? 

Brian: I spent the morning before the ceremony wandering around the French Quarter with an old friend, eventually running into some family members and sitting down for a relaxed lunch. Then it was back to the hotel to get ready and off to the park for some photos before the ceremony.

Amy: Some friends (sort of de facto bridesmaids) and I got all primped at a spa with champagne and chocolates to nosh on! I came out of it looking not too bad if I do say so myself! I hope people got a good look because I won’t look that fancy again!

Before the ceremony, I wasn’t nervous at all, but I was looking forward to marrying my best friend!

How was your experience with Simply Eloped? 

Brian: I can’t say enough good things about Simply Eloped. Karin was fantastic and always super responsive when we had a question. Our officiant (Michelle) couldn’t have been nicer. Our photographer (Ashley) was super. She took care of everything, and the pictures turned out better than I could have hoped!

Amy: They made things super easy. Because of the COVID situation, some plans had to be altered, but they were flexible. The whole thing was super low stress.

How did you choose to celebrate your elopement?

Brian: We had a few friends and family who joined us for our special day. After the ceremony, everyone met at The Bourbon House for dinner and drinks (and cake!).

Amy: After pictures, we met with guests at the Bourbon House and had a FANTASTIC dinner. We probably ate far too much, but I think everyone had a great time. The next day, we met a few friends for brunch at The Court of Two Sisters. Weirdly, I was able to eat again after dinner the night before! It was delicious too. We enjoyed mimosas while listening to a live jazz band.

What words of encouragement do you have for those considering eloping? 

Brian: I’d say Go For It! This was probably the best decision we’ve ever made. The folks at Simply Eloped are wonderful and made everything as easy as could be.

Amy: Elope! Do it completely your way and keep the drama low! I know when you plan to get married, you get lots of advice (and probably lots of pressure) from people. We were pretty lucky. We are a little older, and everyone around us pretty much knows that we know our own minds. But for anyone getting pressure on how to do their wedding, just do it your way! Elope and get the job done!