As New Orleans wedding photographers, we know all about a party! Read below to learn all about our tips on how to throw the best wedding reception!

Lively Receptions Make for the Best Photographs

The Gallery made for the perfect canvas for Steph and Ryan’s night club inspired wedding reception.

Your wedding day is a day of celebrating getting married to your best friend surrounded by your favorite people. Once you and your partner have said “I Do” the party begins! After photographing hundreds of weddings in New Orleans and abroad I have compiled my top tips for how to have the most fun wedding reception! If the party is a blast then the photos turn out GORGEOUS! Read below to see how one of my dearest couples, Steph and Ryan, threw one incredible party.

Are you looking for a New Orleans wedding photographer who never leaves the dance floor? Tell us all about your future wedding HERE!

New Orleans weddings are known for being rich in food and entertainment! Seating for guests to eat, leave their personal items within eyesight of the dance floor is a great way to keep the festivities concentrated. In the case of Steph and Ryan’s wedding, the main areas to sit and eat were surrounding the dance floor instead of in a separate area. People who were not ready to be on the dance floor had room to walk around and mingle. In terms of photographs, this ensured that loved ones were in the background of each of the photographs! This made even the photographs at the beginning of the night feel full!

The Reception Should Reflect the Couple

One of the best things I overhear from guests while photographing receptions is, “Wow this is SO bride and groom!” Steph and Ryan shared a love of festivals and EDM music. So it was natural for the couple to have techno inspired lighting, inflatable aliens, glow sticks and mustaches incorporated into the design. Find a theme for your reception that reflects you as a couple!

Dramatic Lighting Creates Visual Interest and Sets an Mood

Caroline, a fellow New Orleans native, the wedding planner, brilliantly set the mood for the reception through the lighting. While first dances were occurring and wedding guests were eating and mingling, light was kept at a consistent golden hue. As the night progressed, people entered the dance floor the main lights were dimmed and switched to colored lights.

Keeping the Energy on the Dance Floor

Receptions typically range from two to five hours in length. In that time guests can often tire. This can cause the energy to drop and the dance floor to thin out as the night progresses. Below I will list a number of ways to keep the guests excited to dance the night away!

• Keep the bar open and near the dance floor
• An outfit change! Something as simple as the bride changing from her gown can excite the crowd, changing the tone of the evening
• Trust your entertainment! Steph and Ryan at the beginning of the night had an incredible live band and then after the outfit change the reception turned into more of an EDM night club. A family friend was a brilliant DJ so he turned tables the rest of the night! This energy shift in entertainment also creates an energy shift in the wedding guests!
• Incorporate props (sunglasses, glow lights, balloons, inflatables, flower crowns, mustaches) half way through the reception

Book the Photographer that Works for You!

Always get to know your wedding photographer prior to booking! At Cheryl Cole Photography we put a huge importance on having a complimentary zoom consultation with each of our potential clients in order to see if we are the right fit for one another. In the case of Steph and Ryan, an introverted fly-on-the-wall photographer would not produced these photographs.

Wedding photographers tell the story and set the tone of your wedding day. The casual viewer of these photographs can tell that Will and I were in the thick of it, not missing a single moment. As New Orleans locals, we even went to the afterparty with the wedding party until 3AM! Ultimately you want a wedding photographer that is equally excited about your wedding vision as you are and you will get beautiful and authentic moments captured.

This wedding wouldn’t have happened without this brilliant New Orleans vendor team!

Wedding Venue: The Gallery

Planning and Coordination: Iris and Oaks Events

Bridal Gown: Town & Country Bridal Designer: Essence of Australia

Hair & Makeup Artists: Hayley Rose Hair & Kristen Noel Kiefer

Floral Designer: Crystal Vase Flowers

Caterer: Tomas Bistro

Entertainment: Rewind Band

DJ: Paul Tabary