Kendall Lauren Ramey and Brian David Spear met at his cousin’s wedding in New Orleans. “Our families had both been trying to set us up for years. His aunt sat us next to each other at the rehearsal dinner, and we hit it off!” Kendall says. They became inseparable during the weekend. She had just finished college and was moving back home to Denver, and he had just accepted a job there, so he asked her on an official date in Colorado. After five years of dating, he proposed overlooking the ocean, while on a trip with her family to Mexico.
For their wedding, Kendall wanted somewhere that felt intimate but could still accommodate the amount of people she expected to attend. They chose the groom’s hometown of New Orleans and were in love with the French architecture of the city. The minute they checked out the upstairs of Arnaud’s, she knew it was the venue for them— from the antique marble fireplaces to the French chandeliers, it was perfect. To complement the space, the couple wanted an English garden feel with airy florals, lots of greenery, and candles everywhere.
The invitations were a special part of the planning process. Kendall’s mother, Patty Ramey, is an artist and created the watercolor designs with a custom crest. And they collaborated with Tasha Rae Designs to help put the paper suite together. To make their whole event vision come to life, Kendall and Brian hired Leslie Campbell.
From the beginning, Kendall knew she wanted to wear a form-fitting gown with sleeves and a structured bow. The bride-to-be saw a dress from Monique Lhuillier’s Bridal Spring ’19 collection and became obsessed— it was the one. Jimmy Choo pearl heels and a lily of the valley bouquet, by Herbivore Floral Designs, completed her look.
For her “something blue,” she wore her mother’s family ring, which her father had made from her grandfather’s wedding band with her grandmother’s diamonds and an aquamarine center stone— her and her mother’s birthstone. “It was the most special piece I wore that day,” Kendall says.
On the big day, Brian wore a jacket from Saks Fifth Avenue and black gator-skin cowboy boots from Lucchese. Bridesmaids were in dresses from Shona Joy, and Kendall’s sister and maid of honor wore an alice McCALL look.
Everyone met at St. Louis Cathedral in the center of the French Quarter for the traditional Catholic ceremony. Despite the crowds, they decided to choose this location because Brian’s parents had also gotten married there more than 30 years prior. Kendall’s family priest from Denver flew in to officiate the personal service, which was special because he was friends with most of her Colorado guests. Once the two shared their first kiss as husband and wife, the celebrations moved to Arnaud’s.
A live jazz band played during cocktail hour, while people socialized and drank French 75s. The newlyweds wanted everyone to taste the true New Orleans, so they had everything from a raw oyster bar to shrimp and grits to boudin wontons.
The venue was spread out through different rooms, each decorated with a different feel. The main ballroom had a “Gatsby” vibe, and the main band was posted there. The couple really wanted a champagne tower, so they incorporated it into their cake cutting with a champagne pour as their toast.
For the dancing part of the evening, the bride changed into a Givenchy fringe, wrap dress. Then, the second line brass band kicked off and led them around Arnaud’s and through the quarter, ending at Hotel Monteleone’s carousel bar.
