Hidden away first look spots

Everyone knows the biggest selling points of a first look: moments of reflection with your partner, grabbing some pictures while there’s still great light, and most importantly, extinguishing some of those butterflies before the ceremony. And since a lot of what makes a first look appealing is in how it makes a wedding day easier, it’s smart to choose a spot that’s both convenient and beautiful.

In most situations you’re going to want to choose a place that’s close to either your ceremony or your hotel. You don’t want to lose precious minutes in your day while traveling, but you do want a spot that’s going to look great as a backdrop to one of those new core memories.

So to help with this, I put together a list of a few spots that I find myself returning to again and again. They all share a few things in common: they’re easy, they’re pretty, and they’re close to a lot of nearby venues.

A lot of couples would love to do their first look with the St. Louis Cathedral involved in some kind of way, since it’s the defining landmark in the New Orleans landscape. The problem is that the area immediately in front is intense and bustling, and Jackson Square requires a permit — and yes, they will check to make sure you have one.

A nice consolation prize that requires no permit is right in the alleys of the Cathedral. Called Pirate’s Alley, it’s nestled next to the Cabildo and the St. Louis Cathedral, and it’s a great option for you and your partner to have a first look.

This a long corridor that usually doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of foot traffic. That long stretch gives dimensionality to your first look, so you feel the depth of the space in your video. There’s also fun textures to play with. You have the walls of the St. Louis Cathedral but also the gated fence near the back, which usually has some lovely plants growing on it. This gives me a ton of options as you videographer to make a limited space feel a lot more expansive and bigger.

And immediately after the first look, you’re in prime French Quarter territory for more photos, with Royal Street steps away.

There aren’t a ton of hotels near City Park, but there are quite a few churches and bed and breakfast locations that make City Park an attractive option.

Here’s the thing. Weddings tend to happen at peak hours on peak week days at the park. If you try to go to the more popular spots, like the bridges near Cafe Du Monde, you’ll get some lovely vistas at the price of a throng of onlookers.

When looking for a spot with some greenery that’s easy for parking and limo bus access, I like to choose the entrance point across from Ralph’s in the Park. There’s a garden by the road that has a pop of colors to play with, as well as a ton of oak trees to choose from. This can look outstanding at golden hour with the sun peeking through the moss.

The great thing about the French Quarter is that it’s filled with wonderful hotels that have great first look spots of their own. But for those who want to venture out a bit, the true cheat code lies in Exchange Place.

Exchange Place is within walking distance to basically every major hotel in the French Quarter. A long alley with restaurants dotting its sides, the cobblestone walkway and splashes of color make it a beautiful spot to choose for a first look.

I talk a lot about depth when speaking to way a video may pop, and this alley offers that in spades. The long line of balconies above and plants surrounding the area give it a warmth plopped straight out of the Amalfi Coast.

And because it’s an alley, you’ll usually have nice uniform lighting caused by the surrounding buildings. This means it’s a reliable spot to get great looking video and photos quickly.

I am cheating a bit here as these spots are located within hotels, but if you’re looking for the New Orleans skyline as your backdrop, then the two best options are at the Omni Royal Orleans and Four Seasons.

If you’re looking to choose between the two, it’ll come down to just how high you want to get. If you’re looking to have a view that stretches well across the river — and all the way to the lake — then your only option is going to be the Vue Orleans Observation Deck at the Four Seasons.

The Four Seasons is one of the highest points in the city, and there’s a wrap around balcony that lets you see all of it. It’s very minimalist in its presentation, which when shooting video can be great, as it lets the colors of the bouquet and the joyful moment really pop among the pastel ground and glass walls.

If you’re looking for something a bit closer the ground, where you can have the St. Louis Cathedral in the backdrop, it’s hard to beat the rooftop pool area at the Omni Royal Orleans. There’s a ton of space to stage everything, letting you bring a good amount of movement into your video. And you can choose to have the cathedral or even the towering buildings in the CBD as your backdrop. I always love options, and this a perfect choice for just that.

If you’ve already paid for a hotel, then you might as well use it. Fortunately there are so many great options.

Courtyards check off all the boxes. Low foot traffic, usually plenty of green spaces to play with, and often controllable light caused by the surrounding building.

There are too many to list here — I’d venture to say a majority of the big hotels in the French Quarter have them — but a few of my favorites are:

• Windsor Court
• The Ritz-Carlton
• Royal Sonesta
• Place d’Armes
• Maison Dupuy
• Hotel Mazarin
• Hotel Provincial