Jesse+Bonnie....New Orleans Style!

We have been so excited about this weekend for a while now! And it finally happened! We arrived to New Orleans around 12:00 am Friday morning. The streets were filled with people and there were lights everywhere! It was BEAUTIFUL. When we drove up to The Hotel Mazarin...Janet, Larry, Claudia, and Uncle Rodney immediately came to help us unload our house...or at least that is what it looked like! We stayed up until 2:00 am to welcome and give our love to Jesse and Bonnie!

 Friday we slept in and then went down to breakfast. We visited with family and friends. It was really cool for everyone to stay in the same place! We then took a look around the hotel! It was really a pretty hotel! Well...Cody had Best Man duties to fulfill and I was in full mommy mode! The girls and I had so much fun with each other!

Friday night on the agenda was rehearsal and rehearsal dinner at Acme Oyster Bar. I cannot describe to you in words how amazing the food was. You must go! It was buffet style due to Janet and Larry wanting to include all family members that had traveled, along with friends and the wedding party to the dinner! We had fried fish, fried shrimp, jambalaya, oysters, gumbo, slaw, the best ever cocktail and tartar sauce! I can't wait to go back just to eat at this place! It was so great to visit with all the Texas family and to see all of Bonnie and Jesse's best friends that we had previously met when we visited LA. 
Janet and I worked together to make the Words of Wisdom picture collage and it turned out perfect! Everyone chose the word they connected with best, signed their name, and put it on the picture of Bonnie and Jesse! 




Wake up...it's wedding day! Today was filled with so much excitement and love! Starting with waking up and not being able to find Elsie our Elf anywhere! We decided to venture to Bonnie's suite to take a look. We looked all around and finally found him sitting on top of her wedding dress! This started our morning off perfect! We chatted with the gals for a while...while they were getting their hair and make up done...then we headed back to the room to let the girls rest up for the big night! The family met for pictures at 4:15 with the wedding starting at 5:00. It was a little rushed, but they got it down! Check out steverandon on instagram..he is pretty amazing! 





The girls did amazing as the flower girls. Lailee took off first and Livia walked down after her slow and graceful just like we had talked about! They looked like beautiful little dolls! Cody and I were so proud! The wedding ceremony itself was simply decorated and beautiful! Two of my favorite additions to the wedding ceremony were the passing of the wedding rings and the sing along of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Everyone was passed the wedding rings and prayed over them, blessed them, gave wishes...etc. By the time everyone had done this it was time for Jesse and Bonnie to exchange them! What a unique way to incorporate your guest! Then at the end of the ceremony everyone sang A cappella to Jesse's favorite Christmas song! It was truly the sweetest sound! 





After the ceremony....it happened...the most amazing celebration of a marriage that I have ever experienced! The Second Line Parade. The Second Line has a deep, rich history in New Orleans. I love that when performed during a wedding it symbolizes the beginning of a new life for the bride and groom. The newly weds took it up a notch and took it to the streets for a true parade. Police officers on motorcycles cleared the way and shut down the 4 main streets in NOLA. Jesse and Bonnie lead the way with their fabulous umbrellas. We all grabbed our cocktail napkins and formed a line behind them and the live brass band! We danced and strutted to the lively jazz music all around the french quarter... 5 blocks...in high heels...carrying babies and it didn't phase me one bit! It was definitely an experience that I am so honored to have been able to do and my babies take part of!


The reception was SO MUCH FUN!! The food was once again amazing and the music was awesome! Liv and Lai definitely won the award for best dancers! They totally came out of their shell and danced with everyone...even if they didn't know them! It was so great to get to be with family that we haven't seen in a really long time! 


























After a full night of dancing...this girl was hungry!
After the reception Janet stayed with the girls while Cody and I met everyone to hang out! We walked all the way down Bourbon Street to hang out at a karaoke joint...but this momma forgot her ID! So we called it a night! 


We had the best night and are wishing a lifetime of love, laughter, and excitement to the Willoughbys! 

 Check out more pics of the amazing bride and groom at #hortonwilloughby







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