New Orleans has been on my travel “bucket list” for quite some time. It’s a list that seems never-ending and with being a Washington, DC wedding photographer, it’s often hard to get away for the weekend. I’m certainly not complaining as I love my job, but it’s just a fact of the seasons we tend to work the most! My husband, Rob, and I are avid travelers and try to live by the philosophy to visit *at least* one new place per year (until we are ready to have kids anyway!). 

When people think of New Orleans, their first thought typically goes straight to Mardi Gras — pictures of beads, beer, and drunks littering the streets. While that’s definitely one part of the city, there is so much more to it than that; it is quite unique in it’s ability to be two complete opposites at once… new and old; elegant and tawdry; welcoming and intimidating.  New Orleans is a beautiful southern city filled with 200 foot oak trees that canopy the sidewalks with their branches, roads full of old time street cars, and architecture with a heavy french influence. Their food is almost beyond words — the freshest seafood you can imagine in every variety possible. And, of course, the kindest southern charm from the locals.

Take a look through some of my favorite pictures from the trip and feel free to comment with any places we should add to our travel list!