The Best Wedding Venues in New Orleans

Event coordinator who deals with everything from decorations to reserving room blocks, catering services offered with a culinary team led by Executive Chef Vlad Kogan

The Windsor Court is known for being the most luxurious hotel in town, and it's a favorite with celebrities who stay in the city (including Oprah), especially as more television shows and movies have been shot in New Orleans.

If you’re looking for a little bit of Hollywood glam mixed with a bit of British charm, you’ll love Windsor Court. The Preferred Hotels property was developed by James Coleman, Jr. in 1984 and was purchased in 2009 by The Berger Company in partnership with Crow Family Holdings. The hotel underwent a $15 million renovation in 2018 and is now more luxurious than ever. The hotel is also famous for its afternoon tea, a lovely pre-wedding bridesmaid activity. 

The venue offers multiple packages depending on the room you’d like to book and the number of people you’re hosting. The rooftop overlooking the Mississippi River is perfect for wedding photos, as it was completely redone and has the longest pool in the city at 65 feet. There’s also a spa for wedding prep. The Grill Room is great for the groom to enjoy drinks with his groomsmen. There’s an outdoor option for photographs and an option on the top floor, but most of the spaces are indoors. 

Windsor Court has a prime location, close to the French Quarter and the Central Business District. It’s walking distance from many of the city’s major tourist destinations, including Bourbon Street, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, the World War II museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and the Superdome.

Event space options include the Library, which accommodates up to 50 guests in the 648-square-foot space, and La Chinoiserie, with outdoor terraces and skyline views. 

Event planners are able to coordinate all of the details, including vendor referrals, room block reservations, decorating, and entertainment coordinating. There’s also customizable catering.

Bride and groom’s dressing rooms, security, venue setup and cleanup, day-of wedding coordinator

The Cabildo is one of the most famous spots in the French Quarter, located in the heart of Jackson Square. It was built in 1799 as the seat of the Spanish government and was then the site of the Louisiana Purchase transfer ceremonies in 1803. It’s now a museum with interesting artifacts, and you can rent the entire space. The gallery on the second floor has enormous windows that are perfect for wedding photos. 

The rental fee is $1,900 for a ceremony-only wedding. A tax-deductible donation is required for parties. It costs $3,000 for three hours and $1,000 each additional hour. Early building closure costs $250 per hour. There’s a clean-up and repair fee of $200 to $300 depending on the time of day. Wedding planning services are available and amenities include separate bride and groom’s dressing areas, security, venue set up and clean up, a day-of coordinator, public parking, and a dance area. 

Because it’s a historic location, there are restrictions. You must provide your own alcohol; the venue must approve all decorations; liability insurance required; and music is allowed indoors only and must end by midnight.

The Cabildo is run by the Louisiana State Museum, which also rents the Old U.S. Mint if you’re looking for a different historic locale. The museum provides a list of available caterers, including New Orleans favorites like Dickie Brennan’s Tableau and Galatoire’s. Online ratings describe the staff as accommodating and praise the historic touches.

Add-ons include a New Orleans jazz band and a Cafe du Monde beignet truck, event coordinator, personal attendants, free guest parking, gas-powered tram

Southern Oaks offers multiple all-inclusive packages with unique add-ons that make wedding planning easy. The three-hour reception package includes hors d’oeuvres and entrees, an open bar, a DJ, private candle-lit dinner for the bride and groom, personal attendants, professional coordination, security, centerpieces, and much more. 

The cost starts at $18,500 for 100 guests on a Friday night and $21,700 for 100 guests on a Saturday and goes up from there. For 400 guests, the cost is $31,200 on a Friday and $35,400 for a Saturday. You need to provide your own photographer, florist for the bridal party, officiant, and wedding cake bakery, but the venue provides a list of vendors. 

After the ceremony, guests are treated to a 30-minute reception service under the live oaks, as well as seating on the lawn. There’s also an indoor option in case of inclement weather.

Rooftop bar and pool, indoor option in case of inclement weather 

NOPSI opened in July of 2017 and occupies the former headquarters of New Orleans Public Service, Inc., but has since been completely redone while maintaining its history. The lobby still has its original entrance as well as the original transaction tables where New Orleanians paid their bills.

Above the Grid rooftop pool and bar offers an incredible cityscape backdrop for wedding parties that will be perfect in photos. Located in the Central Business District, it’s equidistant from the French Quarter and the nearby Garden District. The rooftop bar is a great wedding location and so is the former loading dock, which is now a ballroom, complete with the original brick, plenty of natural light, and chandeliers. 

The rental fee is $8,000 for a wedding reception during off-season. There is a food and beverage minimum applied to all events. The venue allows three hours of event time excluding set up and clean up time, or even go up to four or five hours. Couples booking this venue should check which offers the hotel is featuring (they have seasonal wedding promotions).

Three different food and beverage, hotel will work with you to create a unique menu, Conference Service Manager who handles elements including menu detailing

The Eliza Jane Hotel’s open-air courtyard is ideal for an intimate wedding, complete with beautiful exposed brick and a Venus-inspired fountain by local artist Brent Barnidge. The hotel has an ideal location that makes it convenient for guests staying in the French Quarter, Central Business District, and Arts District as the hotel is on Magazine Street downtown. The boutique hotel is part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt.

The hotel has historic ties as it was inspired by 19th century New Orleans poet-turned-publisher Eliza Jane Nicholson, who was America’s first female publisher of a major paper, and the property was previously a printing house.

Fifty guests fit in the Press Room Lounge but the venue can host 175 for a reception utilizing both the courtyard and indoor space. You can request pricing on their website or call the Eliza Jane directly for more information. There are catering services available and the hotel can custom create a menu if the couple has a specific vision.

The venue has all five-star reviews on WeddingWire and the hotel has 4.5 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor.