REAL WEDDING:: Sarah Austin + Chris Caldwell {STREETCAR ROMANCE}

February 15, 2024
Jessica Burke
Featured Couples

::AS SEEN IN THE SPRING 2024 DIGITAL ISSUE OF NOW WEDDINGS MAGAZINE::

Photography by Ibay Photography

sarah and chris’ story

“My husband and I met at a mutual friend’s birthday party,” shares Sarah. “I walked straight up to him to introduce myself and he said that he knew he would marry me from the moment he saw me.”

Chris wanted his proposal to be special. For months he tried to convince Sarah to go on a weekend get-away. “I kept turning him down, telling him that I was too busy with work to take any days off,” says Sarah. “Eventually, I ended up having to go to Hilton Head Island, SC for a work conference, and I invited him to tag along with me.”

Chris seized the opportunity! “The first night that we were there, he planned a date night for us,” Sarah shares. “Before dinner, he took me for a walk on the beach, and when we got to a quiet spot where it was just us two, he got down on one knee. I was completely surprised!”

the wedding

Sarah and Chris decided a big, traditional wedding was not for them and instead eloped to New Orleans. “New Orleans has always been very special to us,” Sarah shares. “Our first vacation as a couple was to New Orleans, and every time we visit we fall in love with the city and each other all over again. We knew we wanted to share the magic of New Orleans with our families.”

“When we found PK {Weddings &} Events and were planning our elopement, the St. Charles Streetcar just seemed like a perfect fit for us,” says Sarah. “It was a fun way to show our families all of the things we love about New Orleans.”

The couple prepared for the wedding at Chateau LeMoyne Hotel and then met for their First Look and a private portrait session at Audubon Park.

the new orleans streetcar wedding ceremony

The couple and their guests boarded the St. Charles Ave Streetcar in front of Audubon Park. As the streetcar traveled towards the French Quarter on the beautiful March day, Sarah and Chris said their vows.

New Orleans streetcar elopement

Wedding ring exchange on the New Orleans Streetcar elopement on the New Orleans streetcar

Streetcar second line handkerchief

the wedding second line

When they arrived downtown, a Second Line brass band met them and guided them to their reception at Muriel’s.“Parading down Bourbon Street and through the French Quarter just after Mardi Gras was one of the most memorable experiences of our lives and our guests will never forget it,” says Sarah.

The bride and groom pose in front of the streetcar with their brass band, Tidal Wave Brass Band.

The wedidng party Second Line down Bourbon Street

the wedding reception

The intimate wedding reception took place at Muriel’s located on famed Jackson Square in the French Quarter. “The food is always amazing at Muriel’s and the Seance Lounge and history was a fun experience for our guests,” says Sarah. “I did not feel that we had to add any decor at Muriel’s because it is magical, haunted and has so much character on its own.”

Although the whole day was filled with precious moments, Sarah says the streetcar ceremony might be her favorite. “It felt so special to have all of my friends and family surrounding me and my now-husband in such a fun, yet intimate, moment.”