REAL WEDDING:: Maria Cervini + Nathaniel Eaton {WITH LOVE}

::AS SEEN IN THE JULY 2021 ISSUE OF NOW WEDDINGS MAGAZINE::

Written by: Jessica Burke | Photos: The Crawfords Photography & Film

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

the proposal

“If anyone knows me, they know how difficult it is to plan anything around me, much less surprise me without me knowing or suspecting a thing… well, ladies and gentlemen, Nathaniel James Eaton did the impossible!” shares Maria.

Thinking she was attending a wedding dinner with her friend (and soon to be maid of honor) Kait, Maria walked into the courtyard of Evangeline in New Orleans’ French Quarter to find the love of her life waiting for her instead.

“Cut to me screaming “SHUT UP” as I finally realized what was actually going on!” says Maria. “It seriously took me a minute to process what was happening in front of me – complete shock.”

“My heart felt like it was going a million miles a minute as I saw Kait and Maria come around the corner,” says Nathaniel. “It was hard not to get choked up as I told Maria how much she means to me, but I finally made it through, and I got to ask the perfect woman to be my wife.”

“He picked the perfect moment, the perfect setting to ask the perfect question,” shares Maria.

the wedding bands

the wedding ceremony

“Our families are so important to us, so we tried to incorporate them as much as possible. Especially with Maria coming from such a big family, we wanted to incorporate her nieces and nephews (all 6 of them ranging from ages 6 to 14). We found 6 amazing children’s quotes on love and friendship and each one read their quote aloud for the readings. It was such a special moment and they loved being a part of such a big day.”

the wedding altar

Seat at the wedding for the bride's dad — “We also incorporated Maria’s Dad as much as possible. He passed away when she was young, so it was important to make sure he was present. We reserved a chair in the front row with a boutonniere for him and his rosary he made when he was a child. We also had his portrait on attached to our ribbons during the hand fasting ceremony.”

Cabildo wedding ceremony

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the wedding details

“It was so important to us that our wedding day and events leading up to it really encapsulated what we love! From working with Luminous to curate the perfect atmosphere in Marche’s Ballroom to creating the most delicious Donut Buffet from Buttermilk Drop Bakery in lieu of a wedding cake. We thought through every detail. Maria has been in the event industry for over a decade, so she wanted our wedding to be more about making sure the guests were having a blast as well as having every detail display what we both love, just celebrating and having fun. The timing with Covid wasn’t the best, but to this day, we still say it was the best day of our life because it was us, our families and friends and it was perfect.”

signature drink signage

wedding donut bar

wedding reception tables

wedding lounge with neon sign

the wedding celebration(s)

“Planning a wedding during a pandemic was tough. But, we were able to get a little creative and still have our friends and loved ones there to celebrate with us. With the restrictions on guest counts, we turned our Rehearsal Dinner into our Friends’ Dinner and Celebration and kept the actual Wedding Day to just immediate family. Having the two events (two mini receptions), although separate, allowed us to have most of our guests there to celebrate our special time and to make sure all who meant so much to us were able to be celebrate with us in some way.”

the bride and groom toast