Featured in MunaLuchi Bridal Magazine, Issue No. 27, Gabrielle and Kristofer’s wedding at the Il Mercato New Orleans was a dream come true with romantic candles, elegant decor, and intricate floral arrangements.
Gabrielle and Kristofer first connected on Twitter in college. Building a steady foundation of friendship, they became an official couple in 2012. After six years of growing in love and experiencing life together, they couldn’t imagine being without each other. On their sixth dating anniversary, Kristofer asked Gabrielle to be his wife – of course, she said yes!
And so began their journey to the aisle – and a journey it was! With their fall 2020 ceremony drastically reduced in size because of Covid, they had to push back their original wedding plans to December 2021. Luckily for them, their second wedding turned out to be everything they could have asked for and more!
Set in the heart of New Orleans, Louisiana, they said I-do (again!) at the incredible venue, Il Mercato. The Spanish-colonial style building was a perfect backdrop for their intimate and romantic theme. Their chosen color palette of mauve and plum with green and gold accents complemented the winter season while flickering candles and luscious cascading flowers added to the soft romantic vibes. Gold sparklers added a subtle nod to the approaching New Year. They ended the night with a traditional New Orleans Second Line with a parade of music, dancing, and lots of love.
More sweet details on their love story and photos from our very own Coterie Member, Shagari Gerard Photography, are below!
- Couple: Gabrielle Nutter & Kristofer Williams
- Location of Wedding: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Wedding Date: December 30th, 2021
Quick Facts:
- Wedding theme: Intimate & Romantic
- Wedding flowers: Ranunculuses by Sara from Antigua Floral
- Invitations: Bayview Printing created custom letterpress invitations based on Il Mercato and New Orleans.
- Favorite item on the menu: Food tasting and cake tasting were two favorite parts of the planning process. For their signature drink, they had a French 75, which is one of the bride’s favorite cocktails.
- Bridesmaids/groomsmen gifts: Bridesmaids received personalized pajamas with their Initials embroidered on them. Groomsmen received a personalized tie bar from Cufflinks Depot.
- First dance song: Ledisi and PJ Morton – Anything For You (The Duet)
- Advice for brides: If budget allows, hire a planner especially if you’re from out of town. I’m not a DIY person so a planner was a must, and I couldn’t have dreamed of a better planner than Fresh Johnson of Elle R. Jae Events. It was so beneficial to have someone in New Orleans to act on our behalf, that understood our vision, and made sure everything ran smoothly throughout the whole planning process and the day of the wedding. Designate someone to make sure you eat! The day goes by so fast between photos, dancing, and socializing that you can forget. Also, take a moment to take in everything. You and your fiancé worked hard to get to the wedding day, and you deserve to have a moment to take it all in and appreciate it.
The bride…
The dress…
How they met…
Gabrielle: We met on Twitter while we were both in college and started off as friends. Even though we both went to different schools, we realized we were both from the Northern Virginia area and ended up hanging out in real life during the summer when we went home to visit our families. After being friends for a few years, we started dating in 2012. He surprised me with a proposal, an engagement brunch, & a trip on our sixth dating anniversary. The whole day I was in shock because I didn’t know what was going to happen next!
The proposal…
Kristofer: The proposal took place at the Kreeger Museum in Washington, D.C. The Kreeger Museum is a museum filled with art from Picasso to Monet owned by David Lloyd Kreeger and Carmen Kreeger. The museum used to be their home and with how much art is a focal point in our lives, I wanted to have that juxtaposition. It was our 6th year anniversary and all she knew was we were going to the museum, eating afterward, and then going somewhere to stay for the weekend. I already had the rings for months as well as gotten the blessing from her father. Now it was time to execute the plan.
I had a photographer ready and after we walked around, enjoyed the museum (and after the photographer almost got caught by Gabrielle!) I was able to get on my knees outside the museum and hear her say yes. The emotions of joy ran rampant, and she was trying to get a hold of her mother, not knowing that was the second part of the proposal. After they had a brief talk, we went for lunch, and she was surprised to see both of our families there. After time with our family, I told her we were off to the airport and we spent the rest of the weekend in Nashville, TN. It was a place we talked about visiting together and it was a perfect way of ending the day.
The ceremony…
This was the wedding we had originally planned for 2020, but it had to be pushed back a year due to COVID-19.
For the ceremony, it was very important for the tone to be set the moment you entered the venue. Il Mercato is a stunning venue both inside and outside. We loved the Spanish architecture style of the building especially since it speaks to one of the many parts of the rich cultural history of the city of New Orleans. It has a gorgeous fireplace in its courtyard that served as a great focal point.
We really took our time to work with our amazing planner Fresh Johnson of Elle R Jae Events to curate the look and feeling we wanted to achieve and make sure everything felt cohesive. She knew exactly which vendors could execute our vision. We made several trips to New Orleans to see items in-person to make sure everything fit just right.
How they knew they found “the one”…
Gabrielle: I knew Kris was “the one” when I would think about things in the future, and he was always in my thoughts. Whether it was traveling, achieving certain life goals, or anything else in terms of building a life, he was always automatically factored into those plans or when I envisioned things happening, he was by my side. He’s the first person I want to share every moment with and be on this journey called life.
Kristofer: I knew she was the one when anytime I thought about my future, she was always present in those thoughts. When I wanted to travel, I wanted her to be there. When I saw myself winning a Grammy, I saw her being the person I kissed before I got on the stage. Every highlight I imagined that I wanted to experience, I wanted her by my side and the only way to do so was to make sure she was in my life forever.
Cultural elements…
We incorporated New Orleans into our wedding. With us being out of town, we wanted to show people why we love the city from our food and drink choices to having the Second Line after the ceremony. For the majority of our friends, it was their first Second Line and was a huge highlight for them.
Wedding style…
The style inspiration for the wedding was wanting it to feel intimate & romantic. The color palette was mauve & plum with green & gold accents. The color palette was informed by the season. Our first wedding in 2020 was in the fall, so the colors leaned into that season. With the wedding being in December and near New Year’s Eve, we wanted to bring in more winter colors with some sparkle which is where the gold came in. We wanted a nod to NYE without being super on the nose with it.
Reception space & decor…
To cultivate the feeling of intimacy and romance, we had flowers and candles installed on and around the fireplace. There were candles running up the aisle along each row. Fresh had shown me these amazing gold chairs that we thought would catch the light beautifully without overwhelming the space.
For the reception, the courtyard was transformed into a lounge area for guests and the inside of the building was for dinner and dancing. The lounge area furniture was all velvet and incorporated our wedding colors. Once the sun had set and the candle lighting was more visible, it offered a completely different vibe compared to the ceremony.
For the dinner tables, the setup reflected us wanting the feeling of intimacy & togetherness. I always imagined being able to walk around our wedding to each table and speaking to everyone individually. We wanted everyone to be able to converse with one another and cultivate a sense of community which is why we went with the long banquet-style tables.
The details…
The cake…
Wedding dress & favorite accessory…
Gabrielle: I wanted a dress that allowed me to feel like an elevated version of myself, move freely, and felt romantic & soft. I knew I was going to want to dance, especially during our second line, and be able to move around without feeling like I needed a team to help me. Also, I knew I wanted something interesting with the arms, like a sleeve, off the shoulder, or something. I tried on dresses in so many places – D.C., Chicago, New York, Miami, but like they say, you’ll know when you know.
Originally, I saw my dress online and was obsessed with the shoulders. They looked so fun and whimsical! After I saw the dress in person, I fell even more in love with it, especially the delicate details of the floral applique on the dress. The floral applique really served as an anchor for the rest of the look. My garter, hair pin, shoes, and jewelry, were chosen to complement the delicate details of my dress. My favorite accessory was my earrings, which served as my something blue, and was given to me by my dad.
Best wedding day memories…
Gabrielle: My best memories are our first look, our families & friends finally meeting, and our last dance. Our first look was great because we didn’t do one when we first got married in 2020 since we wanted the first time that we saw each other to be at the altar. But I always wanted first-look photos too! That’s one of the benefits of having a second wedding, you can do things both ways!
The first look in New Orleans was everything I hoped for. It was a gorgeous day in New Orleans, and we had the city skyline as a backdrop on the rooftop of The Pontchartrain Hotel. Since this was our second wedding, it was emotional to finally see each other in New Orleans and celebrate our marriage as we originally planned prior to the pandemic. To finally experience the day, we had been planning for years and knowing it was actually going to happen was really special. We were just so full of joy and gratitude.
Emotional moments…
Our families are from different parts of the country, so this was the first time our extended families and friends were able to meet. To see so many people we loved in one place after waiting for so long was wonderful. Finally, our last dance will always hold a special place in my memories. Wedding days fly by so fast and there’s so much happening that you can forget to take a moment to take it all in. I wanted a moment just for us and just between us where we could take in the day. The song we chose has special meaning to us. After having to wait an extra year to have our wedding in New Orleans, it was a perfect ending to a beautiful day.
Kristofer: My best memory was rapping for my wife. One of the reasons we met is because I was a rapper. She’s been there through the highs and lows of my career as PHZ-Sicks and I wanted to show her my love through the other thing I love the most. I wanted it to be perfect because she didn’t know it was going to happen. I had to find her while her feet were hurting and by the time she heard me on the mic, she soldiered through and put her shoes back on to join me on the dancefloor. While I did stumble a little bit, in the end, perfect is not what was needed. Love is not perfect, but like our relationship, I worked through it and with her by my side, we’re able to get through anything.
Wedding advice for other engaged couples…
Gabrielle: Remember that you and your partner are a team during all the planning, be flexible but not over-compromising, and don’t sweat the small stuff. The wedding is a day, and your marriage is for a lifetime. It should be one great day of many great days ahead. Also, sometimes changes can lead to something greater, for example, we didn’t end up with every vendor we started out with, but everything turned out even better than we could have imagined.
Kristofer: Be flexible and be able to roll with whatever unexpected changes that may happen. You may have an idea of what you want, but anything can happen that would make a vendor back out or you may have to drop them yourselves when you’re deep in the process. Don’t take it as a loss. Take it as a lesson. Sometimes that change in the plans might be for the best.
Looking for more wedding venue inspiration like the Il Mercato New Orleans?
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Vendors:
- Bride’s dress: Alexandra Grecco
- Bridal salon: Lovely Bride
- Bride’s headpiece and/or veil: Veil – Alexandra Grecco & Hair Comb – Untamed Petals by Amanda Judge
- Bride’s shoes: Bella Belle Shoes
- Bridesmaid dresses: Birdy Grey
- Cakes/desserts: Chasing Wang
- Catering: Joel Catering
- Ceremony Venue: Il Mercato
- Entertainment: New Orleans Classical and Jazz, Free Agents Brass Band, Mikey Offline, New Orleans Classical and Jazz
- Event planner: Elle R Jae Events
- Florals: Antigua Floral
- Groom’s attire: Fellow
- Groomsmen attire: The Black Tux
- Hairstylist: Manevixen Boutique, Inc.
- Bride’s hair: Nola Beauty
- Groom’s Hair: Hair910, The Barber Goat
- Braids: Hair910
- Lighting: Glow Uplights, Firefly Ambiance
- Linens: Explore Element
- Bride’s makeup: Chanell M Makeup
- Bridesmaid & Mother of the Bride Makeup: A Beauté Faces
- Photography: Shagari Gerard Photography
- Reception venue: Il Mercato
- Rentals: Love Good Rentals & Crystal Floral & Events Decor
- Design & Decor: Firefly Ambiance
- Stationery: Bayview Printing
- Videography: Red Feather Films, Lonely Eskimo Productions
- Bride’s Accommodations: The Pontchartrain Hotel
- Groom’s Accommodations: Renaissance New Orleans Arts Warehouse District Hotel
- Bride’s Tailor: Befitted Tailoring Co.
- Steaming: The Wedding Steamer
- Neon Sign: NeonArtisans
- Photo Booth: PHODAT Booths
- Transportation: Riculfy Livery
- Submitted via Two Bright Lights
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