Title: Northshore and New Orleans Wedding Photography: How to Plan Coverage That Actually Fits Your Day
Getting married on the Northshore or in New Orleans is a different day than a ballroom in another city. Light changes fast, ceremonies run on church time, and the best pictures usually happen in the in-between — not only at sunset.
I’m Jackie with Jackie Scott Photography. I photograph weddings, engagements, and bridals around Madisonville, Mandeville, Covington, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge. This is how I help couples decide what they actually need.
Start with the day, not a package name
Before you pick hours, write down the pieces you care about:
Getting ready
First look or no first look
Ceremony
Family formals
Couple portraits
Reception (grand entrance, dances, exit)
Four hours covers a ceremony, family, a short set of couple photos, and the start of the reception. That works for a smaller day. If you want getting-ready through the dance floor, plan on more time. You can lock the date with a deposit and decide exact hours as the timeline firms up.
Northshore vs New Orleans
Oak trees, lake light, and porches around Mandeville and Covington photograph differently than the Quarter or a Uptown house. Neither is “better.” They just need different timing.
Outdoor Northshore portraits look best in open shade or last light — not midday in an open field.
New Orleans work often means mixed indoor light, tight streets, and moving between spots. Build extra minutes into the timeline for that.
If the ceremony and reception are in two places, say so early so coverage isn’t cut short in the car.
I shoot both areas. If you’re not sure where portraits should go, we can look at your venue first and add a second spot only if it helps.
Engagement and bridal sessions
An engagement session is usually about an hour. It’s the easiest way to get comfortable in front of the camera before the wedding, and you can use the photos for save-the-dates. Fontainebleau, the Quarter, and quiet oak canopies on the Northshore all work — pick the place that feels like you, not the place that looks busiest online.
A bridal session is portraits in the dress without the wedding-day clock. Details (shoes, rings, invitations) can happen there too. If you want prints or a framed piece at the reception, schedule it with enough time to edit and print. Dry cleaning the dress before the wedding matters if you’re doing bridals early.
What I actually photograph
I get the must-haves — family, ceremony, the dress — then I look for what’s happening when nobody is posing. Kids being kids. A parent’s face during the vows. The two of you for a second when the formal list is done.
I shoot with two camera bodies and back everything up before I edit. Sneak peeks go out the week after the wedding. Full wedding galleries are about eight weeks. Engagements and bridals are about four.
How to get started
If you like the work, the next step is a short call about your date, venue, and what you want the day to feel like. You don’t have to pick every add-on on that call. A deposit holds the date.
Contact or grab a time here: [scheduling link]
Jackie Scott Photography
Madisonville / New Orleans
Weddings, engagements, and bridals