Mandeville, LA, USA < change city >

Band:

David's Bridal(Durham, NC)

"I had a very long engagement, and thus, I had lots of time to try on wedding dresses. I went to David's Bridal probably 5-6 times trying on new dresses and one dress in particular that I was considering until I finally made a purchase. This is the benefit of a corporate chain supplier. They want you to come in multiple times. They want you to buy not matter what. I would guess it might be hard for a small wedding dress shop to accommodate brides 5-6 times each. The quality of the dresses seemed to vary. I wound up purchasing a dress that was of higher quality and pricier than some of DB's other dresses and thus I was really pleased. You just have to keep your expectations realistic. I had a relatively good experience with DB, but I'm not high maintenance. The attentiveness of the sales girls varied from always around to relatively hands-off. The only thing that I wish they would have done differently was to measure/size me while I had my bustier, and slip on. After I had decided to buy and the saleswoman was placing the order, she measured me and order according to my size in regular clothing. Thus, she ordered a 16W vs a 16, which meant that the bust area of my dress was slightly too large for my body. In the end everything worked out and I looked and felt great on my wedding day, but there was a bit more material than necessary in my bust region making the dress dig into my shoulders some. Keep your expectations real about David's Bridal and your needs practical and you can find some affordable wedding attire."

Cakes/Candies Vendor:

Angelo's Bakery

"I ordered my wedding cake from Angelo's bakery for my wedding in Abita Springs, LA. Lisa, the cake specialist, was very flexible and willing to work with me. I wanted a simple cake with simple designs that tasted delicious and Angelo's was perfect. They arranged the delivery directly with my reception vendor and delivered the cake on time with no problems. The cake was absolutely magnificent and tasted wonderful! There was a large amount left over, which made the cake more than worth the value. Great experience. I was glad to give this locally owned and family run bakery the business."

Florist:

Distinctive Floral Designs LLC

"Distinctive Floral Designs provided the flowers for my wedding in Abita Springs, LA. I wanted a flower that was rather uncommon and they went out of their way to provide, price, and accommodate my needs. I gave them a general idea of the colors, style, and arrangements that I wanted and then gave them creative freedom for the design and choosing of the specific flowers(besides my one special request). The cost of service, delivery and the flowers was very affordable and the bouquets and arrangements were stunningly beautiful. Working with the ladies at the shop was great and they helped navigate the entire experience with knowledge and ease. Perfect vendor!"

Invitations Vendor:

Wedding Paper Divas

"I picked out and designed my invites on Wedding Paper Divas with ease and control. I spent a lot of time deciding on which invites to go with, but I was really happy with the ones I chose. I also loved how they provide matching paper for everything related to the wedding. The invites came very quickly and were beautiful. Less expensive than going to a local printer and due to the vast selection of designs it's unlikely that your guests will have seen your invites for another wedding. Good choice!"

Registry Vendor:

Honeyfund.com

"My husband and I decided to register for our honeymoon rather than for the traditional household stuffs. Honeyfund.com made it possible! You have the option to set up the honeyfund website to deposit funds directly into your paypal account, which is what we did. We upgraded our honeyfund site, which had some nicer features than just the standard site templates they offered. Honeyfund.com was a great way for us to get what we wanted without asking for cash outright. All of our guests really liked the idea and supported our decision to register for travel. Those who wanted to give us something else, did so. It was really a win-win and we're really glad we went the honeymoon registry route."

Ceremony:

Abita Quail Farm

Reception:

Abita Quail Farm

Hotel:

Comfort Inn & Suites

Restaurant:

Abita Brewing Company LLC

"World Famous. The restaurant is also tasty."

Restaurant:

Angeli On Decatur

"Great food for when you're out and about late or just need to grab some lunch while downtown. (Get the spicy tomato spread.)"

Restaurant:

Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits

"Tucked away, but the drive to get here takes you through an interesting area of town: Bywater and Marigny."

Restaurant:

Brocato Angelo Ice Cream & Confectionery Inc

"An all time favorite as someone who grew up in the Slidell/New Orleans area! The pistachio almond ice cream still remains #1 best-ever anywhere."

Restaurant:

Cafe Du Monde Coffee Stand

"Tried and true classic."

Restaurant:

Creole Bagelry

"I used to work here years ago and the place hasn't changed much except maybe the food has gotten better(not that it was ever bad, it's just that good). Great for breakfast or lunch in Slidell."

Restaurant:

Deanie's Seafood Bucktown

"Go here if you want a true SE Louisiana fried seafood platter or boiled crawfish and bloody marys."

Restaurant:

Gott Gourmet Cafe

"Great uptown lunch spot. The sandwiches and wraps are da' bomb."

Restaurant:

Middendorf's Seafood Restaurant

"Albeit the seafood here is delicious!"

Restaurant:

New Orleans Food & Spirits

"New Orleans Food & Spirits really made sure that my wedding party was well accommodated for our rehearsal dinner. The manager worked with us to pick out a menu that was appropriate. The food was awesome and got rave reviews from all of my in-town and out-of-town guests. The service was also superb. Overall a great experience and I would recommend this venue for just general dining or for rehearsal dinners. My Mother-in-law paid for it so I'm guessing on the cost of service, but it was definitely very affordable."

Restaurant:

Palmettos On The Bayou

"The hours are weird(thurs-sun), but their entrees are real New Orleans inspired creole dishes."

Restaurant:

Pat O'Brien's Bar

"The home of the Hurricane."

Restaurant:

Pere Antoine Italian Restaurant

Restaurant:

Rips On the Lake

"My "pa' an' dem" claim that this restaurant has fabulous seafood and right on the lakefront!"

Restaurant:

Rue De La Course

"Great coffee. Nuff' said."

Restaurant:

Sunrise Cafe

"The breakfast boats are awesome! It's like an omelet plate all mixed up together. This local spot really "hits the spot"."

Entertainment:

Central Grocery Company Llc

"Home of the Muffaletta and traditional New Orleans grocer."

Entertainment:

House of Blues

"Stylized folk art interior and good live music. The food is pricy though and I'd recommend going here for drinks or a show."

Entertainment:

Old Opera House

"Historic Opera House on Bourbon St. Now a bar"

Entertainment:

Preservation Hall

"Dixieland at it's best!"

Entertainment:

Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro

"Snug Harbor is a great place to go hear jazz and has the "jazz club" feel that many look for especially in New Orleans. They always have a good line-up of local or famous jazz musicians."

Entertainment:

Tipitina's

"One of my all time favorites! Waaaay uptown, but worth seeing a show here if you're looking for some music."

Attraction:

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

"Fishies!"

Attraction:

Audubon Zoo

"Always fun to go to the zoo!"

Attraction:

Bayou St. John and Esplanade Ridge

"Bayou St. John is really beautiful and it's nice to walk along the park lining the bayou, which is across the street from City Park(for a long distance). This is a nice outside venture if you're looking to go for a walk."

Attraction:

Canal-Algiers Ferry

"Great FREE trip across the Mississippi. Takes 15 minutes to go across and runs every half our. Just make sure you go to Algiers point and not down river(an hour and a half ride)."

Attraction:

Children's Museum

"I have wonderful memories of going here as a child!"

Attraction:

Contemporary Arts Center

"Great art on display. Was free last time I checked."

Attraction:

Fontainebleau State Park

"Lines the Northshore Lakefront. National park recreation area with picnic benches and such."

Attraction:

Fort Pike

"Cool attraction for history buffs looking to learn a bit about Lake Pontchartrain history."

Attraction:

Fortier Park and Esplanade Ave

"Take a drive down Esplanade and the surrounding neighborhoods NORTH of I-10 to take in beautiful NOLA residences."

Attraction:

French Market Corporation: Flea Market Ofc

Attraction:

Frenchman st.

"See where the locals hang!"

Attraction:

Greenwood Cemetery

"Fabulous Cemetary to check out the bizarre nature of New Orleans' cemetaries."

Attraction:

Holt Cemetery

"The website makes it look super creepy! Also, looks like the store really messed up this cemetary."

Attraction:

Honey Island Swamp tours

"Great for those who want to see some gators in the wild."

Attraction:

Lower Ninth Ward

"Everybody asks."

Attraction:

Magazine St.

"Another great stretch of the city that exemplifies local lifestyles."

Attraction:

Manchac Wildlife Management Area

"I've never done this, but I'm sure it's an adventure!"

Attraction:

Mandeville Lakefront

"Often overlooked by those travelling to New Orleans, but a great place to dine and drink on the Lakefront. Barley's Taproom is located here and is a great hangout spot."

Attraction:

National World War II Museum

Attraction:

New Orleans Museum of Art

"Great way to spend the day in the air conditioning. There is also a sculpture garden behind the museum."

Attraction:

Ogden Museum of Southern Art

Attraction:

Peristyle and Timken Center

"Beautiful spot in the park."

Attraction:

Riverwalk Marketplace

"Shop Shop Shop."

Attraction:

Royal Street Inn

"The "R" bar. Haircuts available on Mondays."

Attraction:

St. Louis Cathedral

"A central location in the French Quarter. The cathedral is located on Jackson Square and is also near Cafe du Monde and the Mississippi River."

Attraction:

St. Louis Cemetery #1

"This is the first cemetery in the city. Beware of random stragglers inside, but Marie Leveaux's tomb is located here."

Attraction:

The Aquarium of the Americas

"Fishies!"

Attraction:

The Lakefront

"Southshore Lakefront drive."

Attraction:

Turducken

"Just making sure you're paying attention. And yes, the orignal TURDUCKEN."

Attraction:

Ursuline Convent

"Great spot for history buffs or those interested in the history of Catholics in New Orleans."