Kim & Colin

November 16, 2019

The Wedding of

Kimberly Vinci
& Colin Hart

November 16, 2019
at 4:00 pm

New Orleans, LA

#KimStoleHisHart

We are so excited to celebrate our special day with family and friends! Below you will find wedding day details, travel information, hotel accommodations, and recommendations for making the most of your time in New Orleans. Thank you for your ongoing love and support. Please note this will be an adults-only celebration. We are so blessed to have people travelling from near and far and look forward to dancing the night away with all of our favorite people!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!   

Ceremony at St. Mary's

St. Mary’s Church is attached to the Ursuline Convent Museum in the French Quarter and is one of the oldest buildings in the Mississippi River Valley with components dating back to 1727.

Please do not go to St. Mary’s Assumption Church—we will not be there!

Reception at Marché

Immediately following the ceremony, the newlyweds will lead a Second Line Parade to the reception venue, Marche, led by a brass band. Celebrate the marriage by dancing through the streets to get the party started!

Our Story

Kim and Colin met through Hinge in September 2014, but likely had crossed paths while living within a mile of each other in Arlington, VA. Kim initiated the first conversation, but Colin asked for the first date: dinner at a restaurant in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington. After dinner, gelato, and a walk around the neighborhood, Colin walked Kim to her car and set up the second date for lunch a few days later. A few years later, after hundreds of dinner dates and dozens of trips together, they are getting married in Kim’s hometown New Orleans!

The Proposal

December 26, 2018

While in New Orleans for the holidays, Colin made dinner reservations at Commander’s Palace and wanted to stop by Celebration in the Oaks in City Park afterwards to take photos. Dinner was lovely, but it quickly became apparent that it was pouring outside. I questioned traipsing through the park in the rain, but Colin convinced me! We donned our raincoats and umbrellas, and walked the park for about an hour and a half, taking in the beautiful festive scenery. After passing through Storyland and the amusement park, we came upon a secluded garden area with a dimly lit gazebo. We stepped inside, and Colin got down on one knee…

Early in November, I took a secret day trip to New Orleans to talk to Kim’s parents and meet with their local jeweler. I worked with the jewelers to design a ring just for Kim, and had it shipped to DC. I had to keep it hidden away in my bag while we traveled to New Orleans on Christmas Day. All day, I was nervous about her picking up on the surprise, or plans falling through. Thankfully, dinner was lovely and we powered through in the rain. Through our time in the park, I was quietly (and nervously) looking for the right spot to propose, finding nothing until we turned the corner into a secluded garden area with a small, lit-up gazebo…

The Wedding Party

New Orleans
Traditions

One of the most popular traditions during New Orleans weddings is the famous Second Line. At a wedding, it’s a small parade that signifies the start of a new beginning for the bride and groom. A brass band plays while the newly married couple leads the bridal party and guests from the church to the reception venue, holding uniquely decorated umbrellas or parasols. All guests who want to join in the celebration make up the parade and form a line behind the band and the bride and groom, dancing and strutting to the lively music with handkerchiefs or cocktail napkins!

Our reception will be in the traditional local style. Receptions in New Orleans are typically not seated dinners, but consist of passed hors d’oeuvres, open action stations and display stations with emphasis on lots of food, lots of drinks, and a highly dynamic and social atmosphere. Seating is left open to allow our guests to mingle with everyone. Everything else will feel pretty familiar—a live band, lots of dancing, and good times all around!

Gift Registry


Travel

Getting Around

You’ll want to fly into the newly renovated Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY), which is about a 25 minute drive (without traffic) to downtown. If you stay in or near the Quarter, we recommend not renting a car as parking is difficult and ridesharing is prevalent. There’s also pedicabs, and streetcars too—though the streetcar is something to experience and not really a quick and dependable means of getting around.

Weather in New Orleans

New Orleans in November is not like the rest of the country. It can be as hot as 80° or as cool as 60°. We have made the request for beautiful weather the weekend of our wedding, but are still waiting to hear back… We recommend bringing an umbrella and raincoat just in case it gets rainy. Please check the weather before traveling to see if you need to bring clothing for warmer weather!

Hotels

We recommend staying somewhere in or near the French Quarter. All of our wedding day activities are in this historic district, and it's centrally located to much of the city’s best attractions. We have room blocks at a number of hotels in the area, and have listed them below with links to book at the discounted rate.

Airbnb is another option, though local regulations have limited the amount of listings you’ll find in the French Quarter. Check this link for listings in the area for the wedding weekend. If you end up going the Airbnb route, please reach out to us about where you plan on staying.

Things to Do

Food & Drink