Audubon Tea Room Weddings
Set inside Audubon Zoo under a canopy of live oaks, the Audubon Tea Room is one of the few New Orleans venues that can host a truly large wedding without losing any of its warmth. We’ve photographed weddings here that filled the Sea Lion Colonnade with two hundred guests and others that felt intimate under string lights in the Tea Room’s Garden.
A Wedding Day at the Zoo
Being set inside zoo gives Audubon Tea Room weddings a feel unlike any other venue in New Orleans. During the ceremony, guests often catch the call of monkeys or elephants in the distance. We’ve also crossed paths with peacocks more than once while doing portraits on the grounds. The oaks are old, draped in Spanish moss, and in spring the azaleas along the Sea Lion Colonnade come into full bloom, pink and white against the limestone columns, right in step with wedding season.
The venue also scales in a way most New Orleans venues can’t. We’ve photographed weddings here with 250 guests, and the space never felt tight. The flow between ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception stayed easy the whole night.
But what makes the Tea Room work as well as it does comes down to the team running it. The staff coordinate closely with planners and vendors, and food is handled by the Dickie Brennan Group, which means the catering is a known quantity for anyone familiar with New Orleans dining.
THE CEREMONY
The Tea Room gives couples two genuinely different ceremony settings, and both hold up beautifully in photos.
Towering limestone columns wrap around an open rotunda at the Sea Lion Colonnade. The ceremony takes place on the steps beneath it, with oak branches framing the scene overhead. In the spring, the azaleas surrounding the colonnade turn the whole scene pink and white. We’ve photographed ceremonies here in full daylight and after dark with the columns lit, and both versions have their own character.
The Tea Room’s Garden feels different, closer and more sheltered, with ceremonies held right under the canopy of the oaks. The branches hang low enough to feel like part of the architecture. It’s a quieter, more private setting than the colonnade, and it works well for couples who want that feeling even with a large guest list.
THE LOCATION
Being inside Audubon Zoo means the Tea Room comes with acreage most venues can’t offer. Beyond the immediate ceremony and reception spaces, there are oak-lined paths, open lawns, and quiet corners throughout the zoo that we can use for portraits before or after the ceremony. Late in the afternoon, the light comes in low and gold, backlighting the Spanish moss until the oaks practically glow. That’s the window we try to plan portraits around whenever we can.
THE WHOLE CREW
Whether it’s the courtyard garden or out among the oaks, the whole wedding party has a backdrop worth showing off.
THE RECEPTION
The Tea Room is built for a real party. We’ve photographed full bands as well as DJs here with a large dance floor going, and the space handles the energy well without guests feeling like they’re on top of each other.
THE TEA ROOM’S GARDEN
Cocktail hour in the Garden. Guests spread out under the oaks with drinks in hand while the light starts to change. The Garden stays open through the reception too, and it becomes a nice place for guests to step outside, sit, and talk without competing with the music inside.
MORE TEA ROOM MOMENTS WE LOVE
Check out a favorite reception of ours at the Audubon Tea Room
MAIA & JARED
Their wedding began with a lush first look at Longue Vue, vows at St. Joseph’s, and a fun reception at the Tea Room. See their wedding →
KIND WORDS FROM ONE OF OUR TEA ROOM COUPLES
“Matthew made us feel completely at ease in front of the camera, which is no small feat, and his attention to detail was remarkable. Each image truly captured the emotions of the day!”
-Lexie and Devin
Are You Getting Married at Audubon Tea Room?
We know the Tea Room well, the ceremony locations, the reception flow, and the best light on the grounds for portraits. If you’re getting married here and want a photographer who already knows the venue, we’d love to hear about your day.
Want to see a full gallery from a Tea Room wedding? Contact us and we’ll send one over.
Not ready to reach out yet? Learn more about what it’s like to work with us and see how we approach every wedding day.
The Audubon Tea Room is located inside Audubon Zoo at 6500 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70118. Visit audubonnatureinstitute.org/audubon-tea-room
