Live “La Vie en Rose” With This Romantic New Orleans Wedding at Hotel Peter and Paul
When Sydney Harris and Tim Stormers’ eyes met at the oaky countertop at The Roger Room bar in Los Angeles, lightning struck. “I was doing a lot of comedy improv and auditioning at the time when not teaching pilates. He was in post-production for HBO and worked long hours,” Sydney explains. “We both were looking for someone outside our bubbles—we met on Bumble. When we met, he looked me in the eye, felt honest and walked me to my car.” Then, three years after their first date, Tim popped the question on the top of Runyon Canyon, where they’d had their second date.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the lovebirds decided they didn’t want to wait to get married—instead, they scrapped their original plans and pared down their nuptials to an intimate affair. “I got married in October 2020 in the middle of Covid. It feels like I’m talking about something in the 1940s—ha!” Sydney says. “Little did I know when we first got engaged just how invaluable our planner’s help would be as my wedding dreams were crushed and reborn in the waves of the pandemic. She held my hand through it all.”
The California-based couple planned their New Orleans wedding from a distance, relying on their planner and family for their help and support. Sydney’s mother picked out the venue, and the wedding planner, Mary Spera, took the original theme the couple had in mind and adapted it. “We originally were going to go with a Romeo and Juliet (1996) and the Burlesque/Moulin-Rouge-type feel with a big, party reception. We were able to sprinkle in a bit of all that over my wedding weekend with help from our wedding planner.” explains the bride. “But, we ended up with a 'La Vie en Rose' wedding inspiration.”
Forty friends and family were able to attend their October wedding, entering Hotel Peter and Paul filled with love and anticipation for the socially distanced event. Each attendant sat, masked and apart, at small pews that encircled the altar. The raised platform was surrounded by fallen rose petals, bouquets of greenery and tall and low candles that dimly illuminated the historic and ornate setting. “We had an afternoon wedding, and the light through the stained-glass windows changed throughout the service—and the accent lights made the place pop,” explains Sydney. “We had glass-held candles spread throughout.”
The bride stunned in a Rivini, off-the-shoulder gown. “I picked it when I had decided on our song, “La Vie en Rose,” and I wanted a dress that would take up some space,” she says, and she got her wish with a full-skirt A-line ensemble that sported lace detailing. Tim picked out a classic black tuxedo to evoke a timeless look. They said their “I dos” as their pastor from LA officiated. “Being married by a person of God was very important to us, but we weren’t sure if our pastor would fly down to Louisiana from Los Angeles. We went through marriage counseling twice in order to have a backup officiant from Baton Rouge. Ultimately, our pastor made it and wore a mask in our service. The other pastor came too—it was very special.”
The tented reception was a small but lively celebration. Live music filled the space, and the band vibe was ideal for the event: Old-Hollywood classic, a touch of Bossa Nova and Frenchman Street (New Orleans). Guests were surrounded by flowers in hues with a special meaning. “Our floral colors were very light pink and white with pops of red for my mother’s parents. They are from Alabama—crimson tide,” Sydney notes.
In hindsight, there was one aspect of their big day that truly stood out to the new Mr. and Mrs. “The most special part of the day was that my dad got to walk me down the aisle to ‘Ava Maria’ (one of our favorite songs),” reveals the bride. “We didn’t want to wait for Covid to be over to have our wedding, and thank goodness we didn’t. My dad was diagnosed with advanced stages of Bulbar ALS about a year and a half after our wedding. Our daddy-daughter dance to one of our favorite songs was something I had dreamed about: ‘They Can’t Take That Away From Me.’”