NEW ORLEANS — Saturday, a brand-new wedding venue in New Orleans will marry its first couple. They will tie the knot inside a liquor store, in what the store’s owners believe will be a first-of-its-kind ceremony.
It started as a plan to boost tourist traffic. Vince Caruso, Vice President of Marketing at Chuck’s on the Avenue, approached owner Chuck Loescher with the idea.
“He said, ‘Hey, they’ve got donut shops all over the world with wedding chapels,” said Loescher, “‘Why don't we put a wedding chapel in a liquor store?’” “It took me probably a good month or two to convince him it was a good idea,” said Caruso, laughing. The project took several more months to build and plan. Now, it is complete.
Brides will walk through the front door of Chuck’s, pass shelves of sparkling wine and cordials, and stop in front of the altar, which is placed in the corner of the store. The officiant will be well-known Saints superfan and Elvis impersonator Randy Bonneval.
The first couple, Angel Muhlhauser and Eric Maisonneuve, will get married there this Saturday. “We’re nervous, but we also can’t wait,” Maisonneuve told WWL Louisiana.
Caruso approached them with the opportunity to be the first couple to try out Chuck’s new chapel. “I said, ‘Hey, they’re always gonna remember their first ones, you know, it’s a grand opening,” said Maisonneuve.
He and Muhlhauser have not seen the venue in person yet. He said that people he has shown photos to have been impressed with how it looks.
It is no wonder they have been– Chuck’s splurged on the setup. The stained glass panel above the altar is an original from Central Congregational Church in New Orleans which opened in 1872. Below it are several custom wrought iron pieces and real bricks. The pews are from a church in Luling. The ornate wooden altar itself, at which the “Who Dat Elvis” will marry couples, is from St. Stephen Church Uptown.
“I didn’t want it to just be something thrown up, something that didn’t have any effort,” said Caruso. “I wanted a little bit of hard work, a little bit of love, and a lot of New Orleans.”
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