Recent brides and their fathers who paid for the wedding won’t be surprised to learn that the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is between $30,000 and $36,000, depending on the couple's choices, incuding the wedding location and number of guests.

One of the major costs of any wedding is photography.

In an image-driven society where pics of the most mundane activities are posted online for public consumption, capturing the biggest day of many women’s lives in pictures is often complicated. Along with conflicting emotions about body image, and the stress of a major financial investment, unlike the informal pictures of a birthday or a vacation, wedding photos capture a rite of passage and who doesn’t want to look their best for posterity?   

Wedding photographer Katelyn Craven of Butterflies of Hope Photography knows how to ensure that the money is well spent. 

Butterflies of Hope Photography is a family-owned photography studio founded by Katelyn’s mother, Heather Banker. Working out of their Prairieville studio, Katelyn leads all wedding photography under her own brand, Butterflies of Hope by Katelyn, and frequently travels across South Louisiana— from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, Lafayette and St. Francisville—for weddings and engagements.

During the pandemic, many brides were either postponing big-ticket weddings or opting for smaller backyard unions at home. As a result, couples have become more aware of the environmental impact of their special day. Invitation cards, welcome bags, and other plastic props and tchotchkes that were once trendy but too often discarded are now passe for the environmentally-friendly couple.

Wedding bouquets and flowers aren’t immune to the trend either, with planners noting fewer boutonnieres and more pocket squares for the groom and groomsmen. But what of the bride and her maids?

Inspired by her own disappointing experience with a wedding florist, Lauren Bercier co-founded Something Borrowed Blooms, a rental service featuring premium silk floral collections that couples can rent for about 70% less than fresh flowers. 

What started with a dozen weddings a month has grown to more than 2,000 weddings per month during peak season, with over 55,000 weddings fulfilled to date.

Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by  Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez at itsbatonrouge.com.

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