Central City BBQ

Welcome Party

New Orleans Board of Trade

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Bud Rips Old 9th Ward Bar

Farewell Pizza Party

Our Wedding

Steph had longed to be a nun since she was a young girl. When she arrived at the convent, however, she often found herself&nbsp;in trouble and doing the wrong things, such as climbing trees and singing in the abbey. Given her&nbsp;difficulties adjusting to nun life, the Reverend Mother sent&nbsp;Steph&nbsp;to the house of a retired naval captain, named Captain David Von Belk,&nbsp;to care for his seven rowdy&nbsp;children.&nbsp;

The children had&nbsp;run off countless governesses before Steph arrived. She soon learned&nbsp;that all the&nbsp;children needed was a little love to change their attitudes. Steph taught&nbsp;the children to sing while wearing&nbsp;clothes made out of curtains, and through her, music was brought back into the hearts and home of the&nbsp;family. To both their surprises, Steph and Captain Von Belk fell helplessly in love.









Just kidding. That is&nbsp;The Sound of Music.











Steph and David met on OK Cupid. He messaged her, she replied several months later (after having de-activated and re-activated her profile; very bad timing), and they went on their first date to Barrel Proof a few days after that.

How We Met

David wore Teva&nbsp;hiking sandals&nbsp;to a nice restaurant. After the date, Steph met up with&nbsp;her friends Levi and Jimmy, who assured her it wasn't a dealbreaker.&nbsp;

David became known as "Tevas" to the majority of Steph's friends, a nickname that still haunts him to this&nbsp;day.&nbsp;

Our Second Date

The proposal planning began after their third date, when David began brainstorming how he would convince this amazing woman to tolerate him for the rest of their lives.&nbsp;&nbsp;After countless drafts and rewrites of his plan over the next year and a half, David had the perfect proposal planned for the end of 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;Alas, the Blue Angels were already scheduled to fly in Tampa that weekend and the fire dancers were demanding an absurd per diem.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Plan B went into effect.&nbsp;&nbsp;On December 15, 2017, David and Steph went to one of Steph’s favorite sushi restaurants followed by a night of dancing at Rock ‘n Bowl.&nbsp;&nbsp;David knew Steph first fell in love with him after seeing him dance at Rock ‘n Bowl on one of their earliest dates, and he was sure this date and his killer moves were all he needed to bag this babe for life.



After some shimmying in their finest Christmas sweaters, David invited Steph to the photo booth – her favorite part of any night.&nbsp;&nbsp;Once in the booth (and after Steph got over her self-described “sushi burps”), David slipped the ring from his pocket and popped the question during the first photo.&nbsp;&nbsp;To David’s relief, Steph said, “yes!”&nbsp;&nbsp;Unfortunately, the photos capturing the proposal weren’t saved, as the newly-engaged couple was too busy making out to hit the “print” button.&nbsp;&nbsp;No matter, David and Steph spent the rest of the night dancing, celebrating, and enjoying the free drinks bestowed upon them by everyone who saw Steph’s beautiful new ring (which David picked out all by himself and definitely without any input from Steph or her friend Jill).



In the months since the proposal, David and Steph have continued to celebrate (and use their engagement for free food and drinks).&nbsp;&nbsp;They are so excited to share the celebration with all of you at their wedding and can’t wait to see you out on the dance floor!

The Proposal

Our Story

Getting Around

New Orleans is small and has decent transportation options, so you probably won't need to rent a car unless you're planning to stay outside the city or go on day trips (plantations, swamp tours, etc.)

Here are some easy options for getting around the city:



Bikes: New Orleans is flat and biking is the best way to avoid traffic.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluebikesnola.com/">Blue Bikes</a> (bike share) are available throughout Downtown, the Garden District, and Midcity. You can rent them by the minute.

Streetcar: The three main <a href="http://norta.com/Getting-Around/Our-Streetcars">street car routes</a> (St. Charles, Canal, and Rampart-St. Claude) can get you to most places in the city. $1.25 per ride, or $3 for a day pass (make sure to have exact change). Bus: The <a href="http://www.norta.com/Maps-Schedules/System-Map/Line.aspx?ID=10827">Magazine St. line</a> is a good alternative to getting uptown if the streetcar is crowded. $1.25 per ride, or $3 for a day pass (make sure to have exact change). 

Uber/Lyft:&nbsp;Easily available and very convenient. If you don't know how to do this, your nearest millennial should be able to assist. 

Taxi:&nbsp;United Taxi is your best bet. 504-522-9771.

Our NOLA Favorites

To Eat

We love to eat. Here are a few of our favorites places to go:

Casual:























<a href="http://pizzadelicious.com/">Pizza Delicious</a> - The best pizza in New Orleans. Even pretentious New Yorkers like it.























<a href="http://www.elizabethsrestaurantnola.com/">Elizabeth's</a> - The line for brunch is long, but for good reason. Try the praline bacon.























<a href="https://cochonbutcher.com/">Cochon Butcher</a> - For our vegetarian guests.























<a href="http://www.turkeyandthewolf.com/">Turkey and the Wolf</a> - This place is always&nbsp;packed thanks to Bon Appetit Magazine naming it the best new restaurant in America last year (thanks a lot, yankees).























<a href="https://nola.eater.com/maps/best-new-orleans-restaurants-38/tan-dinh">Tan Dinh</a> - If you have a car and are willing to&nbsp;cross the bridge to the West Bank, this is the best Vietnamese food in NOLA.























<a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/lillys-cafe-new-orleans-6">Lilly's</a> - If you're not gonna go to the Westbank, this is your next best option for great Vietnamese food.























<a href="http://parkwaypoorboys.com/">Parkway Bakery and Tavern</a> - Best poboys around.&nbsp;Order&nbsp;THE PEACEMAKER, you won't regret it.

















<a href="http://www.cafedumonde.com/">Cafe DuMonde</a> - The original home of beignets and cafe au lait. Touristy, but you gotta do it.























<a href="http://www.datdog.com/">Dat Dog</a> - Want a $8 hot dog? Here ya go.























<a href="https://www.thecompanyburger.com/">Company Burger</a> - Two words: MAYONNAISE BAR.























<a href="http://pascalsmanale.com/">Pascal's Manale</a> - Stand up at the bar for raw oysters shucked in front of you, or sit down for delicious BBQ shrimp.













Any <a href="http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/entertainment_life/food_restaurants/article_9975230a-091c-11e8-b074-af4eed6f3855.html">gas station</a> that looks shady but also serves fried chicken.























Fancy Schmancy:























<a href="https://www.coquettenola.com/">Coquette</a>- Steph's favorite place to pretend to be classy.























<a href="https://www.commanderspalace.com/">Commander's Palace</a> - The O.G. New Orleans&nbsp;fine dining experience. They serve&nbsp;25 cent martinis at lunch!&nbsp;























<a href="http://emerilsrestaurants.com/meril">Meril</a>- Emeril's cooler, younger, hipper restaurant.&nbsp;























<a href="https://www.pecherestaurant.com/">Pêche</a> - Seafood paradise.&nbsp;

To Drink

<a href="http://www.bacchanalwine.com/">Bacchanal</a>&nbsp;- This wine shop/cocktail bar has&nbsp;a beautiful backyard space with live music every night. Great food and cheese plates too!

<a href="https://hotelmonteleone.com/entertainment/carousel-bar/">The Carousel Bar</a> @ Hotel Monteleone - The bar spins!





Take a brewery crawl&nbsp;down Tchoupitoulas Street and hit <a href="http://nolabrewing.com/">NOLA Brewery</a>, <a href="http://urbansouthbrewery.com/">Urban South Brewery</a>, <a href="http://www.courtyardbrewing.com/">Courtyard Brewery</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="http://portorleansbrewingco.com/">Port Orleans Brewery</a>.











<a href="http://www.barrelproofnola.com/">Barrel Proof</a> - Famous for being where Steph and David had their first date. Huge selection of whiskey. Fancy cocktails if you're into that. Shot/beer combos if you're not.















<a href="https://www.superiorseafoodnola.com/">Superior Seafood</a> - Great happy hour from 4-6:30 with 50 cent oysters (Fannie Choy's favorite!!)







<a href="http://www.lafittesblacksmithshop.com/">Lafitte's Black Smith Shop</a> - The oldest bar in New Orleans, lit by candles only. Try a purple drink!



<a href="http://www.erinrosebar.com/">Erin Rose</a> - One of the few Bourbon Street bars frequented by locals. Grab a frozen Irish coffee and a <a href="http://www.killerpoboys.com/">Killer Po' Boy</a> in the back.



<a href="https://www.traceysnola.com/">Tracey's</a> - Grab a shot and a beer and walk&nbsp;to the corner&nbsp;of Fourth Street&nbsp;to see the historical home in which David once resided.&nbsp;

(For a full list of sleazy dive bars, please contact David directly)

To Do

<a href="https://crescentparknola.org/">Crescent Park</a> - Amazing views of the city and lots of insta-ready backdrops to get ALL the likes. 









Music on <a href="http://frenchmenstreetlive.com/">Frenchmen Street</a> - Wander in and out of the music clubs on Frenchmen until you hear something you like.













<a href="http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/tours/cemeterytours.html">Cemetery Tour</a> - Get SPOOOOOOOOKY.













<a href="http://www.frenchquarter.com/royal-street-a-block-by-block-guide/">Royal Street</a> - Take a stroll and check out the art galleries and antique shops.









<a href="https://www.magazinestreet.com/">Magazine Street</a> - Tons of&nbsp;boutiques, bars, and restaurants. Our favorite stretch is the Irish Channel, betweeen Lousiana Ave. and Jackson Ave.











<a href="https://www.nationalww2museum.org/">National World War II Museum</a> -&nbsp;A must-see for history lovers.





Tarot Readings in <a href="https://www.nola.gov/parks-and-parkways/parks-squares/jackson-square/">Jackson Square</a> - Pay an old lady to tell you when you'll die.&nbsp;





<a href="http://neworleanscitypark.com/">City Park</a> - rent kayaks, play disc golf, and <a href="https://noma.org/">see some art</a>.





Bourbon Street - If you must, make sure you wear closed toed shoes.

Details

Photos

Neal Whitlow

Samantha Choy

Lauren Schaff

Stephanie Belk

Jennifer Hall

Lizzie Diamond

Ryanne Clark

Matthew Ellis

Jill Zimmerman

Harry England

Lauren Hitt

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

$269/night

Booking Code:&nbsp;CBW18J







Please book through website&nbsp;by 9/3/2018.

Hotel Monteleone

Next door to the New Orleans Board of Trade. 

$239/night









Please book through website&nbsp;by 9/18/2018.

St. James Hotel, an Ascend Hotel Collection Member

$199/night 



Please book through website&nbsp;by 9/18/2018.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New Orleans

$149/night 

Please book through website&nbsp;by 9/18/2018.

Royal Crescent Hotel

$164/night

Please book through website&nbsp;by 9/8/2018.

Stephanie & David