Paddlewheeler Creole Queen

Weddings on Creole Queen

300+ guests

Paddlewheeler Creole Queen is a unique wedding venue based in New Orleans, LA. This location is ideal for those who love sailing the waters together and want the tranquil waters to be their beautiful backdrop when tying the knot. The charming boat uses its paddle wheels to drive through the Mississippi River while guests can observe some of New Orleans' most historic sights. At the Padlewheeler Creole Queen, this 800-passenger, double-decker riverboat can host big and small celebrations. As your guests are boarding, they can be greeted by a professional photographer that can take pictures of them with the boat. Ceremonies can take place on the open-air promenade deck with the crashing waves and city skyline as your background setting. For a truly unique experience, your vows can be officiated by the licensed Captain onboard. After saying your 'I dos,' guests can make their way into one of the elegant Victorian dining rooms for a fun evening reception. The event space boasts a lovely vintage style that goes along with the boat's aesthetic. If you would like entertainment to perform on your big day, this venue can make it happen. They have a repertoire of musicians available, that are more than happy to work at your event. Whether you want a funky Jazz band, a gospel choir, a marching brass band, and more, they can be there. At Paddlewheeler Creole Queen, the dedicated staff will ensure everything is to your liking and that your needs are met. A professional wedding planner will be assigned to work with you and assist with any preparations. The head chef and culinary team can make a variety of menu options for your evening meal. It can be served in a buffet style, hors d'oeuvres, and stations. To accompany your delicious food, many beverage packages are available. Event rentals such as tables, chairs, linens, furniture, and glassware will be provided. What's more, if you need transportation, the venue's company sister, New Orleans Tours, has a fleet of over 80 vehicles that you can use.

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Pricing details

Starting prices

Reception:

$1,400

Ceremony:

$750

Bar services:

$28 per person

Catering:

Contact for price

Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices. Peak season for this venue is Mar-Oct.

Amenities + details

Amenities

Handicap Accessible

Indoor Event Space

Liability Insurance

Reception Area

Guest Capacity

300+

Settings

Beach

Waterfront

Cruise

Venue Service Offerings

Food & Catering

Planning

Any questions?

Availability

4.9

out of 5.0

9 reviews

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Alexandra V

3/10/2018

I had a beautiful New Years wedding on the Creole Queen. The staff worked with my schedule to help me get everything I wanted just right. I can’t tell them how greatful I am for all their patience and hard work. A fantastic vendor!

Athena M

6/13/2017

We hosted a weekend long wedding party weekend and booked tickets for our entire group of 86 for the Creole Queen Historic Riverboat tour from 9:30-12:30 on Saturday as an optional activity for our guests before our reception that evening. What a wonderful idea. Everyone had a great time. The boat ride is beautiful, peaceful, the boat is huge with a ton of room and seating indoor and outdoor for guests to mingle, talk, eat and drink. The food was good and the bar was also great. Bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Mary's were a plenty. The tour itself is great and guests can listen or talk to each other instead. There is a stop off at a battlefield which is also optional and guests can get off or stay on. I worked with Michele Pool in their ticketing office for events and was given a discounted rate for a larger group. I purchased the tickets in advance and had her ship them to be to provide to guests to bring with. My only regret is not following her guidance and not holding onto all of the tickets myself and passing them out the day of to prevent people forgetting or some people not coming and others deciding to join last minute. This is a great way to entertain a large group at once time. Boat is also clear and beautiful and the bathrooms are also clean and nice. Two thumbs up!

Any questions?

7/17/2016

We used the Creole Queen for the wedding rehearsal dinner for my son and his fiance. Kristen Newman from the CQ staff worked with me for several months prior to the event to help me with the planning. She was able to get a zydeco band for us in addition to helping me with the dinner menu and bar options. The CQ is a gorgeous vessel! We rented the entire boat so our guests had access to all of the decks and party rooms. The food was great and the staff went out of their way to accommodate us. It was a fabulous evening cruise on the Mississippi that we will always remember!

Victoria S

6/03/2016

The boat was absolutely amazing! Felicia helped make everyone and everything perfect!!! Food was amazing, never ran out and had plenty of staff to accommodate my guests!

Justine P

4/07/2016

This was the most amazing place to have our destination wedding. I planned our wedding from PA, and found it so easy to get a hold of everyone. Kristen, the sales manager is incredible! She makes herself more than available to speak with you (our main method of communication was e-mail) and she answered all of our questions promptly and never made it feel like we were bothering her. We hosted our 30 person reception in the Kings Room and had more than enough space for our buffet, the DJ (Alfred, the Creole Queen's DJ) and a cake table. The Bartender was amazing - she had our drinks ready and waiting for us the entire time! We also cannot say enough about the day of coordinator. She was fantastic, made sure everything ran smoothly and guided us along! She actually came to our hotel for the rehearsal due to weather! Absolutely incredible staff!

Alisha B

1/19/2015

We live in Illinois, but we decided to have a destination wedding in New Orleans. I did a little research on The Knot and various wedding websites, but I also checked different wedding blogs looking for a reasonably priced but AWESOME locations. I stumbled upon the Creole Queen Riverboat, and at first, I wasn't sure about getting married on a boat. However, the location was absolutely gorgeous. The water and the bridge with the lights are in the background and make for a beautiful setting with beautiful pictures. Captain Brian performed our ceremony and was so incredibly nice. The day-of coordinator was on top of everything, and she made sure everything ran smoothly. The price was reasonable and fit our 40 guests nicely. I would definitely recommend this location to other brides.

Lynn P

3/09/2014

What an amazing destination for a wedding! To start; Kristen Newman their Sales Manager was top notch. She was very attentive, kept in constant contact with me throughout the whole wedding planning process. She answered all my questions in a timely manner. The day of the wedding she turned it over to our wedding coordinator Rochelle. She was amazing. Towards the end of the wedding she walked around and made sure everyone signed our guest board. The food was outstanding and everyone raved about the pass around appetizers. We had the King room at the back of the boat which was by the paddle wheel. It was a great setting the room was a perfect size for my guest list which was 55 people. We had plenty of room to mingle, dance, and everyone had a place to sit. I'm not sure the bartenders name but she was great; she made sure my groom and I always had a full glass. She would come out from behind the bar to find us and refresh our drinks. If you are looking for a unique wedding venue the Creole Queen is your place!

Brynn F

1/07/2013

I was very particular on a venue for the wedding. I live several hours away from New Orleans and could find nothing waterfront where I am. My mother came across the steamboat Natchez for a wedding venue. How cool...a wedding where all four sides are waterfront. However, the Natchez was absolutely awful. They were rude and not helpful at all...and they can CANCEL your wedding up until 3 days before if a bigger charter wants the boat. ABSOLUTELY NOT! Thankfully my now husband found the Creole Queen. They were fabulous. Kristen helped me with whatever I needed. Being that I was so far away, email, phone and text were our methods of communication. She was always helpful. The boat was a blast and so different than anything I've ever seen. We cruised the Mississippi and ate WONDERFUL food. OMG was the food delicious. The cake vendor(Maurice's French Bakery) they use made me a bit nervous as I had scheduled a special trip to discuss the cake and the woman never showed. Kristen gave me the option to choose another cake vendor if I wanted but I stuck it out when the owner showed up. The cakes were absolutely fantastic! The wedding planner on board helped keep things running smoothly. I brought my own ipod to use for music. They allowed us to come aboard early to set up. Kristen even decorated the tables for us. Two downsides: We got married on the open deck of the boat. Since the boat is docked, you have the hustle and bustle of the riverfront...which included a very loud jazz band. Some of our guests claim they couldn't hear the captain or us during the ceremony. I also wasn't a fan of the patrons partaking in the dinner cruise on the level above ours showing up in our private room. I'm not sure how or why they ended up in there, but I'd look up every now and then and see people we didn't invite.

Whitney G

6/13/2011

I had a great experience working with the staff at the Creole Queen. I planned my wedding from Houston, and they made it so easy to communicate over the phone and through e-mail. I had a coordinator assigned to me, Veronica, and she was fantastic.

Location

1 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA

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Contact

(504) 529-4567

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