Heaven Scent
The all-natural perfume company dubbed Smoke Perfume & Co., opened its first storefront location in The Good Shop in the Lower Garden District. Founder Kathleen Currie first developed her signature Smoke fragrance — featuring vetiver, citrus and jasmine — in 2013, while working out of her French Quarter kitchen. “It’s light yet also grounding and mysterious,” Currie says. She has now expanded her offerings to include a full collection of ethically sourced, all-natural perfumes and self-care products such as incense, body oils and more. The Deluxe Perfume Sample Kit makes a perfect bridesmaid’s gift. smokeperfume.com
Wedding Accolades
New Orleans & Company recently was awarded The Knot Best of Weddings 2020, an award that recognizes the best event professionals across the country, as reviewed by real couples, their families and wedding guests. New Orleans & Company, which consistently ranks as one of the top five destination marketing organizations in the country, has received this award two years in a row as a respected wedding resource. For example, New Orleans & Company offers services such as checklists, budget breakdown, vendor lists, legal information and more. To determine the winners, The Knot reviewed millions of user reviews across vendor categories, including venues, musicians, florists, photographers, caterers and more. Only the top five percent of wedding vendors received this honor for 2020.
Painless Planning
As any bride will agree, planning a wedding can be daunting to say the least. Luckily, a new web resource called PartySlate launched in New Orleans. The Chicago-based company, founded by Julie Roth Novack and John Haro in 2015, offers a platform for some of the country’s top event professionals and venues to upload event photos and galleries to the website in what amounts to a treasure trove of inspiration. It allows brides-to-be to easily gather ideas and contacts specific to their city. In addition to connecting top professionals with consumers, the site also offers articles on topics from invitations to bridal bouquets — and everything in between. partyslate.com
Beauty Bliss
Kiehl’s Since 1851 — the New York-based heritage brand — opened a freestanding storefront on Magazine Street with a bevy of high-quality skin and hair care products for men and women. The 995-square-foot location launched the Healthy Skin Hub, a complimentary in-store digital consultation where brides can learn more about their skin heath and then receive product recommendations. Kiehl’s has complimentary (with tiered purchase thresholds) in-store services covering everything from problematic skin to dehydration and aging concerns. kiehls.com
Meanwhile, the Vibrant Market is a beauty and wellness destination that allows brides to manage stress — all while getting healthy, glowing skin prior to the Big Day. What started as a pop-up above Raw Republic has now evolved into a full-service shop known for its zero toxic ingredients beauty products. Expanded products and services include supplements and superfoods, natural skincare products, a two-person infrared sauna with chromotherapy, facials, and lymphatic drainage. thevibrantmarket.com
Flower Preservation
Locally based Paraph Studio offers a unique way to preserve the ephemeral details of your wedding. Artist Caitlin Ezell Waugh uses a kiln fusing technique to preserve the delicate structure of your wedding flowers in glass. Each custom piece can feature fresh or dried flowers, and creations include large and small stained glass windows, jewelry boxes, photo albums and picture frames. caitlinwaugh.com
