Jennifer Eaves Scanlon and John Edward Marshall were family friends while growing up. Even though Jennifer lived in Mandeville and John lived in New Orleans, the two celebrated many New Year’s Eves in Covington together because of their family ties. Jennifer and John went to different colleges and moved to different cities after graduation, but kept in touch through e-mail and Facebook.
Jennifer moved to Washington, D.C. after graduating from the University of Georgia and John moved to Charlotte, N.C. after receiving a MBA from Tulane University. In 2009 Jennifer decided to move home and in May she
and her mother, Lydia Scanlon, drove home, stopping in Charlotte to visit friends. John showed Jennifer and her mother the town. In short order, John, having already decided to move back to New Orleans as well, had found a job and an apartment. Soon after, they began to date in earnest.
On their first anniversary as a couple, John took Jennifer to the place where they had had their first official date: Martinique Bistro.
After dinner, he took her back to his apartment where he had music and champagne waiting.
John got down on one knee and proposed to Jennifer with a treasured ring that her grandfather had given to her grandmother. She said, “yes!” immediately.
On May 7, 2011, Jennifer and John married at Trinity Episcopal Church on Jackson Avenue. The church is special to Jennifer for two reasons: she attended Trinity Episcopal School until fourth grade, when her family moved to Mandeville, and because her parents were married there 31 years before.
Jennifer wore an elegant Monique Lhuillier strapless gown. It was fashioned of re-embroidered ivory Alençon lace and featured a scoop neckline. The modified A-line gown flowed into a chapel-length train that was adorned with covered buttons and a scalloped hem. Jennifer wore an ivory illusion chapel-length veil, also trimmed in Alençon lace. She purchased her gown at Impressions in Houston.
Jennifer accessorized with pearl earrings that John had given her when they were dating and a
pearl bracelet given to her as a wedding present.
Jennifer’s bridesmaids wore long Jim Hjelm halter-necked pear green dresses that featured small pleats around the necklines and sashes that belted with bows in front.
They were purchased from Montage in Houston.
John and his groomsmen wore white linen suits from Perlis matched with Cecile Hardy’s NOLA Couture ties. John chose blue ties with white second-line umbrellas and yellow trumpets because the theme went with the timing of their wedding, which was over the last weekend of Jazz Fest.
Jennifer has two sisters, Shelley Blair Scanlon and Kathryn “Katie” Lane Scanlon, both of whom stood as her maids of honor. John has two brothers, Richard Henry Marshall Jr. and Conway Charles Marshall, who served as his best men.
Trumpeter Ron Benko played along with organist Albinas Prizgintas for the musical selections during the ceremony.
After the ceremony, the reception was held around the famous oak tree outside the New Orleans Country Club. The couple wanted to have an outside reception and they thought that the oak tree would make a beautiful setting.
(Jennifer’s parents’ wedding reception was also at NOCC, which added greater meaning to the night.)
Meade Wenzel created the wedding’s floral ambiance. Jennifer said that they wanted an all-white wedding – just white flowers and greenery – and Wenzel was able to perform her magic to create an elegant atmosphere. She used candles to give the reception a soft glow as the sun went down. Hydrangeas, peonies, roses, ronnucula, Queen Anne’s Lace, vines and herbs were employed in the church, the bouquets and throughout the reception.
Guests dined on fried crabs, crispy fried oysters and fried macaroni and cheese (Jennifer’s favorite). Boiled shrimp and crabmeat ravigote served in shot glasses filled two small pirogues. Guests were also treated to mini lamb chops, a filet station, chicken quesadillas and a shrimp and grits station.
After many different tastings, Jennifer decided on a traditional wedding cake with buttercream icing. Shane Gorringe of Zoë’s created a six-layer cake decorated with white roses and Jennifer’s new monogram. Gorringe also fashioned John’s surprise doberge groom’s cake – John’s favorite flavor, even though Jennifer had told him for months that the cake would be red velvet – that featured a three-dimensional replica of his 21-year-old BMW. The cake even had tin cans hanging from the rear with “Just Married” written on the back.
Chaps Rental put up a bandstand and dance floor by the oak tree and the musical group BRW – Jennifer and John’s first choice – did an excellent job of getting everyone dancing. Jennifer and John’s first dance was to “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke.
Grevy Photography documented the ceremony and reception; Bob Eutsler was the videographer. The couple also had a photo booth where guests enjoyed putting on different hats, wigs and other props.
At the end of the evening the guests were served grilled cheese sliders and french fries for late-night snacking.
At the end of the night, Jennifer changed into a short, strapless Sue Wong white lace dress that she found at Tootsie’s in Houston. (She wore the dress the night before at the rehearsal dinner and loved it
so much that she wanted to wear it as her going away dress.) The two left in a golf cart that was decorated that morning by John’s mom, Brenda Marshall.
After the reception, Jennifer and John honeymooned in San Pedro, Belize for a relaxing week, returning home to Uptown New Orleans the following weekend.
John works for IberiaBank Corporation on the investment side of the firm and Jennifer works in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Insurance’s Marine division.
