The Church

So, why are we not getting married in a French Quarter courtyard, or a church closer to the French Quarter?

Heat and unpredictable summer rainstorms made an outdoor ceremony risky.

Besides the family ties to St. Paul's (it was my grandparents' church, and my little sister also got married in the chapel there), the neighborhood in which it's located was devastated by Katrina.

While progress is apparent, the changes are bittersweet. Yet, for families rebuilding their homes, nostalgia is a nuisance.

I prefer old, knotty magnolias and oak canopies to the saplings that now dot medians and front lawns. To be honest, the baby trees depress me, as do the new "McMansions" that rear their obnoxious heads among 1930s cottages.

But back to the church: It's appropriate, I think, to get married in a spot that represents not just love, but perseverance and tenacity.