Samantha Kolios & Nicholas Becker

Married

Apr 25, 2025
New Orleans , Louisiana

Style Guide

Color Palette

Style

Destination, Formal

Season

Spring

The Proposal

Samantha, originally from Connecticut, and Nicholas, from Louisiana, first crossed paths while she was vacationing in South Florida, where Nicholas was working as a mate on a sportfishing yacht. After a few fun dates, they returned to their hometowns for the holidays—but not before Nicholas invited Samantha to join him at his best friend’s wedding in New Orleans six months later.

They reunited for the wedding, and soon after, Samantha moved to the Florida Panhandle to pursue a new career, while Nicholas followed his passion to Hawaii, fishing for blue marlin. Though the distance between them grew, so did their relationship. Samantha spent many weeks visiting Nicholas in Hawaii, exploring the island and ending their days with mai tais at sunset at their favorite spot, the Kona Inn.

So when Nicholas decided to propose, he already had the perfect plan. On their most recent trip to Hawaii in September 2024, he took Samantha out fishing and helped her catch her first blue marlin. That evening, he told her they’d be meeting friends at the Kona Inn to celebrate her big catch. At sunset, on Friday the 13th, he led her onto the lawn between the palms overlooking the Pacific Ocean for a photo—then dropped to one knee and asked her to marry him.

That night, they celebrated not just the catch of the day, but the beginning of their forever—surrounded by friends, in one of their favorite places.

In Preparation

Samantha thrived during the wedding planning phase. She had so much fun creating her vision for their wedding day. Honestly, Nicholas got more stressed about the planning than her. And working with a seven-month timeline, she knew she didn’t have time to waiver on decisions through the process. While planning, she had a couple of things in mind. First, the location – as their relationship spanned a great distance, and they gathered friends all over the world, they felt a city with tons of character and places to explore would be a great place to bring everyone together. And this concept channeled a big aspect of their relationship. With Nicholas’ deep roots in Louisiana and Samantha’s appreciation for the culture, they settled on New Orleans.

The second part of Samantha’s vision was the aesthetic: she wanted it to be both timeless and have some unique characteristics that spoke to her interests and style. This started with her venues. With the stunning details of Saint Anthony of Padua, combined with the character of Il Mercato, these locations immediately caught her eye. Another aspect of this was her dress. Though the shape was timeless, the detail and texture of the lace were unlike any design she had seen before. This was all complemented by her warm, neutral color scheme, featuring peaches, rusts, and golden hues in her florals, furniture, and accents.
Though she wanted to keep the decor minimalist to not detract from the character already built into their reception venue, she added small details unique to the couple, such as napkins featuring their pets, a display of wedding photos belonging to their parents and the generations before them, and other custom accessories. Lastly, she wanted to focus on the exit. She wanted the last visions her guests had of their night to be memorable. So, she planned a statement outfit change and arranged for a unique vintage car to carry them away after their formal exit.

Samantha and Nicholas Wedding party

The Big Day

Samantha and Nicholas began their wedding day in separate suites at the iconic Pontchartrain Hotel, drawn to its unique vintage charm as the perfect backdrop for their preparations. Nicholas suited up in a classic tuxedo with the help of his groomsmen, joined by both the father of the bride and the father of the groom. Meanwhile, Samantha slipped into her gown with the loving support of her bridesmaids, along with her mother and mother-in-law.

The couple shared a heartfelt first look on the rooftop at the Hot Tin bar, where sweeping views of the New Orleans skyline made for a breathtaking moment. Afterward, the bridal party gathered for portraits inside the vibrant Jack Rose dining room and along the picturesque St. Charles Avenue. From there, they boarded a classic New Orleans trolley bound for the ceremony.

As the bridal party processed into the church, Samantha waited behind closed doors with her father, preparing to make her entrance to Handel’s “Eternal Source of Light Divine.” Their traditional Catholic ceremony was held at the stunning St. Anthony of Padua Church, filled with timeless beauty and reverence.

After the ceremony, guests and the newlyweds made their way to Il Mercato for the reception—but not before a surprise! Nicholas’ mother had secretly arranged a traditional New Orleans second line to celebrate the couple’s arrival. Even after sharing the plan with many guests, she managed to keep it a surprise for Samantha and Nicholas, who were overjoyed to experience this iconic cultural tradition.

The reception began with the couple’s first dance, followed by emotional father-daughter and mother-son dances. The evening continued with cake cutting alongside their bridal party and a lively dance floor filled with celebration.

As the night came to a close, Samantha and Nicholas shared a private last dance, soaking in one final quiet moment before their grand exit. Samantha changed into a playful short dress with bow-hem detailing and sparkling heart-embellished boots. Under a shower of shimmering tinsel, they exited through Il Mercato’s wrought iron gates and sealed the night with a kiss in front of their vintage Cadillac getaway car.