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About

Welcome to Romance in New Orleans Weddings!

Samantha McGovern is a wedding officiant and wedding photographer in romantic and historic New Orleans, Louisiana. She has been providing officiant and photography services to happy couples just like you since 2002!

Samantha McGovern has years of wedding experience that provide her with insights into the New Orleans wedding scene and its traditions and opportunities. She will help you with all of your questions, and offer advice on what New Orleans has to offer so that you can make the most of your wedding experience — and make your wedding vision a reality.

Samantha McGovern specializes in elopements and small weddings in a variety of offsite outdoor and indoor locations. She also offers her services for any size or style of wedding.

Services Offered

Samantha McGovern is a state licensed officiant and an ordained minister. She provides standard and customized wedding ceremonies and vows, and photography services. She has packages to suit every budget, and offers civil, non-religious, religious, and interfaith wedding ceremonies, as well as rehearsals and vow renewals.

Samantha McGovern will help you make your wedding planning process as stress-free and easy as possible, with sample vows and ceremonies available, marriage license information, wedding and reception venue ideas, advice on any of your questions, and even an online scheduler to assist you in checking her availability and booking your special date: www.RomanceInNewOrleans.acuityscheduling.com.

Samantha McGovern welcomes “All Loving Couples” (LGBTQ Friendly!)

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Frequently asked questions

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

No

What is the starting price for ceremony rehearsals?

$295

What types of weddings and events do you provide services for?

Non-religious
Interfaith
Ceremony Rehearsal
Vow Renewal
Civil Union

What religious affiliations do you serve?

No Denomination

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.

In which states are you licensed?

AL
AR
CA
LA
MS
TN
TX

What languages do you speak?

English

Reviews of Samantha McGovern

This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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Samantha is an exceptional, warm, and professional officiant and photographer who is highly responsive, flexible, and knowledgeable about New Orleans locations. She tailors ceremonies, helps with paperwork and logistics, and captures stunning, natural photos. Couples praise her calm guidance and attention to detail.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Samantha is an exceptional, warm, and professional officiant and photographer who is highly responsive, flexible, and knowledgeable about New Orleans locations. She tailors ceremonies, helps with paperwork and logistics, and captures stunning, natural photos. Couples praise her calm guidance and attention to detail.

S
Shay Sent on 03/17/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Flawless expertise with heart

We were a couple that relied heavily on Samantha with zero planning beforehand. We decided to get eloped in New Orleans 1 day before we arrived. We did online research and immediately felt like she was an incredible option, but was likely too busy to respond in the short window we would need to make this happen. We were not in town long, and needed to do it on a certain day, at a certain time. We reached out to the cell phone listed on her website late at night the day before. We were shocked when she was quickly responsive, and was willing to accommodate time and place we wanted to use. She was incredibly knowledgeable about locations, areas for photos, and pretty much everything in between related to NOLA. It felt like we had our very own elopement concierge. She made us feel like we were her first priority, and generously shared her insider-take on NOLA (she lives in the French Quarter) We were a little scattered trying to get everything together in such a short time, and she was a steady, positive guiding light that calmed (my) nerves that we didn’t have our ducks in a row.
She helped us select the absolute perfect location, performed and elegant and heartfelt ceremony tailored to us, and captured photos that rival the work of any professional photographer! People that see the photos ask for the name of who we used ! They are truly so beautiful. Her expertise and experience, along with talent, and a caring heart made the day absolutely perfect. We cannot recommend Samantha highly enough. She truly executed the most flawless and enjoyablei experience for our elopement in the French Quarter New Orleans. Your wedding or elopement is to important to use someone else. Samantha and her work are professional, elegant, and executed with heart. 💗
B
Braxton Sent on 11/20/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Affordable Excellence:) Samantha provided us amazing photography, a seamless ceremony, and the best photo locations in New Orleans.

Samantha went above and beyond ! She was not only an exceptional officiant but also a talented photographer who captured beautiful images at unique New Orleans locations and took in our requests. Like Pirates Alley. 🙂The vibe and rapport was genuine and we couldn't be happier with the memories she helped create.
C
Carol Sent on 05/23/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful Wedding Ceremony

Sam was an exceptional and very pleasant Officiant. She recommended we stay at the Omni Royal and have our elopement ceremony on the rooftop. We did that and we are so happy we took her recommendation. Everything went off without a hitch and we would highly recommend Sam to officiate at your wedding.
J
Jennifer Sent on 12/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Absolutely perfect!

Samantha was amazing to work with. We decided to get married in New Orleans less than a month before we were scheduled to visit, and she made sure everything was exactly as we wanted and helped us decide on a beautiful location even with the short notice. She was easy to work with, had many wonderful suggestions, and helped to make our day absolutely perfect.
M
Mike Sent on 12/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Couldn’t be easier

Every step was clear, easy, and enjoyable. Couldn’t be happier with the experience.
Tonya
Tonya Sent on 11/26/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Over the moon

Samantha helped make our ceremony meaningful and elegant. She also worked with us to customize where appropriate. My Groom is a crier - so she also kept things light and humorous. Last but not least she included a beautiful Corinthians prayer which resonates with both us.

We are over the moon happy with how things turned out and highly recommend her.
Dalila
Dalila Sent on 11/10/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Samatha is a lifesaver

As a fellow wedding professional, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Samatha on numerous occasions, and I can confidently say they are one of the best in the industry. With years of experience, Samatha brings an exceptional level of expertise, seamlessly engaging every crowd with warmth and authenticity. Her ability to balance humor, emotion, and professionalism truly elevates every ceremony she lead. What stands out most is their flexibility; she effortlessly adapt to each couple’s unique vision and make any last-minute adjustments with grace. Samantha is a true asset to any wedding day, and I’m always thrilled to collaborate with her.
R
Ruth Sent on 11/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Eloping in New Orleans

Samantha was wonderful to work with! My fiancée and I planned a secret elopement in New Orleans and she helped us come up with a beautiful ceremony that honored both of our spiritual traditions. She was a huge help to us in getting our paperwork down and gave us great recommendations on local sights to see.

We purchased the photo package and they turned out great. She took lots of creative shots and went out of her way to make sure we were satisfied with them, even arranging to meet with us after a different wedding she performed so that we could transfer the photos onto my phone using her cable.

You can tell she has been doing this work for years and that she loves what she does. She is warm hearted, knowledgeable, and above all she is professional! I would recommend her to anyone looking for an officiant.
A
Adam Sent on 11/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Absolutely perfect for out of towners!

Samantha was so attentive and helpful during our entire process. She made sure that everything was perfect. She is so thoughtful and made our ceremony perfect.
Craig
Craig Sent on 11/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Absolutely perfect!

Let me first tell you how easy it was working with Samantha. She was incredibly responsive, had wonderful suggestions, and took initiative to help make sure we had everything we needed. When you are from out of state it makes such a huge difference. She kept in touch leading up to our ceremony and again was so communicative she exceeded all of our expectations. The day of the ceremony was perfect, we wanted something short and she tailored it to fit our needs. She is truly amazing.
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Awards

125
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2025 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2021 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner

Professional Network & Endorsements

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