Since New Orleans is seeing a large influx of destination weddings, Jackson Square wedding bookings have boomed with sometimes four to five weddings taking place there during a given weekend.

The Square is such an iconic place for wedding photos that multiple bridal parties can often be seen in the park during the weekend taking photos. Because of this, the City of New Orleans is attempting to enforce a professional photography policy and $50 permit fee to avoid multiple brides using the space at one given time and possibly interrupting scheduled wedding ceremonies. The Department of Parks and Parkways will schedule all events and photography sessions and requires a minimum of two weeks notice to reserve the Square for such purposes.

New Orleans Weddings Magazine received an e-mail about this policy on Tuesday, October 20 from Jeniece Black, Section Manager of the Department of Parks and Parkways. Publisher Jessica Caradona then contacted Black for clarification on the policy since no details about the policy in relation to photography permits can be found on the City of New Orleans' website.

According to an email sent by Black in response, "The 'policy' is nothing new. We have used the booking request procedure pre-Katrina and have always scheduled events in the Square. However, photographers were prone to work around that procedure for whatever reasons ranging from simply not knowing to not asking."

A permit policy does exist requiring a booking permit to use Jackson Square for events such as wedding ceremonies and a certain permit fee is required. The fee varies depending on various factors however there is no public fee schedule available online. The Department asserts that the event booking policy also applies to any form of professional photography done in the park, though the required permit application is a 'Booking Request' form and does not specifically mention the need to schedule a professional photography session.

In an attempt to further clarify, New Orleans Weddings Magazine asked if signs would be posted and if there would be an official date for enforcement to begin since the public at large and professional photographers are likely unaware of this policy given the lack of information available. Black said there will be no official enforcement date since the policy has always been enforced and that no signs will be posted around the park alerting the public to this rule. Black indicated that photographers who were found photographing in the Square without a permit would on their first offense be asked for a card and then informed of the need for a permit in a follow-up email.

When asked about enforcement of the policy, Black said, "Staff is monitoring the park and is onsite 7 days a week during hours of operation" to enforce the policy. In response to this, Caradona cited various instances to Black spanning more than a decade in which professional photographers have used the Square without a permit and were not approached by a Department employee informing them of the requirements for a permit. Despite these instances, Black said that the policy has always been in existence and enforced and noted that lack of enforcement could have resulted from the Department employee responsible for notifying the photographers of the policy being otherwise occupied with additional job duties.

According to Black, any professional photography, or anyone posing for professional photography would require a permit to use Jackson Square. This would include engagement, bridal, and family portraits taken by a professional photographer. She said the policy would not apply to tourists or anyone taking photos with their personal cameras for non-commercial use.

In a phone call to the Department of Parks and Parkways after the initial conversation with Black, a New Orleans Weddings employee, calling as a member of the general public looking for information regarding planning wedding and portraits in Jackson Square, spoke with Rosalyn Johnson, an employee in the Department. When asked if a bride could pose in the park with a non-professional photographer, Johnson said the need for a permit would be determined by the bride's wedding dress, indicating that regardless of who is taking the photo, a permit is required for any photo taken of a bride in Jackson Square. The statement from Johnson contradicts Black's statement that a professional photographer constitutes the need for a permit.

The contradictions of statements from city employees within the same department and few published materials regarding photography left us with no clear understanding of the policy. New Orleans Weddings Magazine will continue to investigate this story and report as details develop.