For the past three years, the mini-mony wedding trend has only proved its staying power, with many brides continuing to opt for smaller guest lists and intimate settings over grand churches and rolling vistas. But what if a bride is looking for a little bit of both—a traditional religious venue and a taste of the outdoors? That was exactly the question Amanda Moody, owner of specialty event rental company Sips to Soirees, asked herself before embarking on her solution: Mo’Belle, Baton Rouge’s first mobile wedding chapel.

Built by Moody’s contractor father, the tiny, trailer-towed chapel looks like a scene straight out of a Southern folk tale, its name a play on the word “mobile” while also paying tribute to Moody’s late grandmother, Bonnie Bell.

“I had been seeing similar things popping up in other states during COVID, and I realized that Baton Rouge didn’t really have anything comparable,” says Moody. “My sister actually got married at our home several years ago, and we had been looking for a unique sort of backdrop that we could never really find. I think something like Mo’Belle is a perfect solution for settings like that—it’s ornate and has a lot of character, but you can’t necessarily tell it’s mobile. I didn’t want it to look playhouse-y.”

When building the little white structure—which can actually fit up to 10 people inside—Moody and her father also wanted to continue the business’ tradition of using reclaimed and recycled materials, maintaining a mission of sustainability. The chapel’s design, too, was inspired by existing structures, with Moody and her father gleaning inspiration from chapels around the world.

“When I was searching the mobile chapel idea, I actually discovered some of my favorite examples in Australia,” says Moody. “I knew that I wanted to bring in a bunch of different design elements, but I’d say that one of the things I like about ours is the exposed wood in the ceiling, and the wooden details outside. I feel like that fits us here in Louisiana a little bit better.”

Eventually, Moody wants to be able to provide guests with a one-stop-shop for wedding ceremonies and receptions, and Mo’Belle is just the next step on that journey.

“We’ve spent weekends of the last nine months working really hard to get it perfect, and it’s been a lot of fun,” says Moody. “I think now is the perfect time to launch something like this, and I’m super excited to see where it goes.”

For more information, visit sips2soirees.com.