getting to bayou country
Louis Armstrong International (MSY) has the most flight options. From the airport it's about a 2-hour drive west to Jeanerette — take I-10 W to US-90 W, then LA-182 into town. A rental car is the way to go.
Lafayette Regional (LFT) is the closest airport — roughly 45 minutes from Jeanerette — with connections through Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta.
Jeanerette sits on LA-182 (the Old Spanish Trail) between New Iberia and Morgan City. Free parking will be available at Albania Mansion both evenings — or skip driving entirely: shuttles will run between Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, and the venue. Times to come.
room blocks & shuttles arranged
We have room blocks at Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel and the Holiday Inn Express —
mention the Dupuy–Lagarde wedding when booking. Shuttles will run from both hotels to Albania Mansion.
Our recommended hotel — the closest to Albania Mansion, just a short drive away, with a room block reserved for our guests. There's plenty to do without leaving the property: seven restaurants including Mr. Lester's Steakhouse, Loco Mexican Grill & Cantina, and Café Bayou, plus the casino floor and live entertainment for whenever the night winds down — or doesn't.
Please note: as a casino property, all guests staying at Cypress Bayou must be 21 or older.
Our second room block, near Avery Island — a comfortable option on the New Iberia side, with shuttle service to the venue.
Reliable and comfortable, with breakfast included — a fine alternative if the room blocks fill up.
For something with more character, look at rentals in nearby Baldwin and Franklin — both just minutes from the venue — or cottages along the Bayou Teche in New Iberia's historic district.
adventures in Cajun Country
It's not every weekend you find yourself this deep in Acadiana. If you can, come early and linger late — here are a few of our favorite ways to spend the days around the celebration.
The ceremony begins at 4:00 — leaving a leisurely morning and midday to explore nearby.
Tour the home of Tabasco, then wander 170 acres of live oaks, bamboo, an egret rookery, and a centuries-old Buddha overlooking the bayou. Don't miss the Country Store — a taste-test bar of two dozen sauces and shelves of Tabasco everything, right down to the ice cream — and a bite at Restaurant 1868 before you head back.
Stroll the Bayou Teche, tour Shadows-on-the-Teche — an 1834 home with double galleries much like Albania's — and browse the shops. Dave Robicheaux country, for the James Lee Burke fans.
The oldest operating rice mill in the country, built in 1912 and on the National Register — a rare survivor still running on its original belt-driven machinery. The guided tour pairs a short film with a walk through the working mill, and the adjoining company store stocks the famous wild pecan rice and Cajun seasonings to bring home.
One last taste of Acadiana before the drive back.
The quintessential Cajun Sunday: live zydeco, two-stepping, and a big Louisiana breakfast at Buck & Johnny's, or the Zydeco Beer Garden Brunch at Bayou Teche Brewing.
Glide through the largest river-basin swamp in the country — cypress, Spanish moss, and gators — on an airboat tour out of Breaux Bridge. A bucket-list morning.
A living-history Cajun village along the bayou, with restored homes, costumed artisans, and weekend Cajun and zydeco music on a lively wooden dance floor.
And anytime: stop by LeJeune's Bakery in Jeanerette, baking French bread and ginger cakes since 1884 — just follow the smell.