Ocean Springs Wedding

Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, about 2 miles east of Biloxi. The population was 17,225 at the 2000 census.

The town has had a reputation as an "arts community." Its secluded downtown area, with streets lined by long oak trees, has been home to several art galleries and shops plying shiny wares. It is also home to a number of ethnic restaurants, relatively uncommon in surrounding communities.

Ocean Springs was the hometown of the late Walter Inglis Anderson, a nationally renowned painter and muralist. The town plays host to several festivals, including its Peter Anderson Festival and The Herb Festival.

One of the oldest cities in the United States, Ocean Springs was founded in 1699 as Fort Maurepas by Pierre LeMoyne, Sieur d'Iberville. It was the first permanent French settlement in French Louisiana, and also the first capital. A French colonial outpost, named Fort Maurepas, was established as a foothold under the authority of King Louis XIV. This site was maintained well into the early 18th century.