We heart the ladies of A Southern Soiree in a big way. These gals leave us head over heels with the pretty details time and again, all the while capturing the spirit of their couples in the most sincere, effortless way. Not only did we have the chance to sit down with these lovely ladies and get to know them a bit better, but we’re reporting back with a handful of tips for stress-free wedding planning!
SMP: Tell us a bit about A Southern Soiree!?
SS: A Southern Soiree is an event planning team. We’re located in Raleigh NC and cover all of North Carolina, but we’re also planning weddings in SC, VA and beyond! Our team takes pride in celebrating love, happiness, and all the important details that make your event special and unique. We are thrilled to earn your trust and exceed your expectations because we understand that there are no do-overs when it comes to planning your big day!
SMP: What is your motto?
SS: Planning a wedding should be fun and as stress-free as possible. That’s our motto. Our ultimate goal is that by the time your wedding day arrives, you are relaxed and excited to see everything come together perfectly (and we are too!). We truly love what we do and it is reflected in our relationships with our clients. We are blessed to call many of our clients friends even after the big event. Although we have very different personalities on our team, we are also very much a family. We love to laugh about everything (including ourselves). Beginning with your first consultation, A Southern Soiree will guide you through the planning process and help you slow down, take a breath, and enjoy the experience!
SMP: What’s the first thing a bride should do in the wedding planning process?
SS: We recommend you sit down with your fiancé and come up with your “top three must haves” list. This list will help you stay focused on what truly is important to you as a couple/family for your wedding… throughout the process! It will help you allocate your funds for the items you absolutely know you want. They could be things like having a great band, serving top notch creative food, concentrating on the photography, or adding the personal touches that just make it truly all about you and your groom. Make the list; you’ll be surprised at how it will help you stay focused!
SMP: What current trends do you think will stand the test of time?
SS: Honestly, we never really follow trends; all our weddings are unique and different. That being said, we’re currently loving bold stripes and patterns… not just on the linens but on bowties for the guys and even on the wedding cake. We are drawn to the idea of family style meals to bring everyone together; we love pie bars, and we absolutely adore upscale southern food stations!
1. Do your research and hire professional vendors. Although the price tag may be attractive at first, hiring the most inexpensive vendor can be a huge and costly mistake in the long run.
2. Once you hire your planner… let them do their job. They are there to be your advocate and make the wedding planning process fun and enjoyable!
3. It’s easy these days to get wrapped up in the world of Pinterest and try to overdo it with details that aren’t really meaningful to you and your fiancé, but just turn out to be more “stuff” at the wedding. Pinterest is a great resource for fun ideas; be careful to not get so wrapped up in ideas that you forget what the wedding is really about.
Photography: Robyn Van Dyke Photography | Event Planning: A Southern Soirée
