You've finally met the right person and you're so ready to say "I Do!" You start planning and you realize it's turned to a full-time job and not one you're enjoying. You're feeling a little overwhelmed. The options are endless and there are no do overs for a wedding day so you don't want to make the wrong choice.
You've realized you might need some help. Maybe a few less opinions and a little less chaos? Someone to listen, help you bring your vision to life and make planning fun again. It was supposed to be fun, wasn't it? You're in the right spot. It's going to be amazing, because we've got you.
You've realized you might need some help. Maybe a few less opinions and a little less chaos? Someone to listen, help you bring your vision to life and make planning fun again. It was supposed to be fun, wasn't it? You're in the right spot. It's going to be amazing, because we've got you.
Services
While most people focus on the cake or the dress or the favors, we know - and you know, too - that what really matters is the surprise-and-delight moments you create for your guests at the reception, or the joy on your partner's face as they see you walk down the aisle, and the marriage you're building for years to come.
There's what feels like a thousand decisions to be made, lots of vendors to coordinate with, and too many ideas and inspiration images swirling around in your head. It's normal to feel a bit stressed when starting out your planning journey but we don't want you to stay that way. Planning should be fun and filled with joyful memories leading up to the next chapter of your lives and one of the BEST days ever.
Working with Southern Soiree was the best wedding planning-related decision we made! I've said this so many times to friends recently engaged, but if you can find room in your wedding budget for a planner, it will be the best money you spend! Planning honestly felt so stress-free, which meant that we were able to fully enjoy our engagement and wedding day!
We've been in the industry for awhile now and promise to keep it real with you on the ins and outs of planning a wedding. We are based in Raleigh, NC but plan weddings all over the southeast. From the coast to the mountains, we love designing weddings at new and familiar destinations, so contact us today!
I know what it's like to feel a bit lost as you figure out the BEST next steps to grow your wedding business. I've been there, done that and I want to help you avoid as much of the speedbumps and road blocks that come with growing your business with intention. I'm a wedding planner and business owner of 11+ years.
Reviews (21)
Christa McCarthy-Miller
Jan 04, 2022
Report
There will never be enough words to describe how amazing this team at A Southern Soiree truly are. I was lucky enough to work with Lacey leading up to my big day, and then Lacey and Victoria the day-of and let me tell you something: they were MAGICAL. Every single detail was thought of---from the months leading up to the wedding to the actual day-of. They were organized, coordinated, calm, collected, and SO kind and informative. The day would honestly not have been the same without Lacey there at the Umstead running the show with the team. As a previous event planner I am here to tell you: hire
Dj Harlem Entertainment
Nov 02, 2021
Report
I love working with the Southern Soiree team, they do an amazing job. They make my life so much easier as a DJ. Recently, I worked with Lacey. We had to work out logistics with setting up the monogram over the Dance Floor. She communicated with all vendors involved and scheduled a seamless setup time that allowed everyone to get in and get out in a timely manner. I couldn't have asked for a more perfectly executed plan of action. I've worked with every Planner on their team, they all get 5 stars!!!
Christie Duckett
Jun 02, 2021
Report
Gina truly made all my wedding dreams come true! She worked behind the scenes to make sure everything ran smoothly with our venue and communicated efficiently with all our vendors. Her professional, pleasant and calm demeanor throughout the entirety of working with her was exactly what we needed. She picked up on what my vision was right away and remembered all the small details that were important to me. My mom and I were truly able to enjoy the wedding planning process AND the wedding day itself to the fullest extent because of the trust we had in Gina. 110% recommend A Southern Soiree!
Danielle Knebel
Jun 02, 2021
Report
My husband and I worked with Elizabeth for our wedding at the Umstead Hotel and Spa and she was AMAZING. Our wedding day could not have gone more smooth thanks to her coordination and organization. Elizabeth was more than a "day of coordinator" she was helping us from day one. She took care of timelines with all of our vendors. When I say we couldn't have done it without her, I mean it! I would recommend A Southern Soiree over and over again!
Jan Womble
Nov 27, 2020
Report
The first day I met Gina, I remember telling her, "you are going to be my new best friend!" We began our journey together, working hard create the wedding of my daughter's dreams. Things were going along very smoothly and then suddenly we found ourselves in the middle of the COVID pandemic! This has been such a challenging year to say the very least, but Gina has been by our side through it all. She was a soft voice of reason, and a beacon of hope as we navigated uncertain territories. She helped us to feel that we could always find solutions to provide favorable outcomes. She worked tirelessly
Jillian Knight
May 16, 2020
Report
Megan and the team at Southern Soirée epitomize professionalism. It was a joy to serve alongside of them for a spring wedding at The Merrimon-Wynne House. From the very beginning of the planning process through until after the wedding, the bride and groom spoke so highly of Megan and Gina. As a photographer, it is so refreshing to work with a planner like Southern Soirée who makes their client the priority. Prior to the wedding, they were hands on with providing information to vendors and made sure we were all on the same page. This made a huge difference in the success of the vendor team on
James Walters
May 08, 2020
Report
I have worked with Megan and her team for over a decade and they continue to create fantastic events for their clients. You would be hard pressed to find more experience or professionalism.
I've witnessed them handle difficult circumstances such as weather and seemingly impossible requests from guests with style and grace. If you hire them to plan your event, you'll be in good hands.
I've witnessed them handle difficult circumstances such as weather and seemingly impossible requests from guests with style and grace. If you hire them to plan your event, you'll be in good hands.
Haley Rawitz
Aug 19, 2019
Report
Hands down the best wedding planning team out there!! We had the absolute pleasure of working with Elizabeth for our wedding on 08/31/19! We are so incredibly thankful for her help in planning our dream wedding and making it a completely stress free day for us!! Elizabeth was so professional, organized, kind, and an absolute joy to work with! Our wedding day went seamlessly and we didn't worry about a single thing! We were able to enjoy every moment of our wedding day knowing that Elizabeth had everything covered. We would highly recommend A Southern Soiree to any couple planning a wedding. They
Jackie Ferguson
May 05, 2019
Report
I had been "stalking" A Southern Soiree for about a year before I got engaged and I knew they would be my first call when I got the ring. When I first met Gina, I knew she was the right planner for me. What I never told her was that I planned weddings many years ago and I have executed many events myself. I've also used other planners over the years for other events. If you think you can do what A Southern Soiree does, you're wrong! Not only do they recommend vendors that are perfect for you as a bride/couple based on style, preferences, and budget but they help you develop a unique and cohesive
Kate K.
Dec 05, 2018
Report
Megan and her team at A Southern Soiree helped us plan our October 2018 wedding and I honestly can't recommend them highly enough!! Megan was such a huge asset throughout the whole planning process and her knowledge/expertise in the wedding industry is incredible! Megan recommended the most perfect venue for us (where we ended up getting married) after we had been searching for months, she found us the perfect photographer whose style was exactly what we were looking for, and she made sure every single detail of the wedding was thoughtfully planned out to perfection!! Our wedding day was absolutely
Lisa G.
Nov 13, 2017
Report
Megan was the absolute BEST. I had a great feeling following our first phone call and immediately knew we wanted to move forward with her. Her broad experience and close relationships with vendors, coupled with her organized, detail-oriented, and warm nature made planning a long distance wedding in 6 months as easy as you can imagine. Given our tight time frame, Megan got the ball rolling right away by getting us short-lists of the best available vendors so we could lock them in swiftly. The bands we wanted were already booked up, but Megan found us another option from a different management company
Becca S.
Sep 14, 2017
Report
I cannot say enough good things about A Southern Soiree. We worked with Megan mainly with help from Gina and both of them were truly such a joy and made the whole process of planning a wedding easy, fun, and stress free. I came in with a lot of ideas about what I didn't want my wedding to be but very few clear thoughts on what I wanted the event to actually look like. Megan coached us through everything, asking questions about what we've liked about other weddings and getting a feel for who we were and what we wanted the day to be about, and she gave us the guidance we needed to make
Kelly P.
Jul 24, 2017
Report
There are no words to express my level of gratitude for having Kelley Ann by my side while planning my wedding. My year would not have been the same without her. I had little to zero stress throughout the planning process. The true measure being that my mom and I got along (for the most part) the entire time!! Every vendor KA recommended I accepted without question and I could not have been more pleased with all of her suggestions. Everyone she surrounded me with the day of could not have been more professional, accommodating, and pleasurable to work with. She was able to take my vague vision of
Amanda P.
Aug 17, 2015
Report
Jessica N.
Sep 17, 2014
Report
Spark Notes Version - I HIGHLY recommend working with A Southern Soiree! They will make your wedding day magical.
Extended Version:
I was married at The Carolina Inn in May and I had the absolute privilege of working with Gina from A Southern Soiree. When you book a ceremony at The Carolina Inn, they include day-of coordination with one of the area wedding planning companies as a part of the package (amazing deal - everyone should get married at The Carolina Inn). Having seen A Southern Soiree in TONS of blogs and websites, I asked right away if I could work with them for my wedding. I ended
Extended Version:
I was married at The Carolina Inn in May and I had the absolute privilege of working with Gina from A Southern Soiree. When you book a ceremony at The Carolina Inn, they include day-of coordination with one of the area wedding planning companies as a part of the package (amazing deal - everyone should get married at The Carolina Inn). Having seen A Southern Soiree in TONS of blogs and websites, I asked right away if I could work with them for my wedding. I ended
Beth B.
Sep 09, 2014
Report
AMAZING! FABULOUS and PROFESSIONAL! I worked with A Southern Soiree for about a year planning my wedding out of town while being a single mom and working full time and if it was not for Megan and her staff it would have been a complete disaster. Megan was responsive and took calls throughout the weekend, answered multiple questions over and over and over again because I was so busy and helped us find vendors from all categories and price points. The provided assistance with contracts and pricing as well as when I ran into a MAJOR dress emergency where only a genie could fix it.. MEGAN DID! When
Kristin C.
Aug 25, 2014
Report
"I called A Southern Soiree when I realized that I could not plan a wedding on my own and my only regret is that I didn't call sooner. The minute I spoke with them, I knew that Gina and her team were exactly what I needed. Living in Seattle, it was really hard for me to be available to meet with vendors, go to tastings, etc. Gina was my lifesaver and knew exactly what I was looking for without me even having to say it! Even when I felt like there was so much to do with the wedding, I would speak with Gina and just feel at ease. She is professional, honest, and a joy to be around. I already
Fred C.
Aug 24, 2014
Report
I had the pleasure of working with Megan from A southern Soiree and her associates while planning my daughter's spring wedding at the Angus Barn. It was a short engagement, time was of the essence, and Megan helped to secure our vendors and venue in a timely and professional manner. We live on the coast and it was important to have someone reliable do the leg work. The vendors exceeded our expectations as did A Southern Soiree. On the day of the wedding, Mandy Cole was our go to person from A Southern Soiree and she kept everything running smoothly and we were able to enjoy our daughter
S. G.
Aug 20, 2014
Report
UPDATE: Megan reached out upon reading this and offered to pay us to remove this review. We obviously declined.
---
We are nothing short of shocked and disheartened by the treatment we received from A Southern Soiree. We were led to believe that Megan was a good planner and were excited to work with her.
But four months into planning, Megan became unresponsive and unprofessional - sometimes even rude. She ultimately quit because we asked her to vet vendors before recommending them - to make sure they were in budget and available for our date and location. She couldn't or wouldn't
---
We are nothing short of shocked and disheartened by the treatment we received from A Southern Soiree. We were led to believe that Megan was a good planner and were excited to work with her.
But four months into planning, Megan became unresponsive and unprofessional - sometimes even rude. She ultimately quit because we asked her to vet vendors before recommending them - to make sure they were in budget and available for our date and location. She couldn't or wouldn't
John P.
Nov 04, 2013
Report
A Southern Soiree greatly assisted with the planning and execution of my marriage PROPOSAL. I had contacted a number of wedding planners who were unwilling or unable to assist. Megan, the owner, responded to me quickly and was enthusiastic, positive, and full of great ideas. She brought in Gina to help and she had the same level of enthusiasm and positivity. They really went the "extra mile" helping me scout locations, work out logistics, and arranged wonderful music, photography and a picnic. And the cost was extremely reasonable. My (now) fiancee was thrilled and surprised and gave
Steve C.
May 29, 2012
Report
Kailey coordinated our wedding this past April, and she was tremendous! We couldn't have done it without her and wholeheartedly recommend her to any engaged couple.
We contacted Kailey and A Southern Soiree a few months before our wedding. She quickly reached out to us and understood our vision for the wedding. She also pointed out where we needed more planning and thought of things we never would have. As we got closer to the big day, she helped us refine our schedule and didn't let any of the little things slip through the cracks. And while doing all of this, she was always
We contacted Kailey and A Southern Soiree a few months before our wedding. She quickly reached out to us and understood our vision for the wedding. She also pointed out where we needed more planning and thought of things we never would have. As we got closer to the big day, she helped us refine our schedule and didn't let any of the little things slip through the cracks. And while doing all of this, she was always
