Southern Approach

My husband and I hired Southern Approach to plan our New Orleans destination wedding for December 2023. Working with both Christie and Lindsay was amazing! They were so helpful with helping us find vendors that fit our vibe and budget, coordinating the second line, and building a seamless timeline for the day of. When it came to the actual wedding day, they were helpful and always 5 steps ahead of us. Not to mention, they are both a joy to talk to!

We worked with Southern Approach from the beginning to the end of our wedding process. Christie and Lindsay were endlessly helpful in identifying what we needed, finding vendors that fit our vibe, and coordinating all of the logistics with them. It truly made planning a wedding long distance possible. On the wedding day, they were constantly one step ahead of what we needed and thought of everything beforehand so we were completely prepared and could just enjoy the day. It was amazing working with them and we appreciate everything they did to make our special day go off without a hitch!!

Choosing to work with Southern Approach and their "Manageable Approach" option was a game changer when planning our October 2023 New Orleans wedding from NYC. From her expertise and assurance in my vendor selections, to wrangling vendor contacts and aiding in a seamless timeline leading up to the Big Day, Lindsay was such a pleasure to work with along the way. Her direction and feedback helped simplify the decision making process, and gave me confidence in the choices I was making as I did not have the time to meet with vendors locally before making selections. I could have easily driven myself crazy given the abundance of choice in New Orleans, but once Lindsay understood our vibe and vision she was able to ensure me in its execution. On the day of, SA brought a team of 3 for our venue, which truly made all aspects of the evening run seamlessly. They were able to carry out my plans flawlessly, as well as make in the moment stylistic decisions so that I did not have to answer to vendors or run around the venue just hours before the ceremony. I caution any Bride and Groom from trying to run the Day Of on your own, just don't do it. The team was attentive, helpful, FUN and most of all - completely necessary. Worth every single penny - could not thank this team enough!

I can not say enough about how wonderful it was to work with Christie and Lindsay. After our first meeting with Christie and Lindsay, we instantly knew we had found the perfect people to help us plan our day. They are both so kind, patient, and genuinely fun people to talk to, which made our wedding planning calls that much more enjoyable! They also know the best vendors in town, every vendor we worked with came from their preferred vendor list and every single person we worked with was so wonderful. I will be forever thankful for everything they did to make our day so perfect. Thank you Christie and Lindsay!!!

As a destination couple with demanding careers and a busy social schedule, we knew we needed help planning our wedding. What we didn’t know was that hiring Southern Approach would be the best choice we would make since choosing each other! From day 1 Christie and her team made us feel comfortable and confident about the wedding planning process. They took time to understand our priorities, kept us organized with online planning tools, and worked with us to find vendors that fit our vision and our budget. Their industry knowledge saved us hours and hours of research, and we ended up booking several vendors we never would have found on our own! In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Christie and Lindsay went above and beyond, making themselves available to answer all our last minute questions, confirming details with all our vendors, and even picking up our second line handkerchiefs so we wouldn’t have to pay for shipping. Our friends and family kept asking if we were stressed, and we could honestly answer “no, everything is on track, and we feel great!” Everything came together flawlessly the day of the wedding. We were blown away by how perfectly our vision came to life. Our families and wedding party were impressed at how efficient and organized the weekend was, and we were all able to focus on enjoying ourselves knowing Southern Approach had everything taken care of. Weeks later, we are still hearing from our guests about how fun the evening was! If you are looking for a low stress, fun wedding planning experience, we can’t recommend Southern Approach enough!

4.29.23 was the absolute BEST day of my life! I married my best friend and our wedding day was everything I could have dreamed of! We live in Shreveport but New Orleans has always held a very special place in our hearts. When we chose to have a “destination wedding” in NOLA, we reached out to Southern Approach. I can’t say enough about how great Lindsay was as our planner. Trying to plan and execute everything a wedding takes from out of town was going to be impossible for me! I also had zero experience or knowledge of what a wedding entails. From our first call, Lindsay walked me through everything and answered all of my questions. She gave me as much time as I needed when I reached out and she was very organized and detailed (which I LOVE). She had suggestions and solutions for every little thing I wanted to include, avoid, or emphasize. She worked great with all of my vendors and kept me in the loop on any communication or updates they had. On my actual wedding day, it stormed and we had to put tents up and change the layout of everything last minute. Lindsay coordinated all of that and I literally had NOT A SINGLE WORRY!! She even changed her shoes and held my train to walk me down the aisle. If there were any issues or speed bumps on my wedding day, I don’t have a clue. My day was perfect and everything was set up for me to just enjoy myself. So that’s what I did!! Thank you so much Lindsay, I’m sooooo happy you were a part of my best day ever!!

Planning a wedding is stressful and the amount of decisions that need to be made is...well, staggering! However, one of the BEST decisions I made was hiring Christie and her team at Southern Approach. Christie was professional, communicative and a joy to work with. Her guidance leading up to our wedding day was priceless and besides the stormy weather, our day went on without a hitch! Hire her!

Lindsay was our lead planner; she was amazing from the beginning! She was responsive, easy to work with, and helped us plan the perfect day. On the day of, she took charge and didn't take crap from anyone! She made sure we were taken care of and had everything we needed all night. Hands down would recommend Southern Approach!

Christie and her team were amazing to work with. I so appreciated their organization, the online tools they provided to help guide me through the process, and their flawless coordination of our wedding on the day itself! We hired Southern Approach for their day-of coordination…which really started 90 days before with an in depth call to go over my vision and access to them to ask questions and get advice all along the way. I knew that I was going to want to plan the majority of the wedding myself, but Christie is the one who took my vision and made sure everything was executed exactly as I’d hoped. She came well recommended from other vendors I was already working with and I loved having her calm, professional, and positive presence in charge during the chaos of a wedding weekend. On my wedding day, I was able to truly sit back and enjoy every moment — I wasn’t stressed about any of the logistics because I knew we were in good hands …that in and of itself is priceless! Would definitely recommend!

Christie, Lindsey, and Robin are amazing. We had the "day of coordinating" which started three months out from the wedding. Christie kept me on task with the check lists to make sure everything was set to go come wedding day. One of the sweetest people you I'll ever meet. Lindsey and Robin were awesome for the day of. We honestly believe if it wasn't for them we don't know how our day would have ended up. They took care of every little detail to the point that if something did go wrong that day I had no idea. We are forever grateful for the Southern Approach team making our wedding day the best day of our lives. Thank you all so much for a great experience!

Christie and her team were absolutely incredible! From our initial call with Christie, we knew she would be a great fit for our wedding and ensure that our special day went off without a hitch. Her team was efficient and organized throughout the entire planning process. They kept everything neatly organized on Aisle Planner and were very responsive every time we reached out with questions. Since we were planning a destination wedding, Christie was full of helpful ideas and recommendations to guide us. She even went out of her way to help us replace items that were lost in transit in the days leading up the wedding. On the day of the wedding, Christie and her team handled all of our vendors seamlessly, as well as assisting with all of our personal items. The team was a great source of support and anticipated needs that we didn't even know existed. By the end of the weekend, my husband and I saw Christie as a good friend and would 1000% recommend her!

Our daughter’s wedding was less than 24 hours ago, but I had to share our experience. Christie and her team are AMAZING! Every detail was handled with such professionalism and perfection. They were 100% accessible if we needed them, but they worked tirelessly to address everything before we even knew to ask. We could not have had a perfect day without the perfect planner. We were truly blessed by them!🤍

We hired southern approach for our wedding earlier this month. We are coming from boston, so we were stressed about managing planning out of state. Lindsay went ABOVE AND BEYOND, she was so great. She kept us calm through wedding jitters, answered any questions we had, and made helpful recommendations on things we had missed during our own planning. I would 100% recommend Southern Approach for your wedding, if Lindsay was any indication, your wedding will be in great hands!

Oh my gosh, I cannot say enough good things about Christie and the Southern Approach team! They were instrumental to our wedding day running as smooth as it did, and it was easily the best decision I made in the entire planning process. After interviewing a few companies for 90-day coordination, I went with SA because they got our vision and didn't try to change it to fit most wedding molds. Communication was always on point, as well as transparency in pricing. Their planning portal made my Type A heart sing, and any discussions on day-of timelines went seamlessly due to their vast expertise and sharp eye. On the wedding day, I really felt at ease knowing Christie & Alexia were on top of every single detail. And they were calm, cool, and collected! We got numerous comments from guests that this team was amazing. Can't ask for more than that - and would absolutely hire again!

When I was searching for wedding planners back in Summer of 2020, I scoured every review I could find. I scrutinized every anecdote, hoping they would make it clear who I should partner with as I planned my Fall wedding during a pandemic. Is it clear why I needed a wedding planner yet? I’m writing this review for any other spreadsheet-making, overthinking brides out there: Christie and the team at Southern Approach were a pleasure to work with, and I am so glad I worked with them. I opted for full planning services. I knew I would benefit from coordination, but I opted for full planning for three reasons: I worked an intense job that left little time for Pinterest black holes or endless emails; I was planning from out of state; and I’m incredibly indecisive and knew I needed help avoiding boiling the ocean. I worried a bit that “full planning” meant I’d relinquish creative control. That was certainly never the case. I had help and support but always felt like I was in the driver’s seat as we made decisions. Ultimately, I’d highlight four things as some of the biggest benefits of working with Christie and Southern Approach: 1. The resources! Christie had a planning platform that integrated planning checklists, guest lists, seating charts, floor plans, and more. I’m sure versions of these can be found elsewhere, but the ability to have them all synced up in one place made things so much easier. 2. Recommended vendors. Christie did the work to provide short lists of folks who were available for my date and matched my budget and style. It saved a ton of work, AND I knew these were people she recommended and had worked with before. 3. The context. I’d never been married before. Christie had helped countless brides through planning and weddings. She was so helpful as I navigated different questions or concerns, leveraging her wealth of experience to let me know what was standard practice or what I should think more about. 4. Seamless support through my wedding weekend. I never once worried about what was happening by the time my wedding weekend arrived. Vendor load in times, venue set up, small details - none of this crossed my mind. I had total trust in Christie, and she and her team delivered. I had a personal attendant with me as I got ready, and it was amazing to be able to ask her for help with little things like dress steaming or tracking down trash. I know it sounds small, but as someone who is constantly anxious and fretting the small stuff, I cannot emphasize enough how valuable it was to have that peace of mind. Christie is likable, competent, and a pleasure to work with. Christie, thank you so much for all that you did for me and sorry it took me so long to finally share this with the world!

Hailey & Lindsay were the absolute DREAM TEAM for our big day!! We hired Southern Approach for the wedding management package and added on second line planning as well - One of the best choices I made!!! They were so great to work with leading up to the day - and so RESPONSIVE! Which is honestly the most important quality in any vendor when planning a wedding. I also felt very supported by them when working with partner vendors, and they made sure everything was fair when it came to my contracts. Our day went exactly how we planned it thanks to them- minus a few random things completely out of their control, but they were what made it special. I would recommend Southern Approach to any couple getting married in NOLA!

Southern Approach did an absolutely fantastic job of coordinating our wedding. We opted for the package closest to "day-of" coordination, but we were provided with so much more! Hailey was our coordinator and she took over at 3 months out. No detail was spared, and her help in coordinating all of our vendors took a huge weight off of our shoulders in the busiest time of the wedding planning process. On the day of our wedding, everything went as smooth as possible. We never felt rushed or stressed for time at any point of the day. Due to rain, we had to adapt our plans fairly quickly, but Hailey had a contingency plan for everything and we were able to continue on to our reception with little issue. Southern Approach knows New Orleans so well; they've had to have coordinated a wedding with nearly every vendor at every venue in the city by now! Their experience is priceless and that alone is worth every penny, especially since we were planning our wedding from out-of-town. I would 100% recommend Southern Approach to anyone planning their New Orleans wedding!

Christie and her team at Southern Approach were our initial choice based on our initial meeting, their organized website, and very fair pricing. However, they beyond exceeded our expectations and planned our wedding as perfect as one could. The day went profoundly smooth without any hiccups and they hold such great tips for the flow of the event, how to manage the little things such as the bride's dress and announcements at the reception; and did so with amazing friendly service. Christie was extremely attentive to our needs and comes highly highly recommended. If you need a planner for any event but especially weddings, don't bother with anyone else. Southern Approach is the best planning company in the New Orleans area.

When I think of Southern Approach, extraordinarily impressive is what comes to mind! Christie and her team were so incredible to have as day-of coordinators, I can only imagine what their full services are like. They ensured that our wedding day went off without a hitch and that everyone was in the right place at the right time. I was not stressed at all because I knew they had everything under control. In addition, they made sure we were never wanting another drink or food/dessert throughout the entire evening! Highly recommend!!!

From the first call until the day of wedding, the team at Southern Approach made me feel like I was in good hands. Christie answered all my questions and concerns that I had about planning a destination wedding in New Orleans, so I felt comfortable hiring them as our Wedding Coordinators. Then, from the moment I started working with Hailey 3 months out I felt at ease! She helped me finalize all the details and tie any loose ends before the big day, but most importantly she helped me put together the timeline which was a big deal for the type A person that I am. During the actual wedding day, Hailey and her assistant were total champs. The day went as smooth as possible and even when there were a few hiccups they found quick solutions, so I was never stressed and enjoyed the night. Thank you again for all your help and hard work to make sure we had the best day ever celebrating our love!

We could not have been happier with Southern Approach. They were very professional, organized, and easy to work with. They kept us on track and answered all our questions leading up to the wedding. On they day they kept the event moving smoothly even when some little hiccups came up. I can't recommend them more highly!

From the start of wedding planning, it always seemed the obvious choice to work with Christie and her team with Southern Approach Events. Her professionalism, patience, kindness, and leadership throughout the whole process shined not only with us as the couple, but with our family and all our guests. She executed our wedding vision above our expectations. Her expertise with private home weddings and multi-cultural events was integral in ensuring a smooth process in our all day wedding. She coordinated all of our vendors, 250+ guests, two ceremonies (morning Hindu and evening Christian wedding), lunch and dinner reception, and had a smile and high energy the entire time. Christie and her team were crucial to the success of a very beautiful and memorable wedding. Look no further, hire the wedding coordination and planning services with Southern Approach.

Choosing to have Southern Approach as our wedding day coordinator was by far one of the best decisions we made regarding our wedding. Because of them, I was able to actually relax and enjoy my wedding day and the days leading up to it. Christie and her team were responsive and so helpful from the very beginning, making sure we had made decisions about all of the little details that go into a wedding and communicating with our vendors. They made it all seem so easy, and it took a lot of responsibility off of my mom and me. They created a timeline and distributed it to all of our vendors. They oversaw all of the set up while I was getting ready. Everything ran smoothly on our wedding day (in fact, we were AHEAD of schedule for most of the day), and we didn’t have to worry about anything. The few times I started to worry about anything, Christie had already taken care of it. I couldn’t imagine our wedding day without Southern Approach. I would hire them again in an instant. We are so appreciative of everything they did to make sure our wedding was perfect, and it was!

Don’t hesitate to hire Southern Approach! I worked with Hailey who was so so wonderful! She was so knowledgable, kind, and patient with me as an anxious bride. Her knowledge of and great relationship with local vendors really made the planning process so much easier and Southern Approach’s organization tools made it so easy to express my vision for the day. Working with Hailey throughout the planning process allowed me to fully enjoy my wedding day, knowing that I had a trusted advocate and expert coordinator on my side. I once asked Hailey how she does wedding after wedding every weekend and she told me it’s because she loves it so much - it truly showed in all the care she put into my day. Hailey, Alexia, and the whole Southern Approach Team are fantastic and are a MUST HIRE for a seamless and perfect wedding!

Hailey is an absolute angel who I would give a million dollars if I could. As a type A out-of-town bride who had to plan/postpone the wedding more than once, Hailey was SUCH a dream to work with and was so understanding, kind, and responsive every step of the way. She never made me feel annoying and for that alone I am grateful lol. She's also incredibly organized, on top of EVERYTHING, and just the sweetest person who didn't let us stress once on our big day. When our name plates didn't arrive in time to the venue at il Mercato, Hailey printed out every attendee's name last minute to ensure everyone knew where to sit. That's just how amazing she is, and I could not have been more grateful for her and Southern Approach as our planning team. Thank you, Hailey!! xx

Christie truly helped to turn my vision into a reality for my wedding day. I was a type A destination bride planning a wedding from over 1,000 miles away. She was instrumental in helping me to choose the best vendors. The day of the wedding Christie and her team allowed me to fully relax and enjoy. I knew they had it all under control, and they did. I had so many guests come up to me to tell me that it was the best wedding they'd ever been to - and that wouldn't have happened without Christie and her team. It was the best night ever. Southern Approach was, hands down, the best vendor selection we made.

Booking with Southern Approach is by far the best wedding decision I made. We worked with Hailey mostly. She was perfect! She made sure our day was exactly how we pictured it. I cannot thank her and Souther Approach enough. If you’re thinking about booking them, DO IT! You will not regret it.

There are so many wedding planners out there, especially in New Orleans. Let me tell you why we chose Southern Approach over the 7 I interviewed. I'm pretty type A and needed someone who was more organized than I was. They were the only planner to keep touching base until we signed. We chose the Day of coordination services and we got a touch base email the day that our services started, despite it being the height of wedding season. I was a destination bride and being able to send a few select items to their location was beyond helpful. They made time for us when we were in town and never made us feel like they were too busy for us. Every last detail that I communicated was completed to perfection at the venue. When I had a hiccup with a vendor, Hailey took over and dealt with it. When I had a rude interaction with another vendor, Hailey stepped in and I never had to deal with it again. I've planned conferences, I *could have* planned my own wedding. But save yourself the irritation and inconvenience and just hire Southern Approach. I'm sure they will make your wedding or event as seamless as they made mine.

Christie, Hailey and the whole Southern Approach team were better than I could have ever imagined! I was planning my wedding in New Orleans from out of state and having an expert like Christie gave me so much peace of mind. I worked closely with the team on various planning elements leading up to my wedding date. They were always responsive to emails and calls and made time to see me when I visited for a weekend. When I had a booking snafu just a few weeks before the wedding (thought I paid a deposit, hadn't and lost the furniture rental), Christie called the company herself and got it all taken care of. The day of the wedding, everyone was BEYOND organized, I felt like every little detail was taken care of so I could just enjoy the day. From having the right kind of pen to sign the marriage license, to texting with the photographer about timing so I didn't have to be on my phone, to making sure my change of shoes were available right when I needed them, they literally took care of everything. I cannot say enough good things about this team. You will not regret booking Southern Approach for your wedding!

I cannot say enough positive things about Christie and her team at Southern Approach! Our wedding was absolutely perfect - Christie makes sure every small detail is in place and is unbelievably organized, responsive, and easy to work with. I HIGHLY recommend hiring Southern Approach for your wedding!

If you are experiencing any kind of anxiety about planning your wedding - get a planner, and more specifically HIRE SOUTHERN APPROACH! Christie and Hailey are both absolutely amazing, and made a very stressful wedding/day a complete breeze. Between broken heels and rain and everything in between I only needed to say aloud "I need my planner" and instantly in hand with solutions! They worked seamlessly with all the vendors, being from out of town and not familiar with the area we relied solely on their opinion and expertise, and it was truly a blessing. The wedding was beautiful and everyone had an amazing time. Christie really does know the business and is absolutely committed to ensuring your wedding is a wonderful memory you will cherish forever. Whether you need a full on wedding plan or even day of coordinator, I would not hesitate to choose Southern Approach. They are absolutely remarkable!

Southern Approach was an absolute dream. My husband and I had to change our wedding date due to the pandemic and subsequently changed every aspect of our wedding, including the venue. We got married at the Hilltop Arboretum in BR, LA, and knew that we would need an excellent team to create the day of our dreams. I am a resident physician and Josh is a business owner, so we needed lots of help. By the time I talked to Christie, I had already interviewed three wedding planners and nothing clicked. After 1 minute of talking, I knew she was my girl. Real, easy-going, soothing, with a lot of connections and ideas instantly. Christie helped us with every aspect of our wedding using aisle planner! She also gathered all of our rentals from Southern Hospitality Event Rentals, a rental company in their building. We designed the floor plan together and had a rainy day solution for some terrible weather predicted to hit our wedding weekend. I felt so safe! When the wedding day came, I did not have to think about a thing. and the weather was perfect. Everything was timely and seamless. We had plates of food made for the both of us, and a change of shoes was placed at my seat at the king's table. Multiple guests remarked on how happy Josh and I seemed at our own wedding, one friend stated "yall are actually enjoying your own wedding, it's so awesome." I thank Southern Hospitality for that. The team moved flawlessly, and at the end of the night, there was a box of gifts, flowers, and our cake top delivered to our door. I can not brag about this company enough. They are professional, clear, and highly efficient. I would get married every weekend with Christie and her team by my side!

Worth every last penny! When I say my wedding day couldn't have happened without the work of Southern Approach, I am not exaggerating. We spend months thinking about and planning our perfect day and even then we don't realize how many minor details can slip through the cracks. From the very first time I spoke with Christie and Jordan they took all of my anxiety away. They coordinated with all of my other vendors, they sent me weekly reminders of what all needed to be done/paid, they checked in with me constantly and were encouraging. From managing the planning to being there to comfort me moments before I walked down the isle and then even at the reception to party with me!!... Southern Approach made my dream wedding come true and I cannpot stress enough how much I think every Bride to be needs them!

Stop scrolling and hire Christie and her team now! I have worked with them on several different weddings and every single one of them was a great success. As a wedding photographer I'm with the couple for most of the day. I have seen first hand just how fantastic the service is with Southern Approach. They are a group of timely, adaptable, pleasant, and proactive planners. Incredibly helpful and detail oriented. Not just that, but they plan some of the most FUN weddings I've ever been to as well!

We hired Christie back in 2019 when my Fiance and I decided to get married in New Orleans. With ourselves and family from out of town, we knew we were going to need a stellar planner to help put together the wedding of our dreams! Christie came equipped with THE BEST recommendations and relationships with all the vendors we needed including Florist, Decor, Photographer, Officiant, Hair & Makeup...the list goes on. Once we narrowed down our venue and vendors we booked a trip out to NOLA to meet, greet, and start planning. Christie made all the appointments and agendas so all we had to do was fly there and soak in all the fun planning! We squared away details and booked our wedding date for 3.27.2020. Little did we (or anyone) know a world-wide pandemic would rock us all and shut down everything in March 2020. Once the news broke about the shutdowns, we had to make a game time decision a week away from our date to postpone our wedding. As you can imagine, this was not easy but Christie took the reigns and made sure ALL of our vendors, venue & funds would transfer to our new date of Sept 2020. As months rolled by we quickly realized that even September 2020 is not going to work out. We again, had to make another decision to cancel all together or postpone to a later date. We chose to postpone to March 2021 and with the help of Christie, she again made sure everything transferred with us to our now 3rd wedding date. Fast forward to now and we JUST had our beautiful wedding at our venue with everything we originally planned for. It was THE BEST day of our lives. Christie and team was there for it all and with the frustration, anxiety, and unknown, Christie always remained positive, professional, and responsive. Every minute of our wedding day was even more beautiful, organized, put together, seamless than I could have ever imagined. My fiancé and I were able to 110% enjoy ourselves and our guests because of Christie. BONUS POINTS were at the end of the night when my Husband and I went back to our hotel room, all of our stuff was neatly packed up and organized that we had brought to the wedding, our cards were safely put away AND SHE PACKED US UP THE BEST GOODIE BAG OF FOOD FROM OUR WEDDING that we devoured that night :). I know this is lengthy but warranted! A control freak, Type A person like myself felt extremely at ease with Christie and Team making our wedding exactly what we wanted. We (FINALLY) got to enjoy each and every moment of the day! Christie and team are 10 out of 10.