Southern Magnolia Events

I recently participated in a wedding Sara was hired for and was truly disappointed. I’ve read some of the other reviews on here and do not understand how this is the same person. Sara had no presence throughout the planning process. While she did provide vendors she was not actively involved in discussions and decisions. She often left the bride unanswered for weeks on end, cancelled meetings regularly stating it was an emergency and to my knowledge did not show up for any of the meetings with the vendors used for this event. The bride chose to hire a planner to help her with the details leading up to the event and she essentially did everything herself. Things did not improve the day of the wedding. We had the understanding that Sara was going to arrive with a team to set up the chapel and to help throughout the night. The groom and some of the groomsmen hauled and set up the chairs while Sara and her assistant tried to figure out what to do with everything else. The lack of knowledge on what the couple wanted continued throughout the night. They had several personalized touches and some of those items went missing, or just simply was not put out. For instance, an item the bride ordered special for their entrance. Sara asked me about it during the reception and when I got up to look for it her response was that I didn’t need to get up and it was ok if we couldn’t find it. When it came time to clear the tables to open the dance floor, the guests picked up the tables and chairs. There are several other touches that just didn’t happen that night and it came down to lack of communication. The icing on the cake is when we went to pick up the items the next morning. The pick up of everything and what Sara was responsible for was clearly not communicated. She packed most of the items and left them in the open air chapel. The remainder of the area looked like a party happened and everyone just left. We had to scramble to get everything taken care of gather items that were left behind and correct things that were not done properly before checkout. Had we known the night before we would have stayed to help more. Speaking for myself, there was never a point during the wedding that I felt confident in her abilities. Overall this wedding really was beautiful but it was at the hands of the bridal party and the families. If Sara’s work ethic is really what these previous reviews say then she is aware that how she handled this wedding is inappropriate. She ultimately should not have taken the job if she was not going to dedicate the time it deserved. She really should be offering a refund of some kind to the bride for the several items in her contract that she did not honor. I hope this is a lesson learned and the last time she handles an event in this manner.

DO NOT HIRE SARA MECHE FOR YOUR EVENT IF YOU WANT IT TO COME OUT BEAUTIFUL AND STRESS FREE. Our families (both groom and bride) are disgusted by the lack of service, details, communications, coordination, attention, presence of this person, can't even say she is a coordinator of anything. Should be a crock for the prices that she charges, providing less than the bare minimum service. Don't inflate your packages with list of services you are suppose to provide if you don't have the bandwidth. There would be appointments for check in, I would ask my niece "did she make it, was she MIA or did she reschedule?" That is how bad it was. I am coming off of a NEW YEAR'S EVE wedding for my daughter in which her designer, and 2 (TWO!) day of coordinators did not charge this much and went above and beyond. The lack of timeline and communication is beyond comprehension. There was so many items the bride had to omit from her timeline due to lake of coordination. It was so sad to see and hear the stress my niece was going thru with this person and I pray no other bride will go thru this on what should be THE MOST AMAZING DAY ever! That is why I am writing this review. The day before the wedding, the bridal party, family and friends had to go to the venue to ensure critical items were executed and coordination appropriately. No said coordinator to be found. Her staff stated that Sara would not be there that day, but that was never communicated. We were all shocked and rallied the troops to help. During picture time, I asked the photographer if she had a list of names to call up, she said the coordinator has it but did not share it with them. I was one of the guest / family member who was in the dining area when the DJ announce it was time to move tables and chairs to flip the room into a dance floor. Everyone looked around and pulled up their sleeves and started clearing tables, moving tables and chairs. So ridiculous! Then the DJ stopped me to ask what time were the Bride and Groom to come in for their first dance. I told him didn't know but will try to find someone (coordinator) to let him know. Surprise, I didn't know who the coordinator even WAS! She was a ghost for all we know. At the end of the night someone said "oh she was there, she was the with the pink headphones or fan around her neck". This was when the Bride and Groom were exiting the venue which was after 10:30pm. This was not the only lack of vendor coordination. My heart broke for my niece, she was a trooper and a beautiful bride. It is bad when after the wedding the conversations were mostly about how horrible Southern Magnolia Events were, price for no service, lack of everything. Please do not use this vendor.

Just attended my niece’s wedding on July 20, 2024 & it was a special & beautiful event but credit “DOES NOT” go to Southern Magnolia Events’ wedding coordinator, Sara Meche who was hired to help with the planning. Very disappointed with the lack of communication & lack of support from Sara as she was basically M.I.A. before & on the wedding day. And when she did actually make an appearance on wedding day, she wasn’t vocal on directions/instructions & with only one assistant for a 130 persons wedding. For family photos in the chapel, the photographer stepped up to coordinate bride & groom’s sequence to move things along. Everyone thought Sara was a silent staff of the wedding venue. Another example, family & guests of the bride & groom had to help clear the tables & chairs after dinner for the dance floor. Where was Sara & her assistant? No where to be found. There’s an arms length or more of things that Sara did not do before & during the wedding but too many to list here. We are all more than disappointed for the bride & the groom because their vision & needs were very much neglected. We “DO NOT” recommend Sara Meche of Southern Magnolia Events for any of your important celebrations.

This review is written with a heavy heart, as my family’s experience with Sara Meche of Southern Magnolia Events was deeply disappointing. The bride, groom, and their families faced numerous challenges and unmet expectations, resulting in significant stress during what was meant to be one of the happiest times of the bride & groom’s life. The package purchased for the big day was the June Magnolia package, which included event design, monthly meetings, timeline creation, rehearsal availability, and wedding day coordination and execution. One key expectation was Sara’s advertised expertise in event design. Unfortunately, the couple received no assistance in this area, leaving the their vision for the wedding largely unfulfilled and forcing them to handle the design aspects themselves. The package promised regular MONTHLY check-ins, but this was notably lacking. The bride and groom only heard from Sara at the eight-month mark and again just two weeks before the wedding. This irregular contact meant many crucial details were unresolved until the last minute. Additionally, reaching Sara throughout the planning process was a challenge, despite numerous attempts via email, phone calls, and text messages, responses were sparse and often delayed. The creation of a timeline, a critical component for organizing a wedding, was another area where expectations were not met. A timeline was not sent to the bride & groom until a week and a half before the event, and there was little to no coordination with other vendors from the planner. This left the couple in a difficult position, scrambling to finalize details with their vendors, adding to an already hectic period that they thought they would receive assistance with. A timeline is crucial in a wedding day going smoothly and while one was eventually provided less than two weeks before the big day, many things were missed and the planner could not be found the day of the wedding to confirm when or what or where things were supposed to occur. On the wedding day itself, the situation did not improve. While Sara did show up, her presence was uncertain and unclear to everyone. Despite her stated roles and responsibilities, such as ensuring both bride and groom had everything they needed and providing on-site coordination and supervision at the ceremony and reception, Sara was often missing when needed. Vendors were left uncertain about timing, and guests had to step in to assist with coordination. Several planned activities, such as speeches and the bride and groom’s last dance, were not executed. These omissions were disheartening and affected the integral moments of the couple’s vision. In summary, the services provided by Sara did not reflect the promises made or the expectations set. If you are seeking a reliable, communicative, and caring person to help with your wedding, I would advise steering clear of Southern Magnolia Events.