About this vendor
Southern Oak Events is a wedding planning company based in Raleigh, NC. They've been in business since 2014. They've designed and managed over 300 weddings and feel there's no substitute for real, hands-on experience.
They pride themselves on their integrity and the quality of their work. At Southern Oak Events, they feel that there are no shortcuts to success, only smoother journeys. They want to make your special day a fun, stress-free experience you'll never forget!
Southern Oak Events offers full planning, partial planning, and day-of coordination packages, so whether you're looking for expert guidance and support throughout the planning process or just a bit of help bringing all the pieces together, they have you covered. They can also help you plan your bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, and post-wedding brunch. Contact Southern Oak Events today for more information about their services, prices, and availability. They look forward to speaking with you!
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Planning
- Budgeting
- Day-Of Coordination
- Full Service Wedding Planning
- RSVP Tracking
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Engagement Party
- Honeymoon
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Bachelor Party
Awards and Affiliations
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.044 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
We had the best wedding at MKM and could not be happier with how it all turned out. Steph, our coordinator, was our North Star. She was so resourceful, organized, and helpful throu...
ghout the entire planning process and wedding day.
We just had our wedding at Melrose Knitting Mill and could not have asked for or pictured a more perfect day. The team from Southern Oak Events and Melrose made the entire process ...
so flawless and completely stress free. I cannot thank them enough for creating one of the best days of our life!! The food and drinks were 10/10. The Venue is absolutely GORGEOUS, we are so happy with how everything came out. We got a great value for everything! A big shoutout to Nicole for coordinating everything so flawlessly and having the best advice and insight for us. She just gets it! We highly recommend Melrose Knitting Mill to anyone who is having a wedding or event, they simply are the best!
Worked with Nicole as my day of coordinator. She was really easy to work with and ensured the lead up to the event and day of went really smoothly. I highly recommend her!
As a vendor, I really enjoyed working with Jessica and her team. She made detailed schedules and timelines ahead of time and did all of the planning to ensure the day of was smooth...
. 10/10!
We had Erika for day-of coordination for our February 2026 wedding. She was absolutely wonderful! Erika was extremely organized and proactive, without feeling pushy. She was great ...
recommending and managing the many vendors needed for a wedding. She also gave helpful recommendations and thoughts based on her experiences. Erika even remembered small details about our family and wedding party. On the day of the wedding, she made the day easy and effortless for us. Completely recommend Erika!!
We worked with Jessica for our fall 2025 wedding at Melrose Knitting Mill. She was fantastic! We did the day of coordinator package and it was perfect. Jessica was extremely knowle...
dgeable of the venue and was available for questions throughout the planning process. When the day finally came, we trusted Jessica and as a Bride I was able to relax and enjoy the moment. I know there was SO much that she was doing and going on in the background. We had a great experience. Jessica and Southern Oak Events were essential to our wedding day.
Nicole Mayakis was our day-of coordinator from Southern Oak Events and was absolutely phenomenal to work with!! We cannot say enough great things about Nicole!! She was incredibly ...
responsive on all communication and was really flexible with us on the timing of meetings and venue walk-throughs. She had really helpful advice as we were thinking through last minute decisions, and made sure that all the details were set with our vendors. On the day of the wedding, things went so smoothly and she was able to swoop in and move us along our timeline without feeling pushy or rushed. She is so on top of everything, but is also incredibly warm and welcoming and makes you feel comfortable. All of our family members really loved her as well. I would highly recommend Southern Oak, and especially Nicole, to anyone looking for coordination for their wedding!!
From the beginning, we knew we had to go with Southern Oak Events. Jessica, the owner, answered all our immediate questions. We were paired with Erika as our wedding planner. Erika...
was honest, thoughtful, and helpful throughout the whole process. What stood out immediately was her honesty that I didn't need a full planner because I already had a lot done and she would be there for any extra add-on services I needed help with. As someone who likes to have control, Erika made it easy for me to trust her with the process and made everything perfect leading up to the wedding and the day of. Could not recommend this team more!
Southern Oak Events couldn't have provided a better experience for our wedding day and the months leading up to it! Jessica was kind, compassionate, and professional, and always k...
new just what to say or do to ease our minds. I was not the most organized bride, but I was able to leave every planning meeting feeling like we were in a great spot planning wise, and provided great feedback and advice. We had some last minute issues with a vendor and she made finding a replacement as easy as possible. Day of, Jessica and her coordinators took care of everything and made it such a perfect day for us! I couldn't have asked for a better planner/coordinator and would highly recommend to others!
Nicole was amazing to work with! She quickly responded to all of my emails throughout the planning process. She was super flexible and accommodating to any of my ideas for my visio...
n, as well as when I changed my mind and wanted something different! She was always very sweet and kind, while also knowledgeable and helpful with details that we needed guidance on. Nicole worked so hard the day of our wedding to make sure everything was perfect! Her attention to detail helped everything run smoothly and on time.
The timelines that were given for our planning meetings worked very well. They were spaced out with enough time to add any additional details/complete any needed tasks before our big day. Each meeting with Nicole was very organized and detail oriented. We left each meeting feeling confident that our day was going to be just how we were hoping it would be.
We couldn’t have done it without Nicole!!! We highly recommend her and know she will help other couples have their dream wedding day!
Working with Erika at Southern Oak Events was such a wonderful experience! She was so kind, friendly, and easy to talk to, and she always made me feel comfortable asking my many qu...
estions. She was super responsive and helpful throughout the whole planning process, and every time we met with her, she made us even more excited for the wedding.
On the big day, Erika was amazing from start to finish! She was so organized and made sure we had everything we needed while keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes. She handled all the vendor coordination so we didn’t have to worry about a thing, and my husband and I both truly felt taken care of the entire time.
I’m so grateful for her support and would 100% recommend Southern Oak Events to anyone looking for a day of coordinator who is not only professional and organized, but also genuinely kind and fun to work with!
We had our wedding at Melrose Knitting Mill with Southern Oak Events, and it was truly the perfect venue! The location in downtown Raleigh is not only gorgeous but also so convenie...
nt for all of our guests, with plenty of options for accommodations, restaurants, and activities. Cocktail hour at Mulino was absolutely perfect, and we received so many compliments from our guests on the food! The hors d’oeuvres, dinner, and late night pizza were all delicious and such a highlight of the night. From start to finish, the entire Melrose & Southern Oak team was wonderful to work with.
A huge part of our amazing experience was thanks to Nicole, our day-of coordinator and main point of contact throughout the planning process. From the day we toured the venue all the way to our wedding day, she was kind, patient, and incredibly helpful. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, she answered my many questions, kept everything organized, and made sure all vendors had the timelines and details they needed.
On the day of our rehearsal and wedding, Nicole was absolutely phenomenal. She kept everything running smoothly, handled all of the details behind the scenes, and made sure we could just relax and enjoy the day. I honestly don’t know what we would have done without her!
If you’re looking for a stunning venue in Raleigh with a professional, attentive team behind it, I couldn’t recommend Melrose Knitting Mill and Southern Oak Events enough. And if you get the chance to work with Nicole, you’ll be in the very best hands!
South Oak Events ensured we had the perfect reception at the Melrose! We did not have to stress about anything at all and we couldn’t have asked for a better day! Budget friendly, ...
super responsive, and the whole staff was amazing! I’m so glad we chose to work with them!!
We had the most amazing wedding reception at Melrose Knitting Mill, and a huge part of that was thanks to Erika, our day of coordinator from Southern Oak Events. From the very begi...
nning, Erika was warm, encouraging, and incredibly responsive to every question I had. She made me feel truly supported leading up to our wedding day and went above and beyond to make everything seamless.
She recommended phenomenal vendors, and as the big day approached, she handled every last minute detail with calm and ease. Erika was highly organized, communicated clearly with our vendor team, kept us on schedule, and made sure every piece of decor was beautifully placed and packed up at the end of the night.
She was always there when I needed her, answering questions, calming my nerves, and making sure everything ran smoothly. I truly cannot imagine our wedding day without her!
To be honest, we weren’t thrilled to learn that our venue required us to hire a day of coordinator but Jessica was the best thing that happened to us. From our first call, I truste...
d her completely and knew I could count on her to handle things professionally, keeping our wishes at the front of her mind. She is thorough and so easy to work with and SO good at what she does. My husband and I left our wedding saying it was the perfect day and nothing went wrong. While I’m sure small things did go wrong, it is fully due to Jessica that they were few and far between and that we didn’t even know they happened—we were able to just focus on enjoying our day! Southern Oak Events is the real deal and you get everything you pay for and more. I cannot recommend them highly enough!!
Mother of the Bride here. To be honest, I was a little miffed when our venue required us to have a day of coordinator as I didn't believe it would be necessary. But since we had ...
to get one, my daugher and I did our due diligence and found Jessica at Southern Oak Events. We felt she was a good fit for us - and soon learned that how vitally important she was - and not just to the events of the wedding day. She knew all the right questions to ask during the planning process and prepared an invaluable timeline that covered every detail for the ceremony and reception. And we ran into a few hiccups - as is inevitable with planning such a big event, it was Jessica that took the lead in making sure those bumps had zero impact on how the day went. My daugher had the wedding of her dreams - and Jessica was one of the primary drivers in making that happen. She was professional, responsive, kind, honest, patient and oh-so-knowledgable! If you are looking for a wedding planner and Jessica is available, book her! You will not regret it.
We worked with Nicole with Southern Oak Events at our venue Melrose Knitting Mill and were 100000% satisfied.
Nicole herself is absolutely amazing - she was on top of EVERYTHING f...
rom day one through the wedding (and even some necessary communication afterwards). I am very type A and it is difficult for me to delegate, but with Nicole, I felt extremely comfortable sitting back and allowing her to work her magic.
Cannot recommend Nicole & Southern Oak Events enough!!
Erika was great to work with! She helped us tour our venue for the very first time and was able to answer any and all questions! Over the next year and a half of working with Erika...
, I was able to easily reach out to her and ask all sorts of questions with quick replies. Everything was super organized and I knew exactly what I needed to do and when. Everything was so put together that when Nicole had to step in at the last second, our wedding still went seamlessly! Both Erika and Nicole were super supportive and I cannot recommend working with them enough!
Our wedding day was flawless thanks to Steph and the whole team over at Southern Oak Events! It's been almost a week since the big day, and we are still remembering small details t...
hat just made the entire day perfect. We would recommend Southern Oak Events, and definitely Steph, to anyone who is planning a wedding and wants the day to be absolutely perfect! If we ever have to plan an event in the future, we will definitely be seeking them out again!
I recently had my wedding at the Melrose Knitting Mill with Erika. She was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! Erika went above and beyond! She was everything and more! Not only was Erika profess...
ional, she felt like a friend! The wedding was so beyond organized that it took so much stress away!! Erika was always there to calm my nerves and was able to answer all my questions and requests!! I highly, highly, highly recommend Southern Oaks!
Jessica and her associates did an amazing job! As the mother of the bride I worried about every little detail, but with Southern Oak Events overseeing everything, it made my job ef...
fortless. We were completely pleased and blown away from day one of the planning process till the close of the evening after the reception. I highly recommend Jessica and her group with Southern Oak Events!
Jessica was fantastic! She made planning the wedding so easy by finding the best vendors to fit our needs. She took care of every detail on the day of the wedding and made sure the...
day was perfect. We received many compliments from our guests regarding her professionalism and kindness.
Nicole was such a joy to work with. The whole process from beginning to end was so easy and relaxed and honestly enjoyable. We toured the venue with Nicole and had such a great fee...
ling about her due to her demeanor and honesty. Going through the wedding planning process, she was always easy to contact and talk to and always listened to our concerns. The wedding itself was flawless - if there was anything that didn't go well, I would never have known because Nicole had it all covered. I can not say enough good things about this experience and I am so grateful that Nicole gave me such a beautiful day.
We were paired with Southern Oak Events when we booked with Melrose Knitting Mill. I love planning and orchestrating things, so I wasn't sure how paid much I would end up using Eri...
ka and her team. I was so so so so wrong. They were amazing, prompt, paid attention to all details, learned the names and faces of all participants, and let me relax and enjoy the day. I had no idea the scope of work that Erika would do for us and I will be forever grateful that she pulled off an amazing day for us. I am more than happy to 100% fully recommend and commend Erika and the Southern Oak Events Team.
Our experience with Southern Oak Events at Melrose Knitting Mill was incredible from the start. Firstly, you simply cannot get better than Erika, our wedding planner. She is the mo...
st organized and professional person I’ve ever worked with in the wedding industry - always answers your questions in a way that makes you feel seen and heard, cares about every single detail of your wedding, and is simply just a wonderful person to work with in general. Talking with Erika feels like talking with a very close friend. She will make your wedding day so special, and she pays attention to every detail, there were so many things I didn’t even think about until she mentioned them to me! She is so thorough, and makes sure all bases are covered. On our wedding day, she was on top of literally everything (and I frankly don’t know how she does it). From bringing my flowers to the park for me for pictures, to making sure every minor detail is accounted for during the ceremony and reception.
Melrose Knitting Mill was a wonderful place to get married. They make everything an enjoyable experience from the start. We had an amazing tasting night where we got to try the food and wine, and used it as an excuse for a fun date night. The venue was perfect, with a beautiful, rustic, Mediterranean feel. The ceremony space is peaceful and private, with no need to worry about the weather (a major plus). The staff was so friendly and kind throughout the entire experience. The ambiance downstairs during the cocktail hour was stunning, and the service was great. And don’t even get me started on the food for dinner. My guests were talking about how amazing the food with for weeks after, especially the macaroni. Our guests said that the food here was the best they’ve ever had at a wedding. Overall, we would highlight recommend both Southern Oak Events and Melrose Knitting Mill!!
Southern Oak Events was the perfect choice for our wedding day! Our wedding planner, Erika, was simply amazing. She is a warm, genuine person who made the entire experience unforge...
ttable. From the very beginning, planning with Erika was both fun and stress-free. On the big day, she ensured everything ran seamlessly and was there to support us every step of the way. The team at Southern Oak was professional, caring, and efficient, assisting us through every detail. They executed our vision flawlessly, and our family and friends felt at ease throughout the event. The staff went above and beyond, never overlooking a single detail and always offering a helping hand with a smile. We couldn’t have asked for a better team to make our day truly special.
My husband and I had the luxury of working with Steph and Jessica at Melrose Knitting Mill. They were professional, communicated so effectively, and all around were INCREDIBLE. I...
could not recommend Southern Oak Events enough. They made our wedding day so smooth, effortless and CALM. You absolutely cannot go wrong working with this incredible team.
We had an incredible experience with Southern Oaks Events! Their communication was outstanding, and they were always ready to help with any questions we had. Leading up to our big ...
day, our coordinator, Erika, ensured that every detail was planned and tailored to our preferences. She went above and beyond to make our wedding day enjoyable and stress-free. We wholeheartedly recommend Southern Oaks Events to anyone planning a wedding!
I worked with Southern Oak Events for my wedding this past August and had a wonderful experience! Working with Erika and Jessica made the process fun and so much less stressful as ...
a bride! It absolutely poured on our wedding day, but the team at Southern Oak Events quickly pivoted and created something magical indoors last minute that all our guests couldn't stop talking about. They truly went above and beyond for us and our loved ones during such a special day. Thank you Southern Oak Events!
Nicole and Southern Oak Events were professional, fun, and made planning our wedding a breeze. Nicole was our day of coordinator for our wedding and she was absolutely fabulous! We...
were completely stress free on our wedding day because she handled absolutely everything for us and kept everyone on schedule. She made us feel so comfortable and really made our vision come to life. The weeks leading up to a wedding can be so hectic and I didn’t feel overwhelmed at all because Nicole was there every step of the way. She was always quick to respond with any questions or concerns we had and kept us on track for our day. I couldn’t imagine her not being apart of our day and I would recommend her and her team ten times over.
When my husband and I look back on our day, we often think about our AMAZING coordinator Erika from Southern Oak Events. She truly made the day so special. From her kindness, respo...
nsiveness on email, her assistance throughout the day, and just her general expertise of the industry, I can not recommend Erika enough. It was hands down the best decision we made for our wedding!!
I fell in love with Melrose Knitting Mill the moment I walked through there doors. I loved the brick, hardwood floors and chandeliers hanging front the ceiling. This building had e...
xactly the kind of sexy, romantic yet elegant vibe that I was going for. Not only was the venue beautiful but the staff were incredible. Our wedding coordinator Nicole was extremely helpful, funny and kind. She was alway quick with her responses through email and went above and beyond to keep me feeling secure about my vision coming to life. I believe that she truly cares about her clients and wants to make sure that they have the best wedding ever!! 😊. She was on top of everything and made me feel like I was the most special/important person in the world. I highly recommend using this venue for the most important day of your life.
Erika is the most amazing, kind, genuine person I have ever worked with. I could go on and on with the adjectives to describe Erika. She was so tremendously helpful to me and my hu...
sband over the entire process. Both of us tend to get overwhelmed, but she did a great job at keeping us calm and helping us process everything. I planned our entire wedding while in medical school, so I tended to forget details regularly. However, Erika was on top of it every single time! On the day of the wedding, she was there for me and my husband for everything. Anytime I got nervous or needed something, she was right by my side with whatever we needed. I highly highly recommend booking Erika with Southern Oak Events. I seriously do not think our wedding would have gone as smoothly without her!!
Jessica and the team at Southern Oak Events was amazing. My wedding was the easiest day and ran so smoothly. Jessica was supportive throughout the entire process and the days and w...
eeks leading up to the wedding were so stress free because she thought of everything. I cannot recommend them highly enough!
What can we say?! Jessica at Southern Oaks is professional, super responsive and was a Godsend when we planned my daughter's wedding. I live out of town and my daughter has a dema...
nding job; we relied on Jessica to know the best vendors to use and the expected costs/budget, read the contracts and to come up with wonderful creative ideas and options. She is beyond organized and will keep you on track with timeline and budget. She gives options on where to spend for the best bang for your buck and where you can save some money without anyone wiser. She was well worth the cost for her expertise, I cannot imagine the stress of planning if we did not have her help. The day was JOYFUL and amazing- even with the pivot of requiring our rain plan at the last minute, Jessica and her team pulled all of it off. Our daughter and son-in-law said they had the "perfect day!" The exact words you'd like to hear from the bride and groom!
I cannot speak highly enough of the team at Southern Oak Events, especially Nicole! Right from the beginning, Nicole made our choice easy and our whole wedding journey was so smoo...
th. Nicole was extremely responsive, quick to answer all of our questions, and detail oriented. The weeks leading up to our wedding felt much easier and relaxed than I could have anticipated. Nicole accommodated all of our requests, even when ideas popped into my mind at the last minute! On the day of our wedding, every detail was taken care of and Nicole was a jack of all trades. She seamlessly executed details while coordinating an entire team. We received so many compliments from our guests on how attentive and kind the whole team was on the day of our wedding. I would 100% recommend using Southern Oak Events for your wedding day!
Erika with Southern Oak Events was phenomenal! I have no idea what we would have done without her. She was instrumental in helping prepare for our wedding day and making sure every...
thing ran smoothly. I highly recommend Southern Oak Events!
Erika was the best decision we made when planning our wedding. From the first moment we met her, she was so knowledgeable and we felt so comfortable with her. She was always reacha...
ble to answer our questions throughout the entire planning process, and the two months before the wedding she was insanely helpful wrapping up all loose ends for us. At the rehearsal and wedding itself, everything went so smoothly and that was almost entirely due to Erika’s insane attention to detail and ability to address any little issue that came up. We had the most perfect, care-free wedding day, and that was very much due to Erika. We cannot recommend her, and the entire Southern Oaks team, enough!
I cannot say enough positive things about Jessica Tilton from Southern Oak Events, our wedding coordinator extraordinaire. Jessica was an absolute lifesaver and the most important ...
person in terms of executing our event flawlessly.
From our very first meeting with Jessica, it was clear that we were in the best of hands. Her professionalism, attention to detail, and passion for her work were evident from the start. Jessica took the time to truly understand our vision for our wedding day and went above and beyond to bring it to life in ways we couldn't have even imagined.
Throughout the entire planning process, Jessica was an invaluable resource. She provided guidance, support, and expertise every step of the way, ensuring that no detail was overlooked. Her organizational skills were impeccable, and she kept everything running smoothly and on schedule, which allowed us to relax and enjoy the lead-up to our big day.
On the day of our wedding, Jessica truly shined. She was everywhere at once, ensuring that every aspect of the event was executed flawlessly. From coordinating with vendors to managing last-minute changes and ensuring that every detail was perfect, Jessica handled it all with grace and professionalism.
Thanks to Jessica's hard work and dedication, our wedding day was everything we had dreamed of and more. She exceeded our expectations in every way and went above and beyond the duties of a wedding coordinator. I cannot recommend Jessica Tilton and Southern Oak Events highly enough to anyone getting married. If you want peace of mind and a truly unforgettable wedding experience, Jessica is the one to call.
Thank you, Jessica, for making our wedding day perfect in every way!
Erika Bath was so amazing to work with! I couldn't have asked for a better experience planning and coordinating my wedding day! The day was seamless between all vendors and parties...
involved. Erika is so good at what she does - I would absolutely recommend her to anyone wanting a stress-free wedding planning process!
I am not a good planner. Even so, when I realized most venues require a day-of coordinator, my frugal side was rather annoyed. About 2 seconds into meeting Jessica, the owner of So...
uthern Oak Events, I knew that I not only wanted to hire her as our coordinator, but that she would be absolutely indispensable. I can now say that I simply cannot imagine planning a wedding without her. Despite the label of “day-of coordination,” our coordinator was available (via phone or email) to us for advice from the time we hired her. She handled every single scheduling detail with the various vendors (and the amount of vendors seem to multiply as you get closer to the wedding day) and venue. This included update emails any time something would change, making certain everyone had the most accurate information. She also made sure my husband and I were staying on track of the little details that often get forgotten. Also, and I don’t know if this is common amongst brides and coordinators, but I genuinely felt like she was my friend throughout the process. She is so warm, funny and easy-going, but also SO organized and quick to respond. As my husband and I were leaving our wedding we said how we wish we had a reason to hang out with her again! I could not recommend Southern Oak Events, and especially Jessica, any more highly. Truly worth every penny and then some.
I could go on and on about how great Jessica was for our wedding! She is the rock you need through your planning process! From the second we started planning we never feel an ounce...
of stress on because Jessica handled EVERYTHING! She makes the planning so much fun, every meeting was full of laughs and was so enjoyable. She made our vision come to life and made it even better than I even imagined. She pays attention to every single detail and made sure everything was perfection. The whole day was seamless and stress free and Jessica is 100% the reason it was! We wouldn’t have been able to trust anyone else except her!! She is the absolute BEST!!
I have absolutely no words for how amazing Nicole from Southern Oak Events was for my wedding. She helped keep things running smoothly as well as making sure I was okay throughout ...
the whole process. I literally can't recommend her enough! I was told by multiple people how amazing she was and how professional it all seemed. She helped me keep my cool the whole time and helped make the reception a work of art. Please use this service if you can, you won't regret it! Love you Nicole 💖💖
ERIKA WAS INCREDIBLE!! Erika Bath was my day-off coordinator and made everything run so smoothly. Erika was always accessible throughout the planning process, quick with recommend...
ations/ideas, and honest with feedback to ensure the event was the best it could be. Erika was always kind, patient, and excited to work with me. Day of, she was constantly on the move ensuring every little detail fell into place. There was nothing out of place or unfinished. She and her assistant worked tirelessly and I am so grateful for them!
Contact
7601 Stone Horse Circle, Raleigh, NC | Raleigh, Durham + surrounding areas
Southern Oak Events