I know, I know, the only review of Southern Oaks that is not a five-star! But I am not your typical bride. (Background: I think the wedding industry is ridiculously over-priced and I wanted to elope, but mama wasn't having it!). This much is true: the staff at Southern Oaks are very, very accommodating, the food is amazing, and it is a luxurious experience indeed! They sent us home with a huge box of food (which we ate for days!) and a data stick containing all the images from our photo booth (so much fun to review!). Our guests were blown away during the ceremony and reception, and they would all give the place a 4 or 5 star rating.
Their attention to detail is great! But I must be honest: I found the whole event to be a bit wasteful, as did several of our wedding guests. (And it isn't cheap; I can't help but think they could charge less if they didn't pass over 80 food options. Who can possibly eat over 80 food options in less than 3 hours?)
Also, we had cupcakes in lieu of a wedding cake. I bragged about these bad boys to my friends for WEEKS (ok, ok, months!). It was the one detail I was honestly most excited about; and when the time came, the cupcakes looked glorious on the cake table! (I was so proud!) However, after we took photos in front of them, the cupcakes seemed to disappear and our guests couldn't find them. Which maybe isn't a big deal, but I really wanted people to try them (& we paid for them!). They were eventually served, but I assumed they would be left on the display so that people could go up and grab their own. (That is the benefit of cupcakes, right?!) In retrospect, I should have told Southern Oaks I wanted the cupcakes left on the table so that people could choose their own, but they seemed so intuitive that I figured they would have known.
At the end of the night we had LOTS of extra cupcakes, which they sent home with my parents and my husband's parents. As we were leaving, I asked for a box to take some as well. They packed a few up in a box for me, but they seemed inconvenienced. Maybe I seemed greedy, but the baker worked hard to make them taste and look so good; why waste all that effort (and money)? Plus, they freezed amazingly well :)
The same thing happened with my bouquets- almost all of my bridesmaids had flights to catch the next day and left their bouquets at SO. As we were leaving, I tried to grab a few before they were throw away. I wish they would have asked me in advance what I wanted done with any extra flowers. Surely I am not the only bride who thinks it is totally ridiculous to throw out fresh flowers!
We also had a shuttle disaster of sorts. It wasn't Southern Oaks fault IN ANY WAY, but it brings up something to consider: Location, location, location! The grounds of Southern Oaks are beautiful, but it is a trek from the city. Getting your guests there is an added expense and can be quite stressful! Too bad they don't have a shuttle package.
Lastly, my parents (who live out of town) were so sweet and generous as to pay for the whole event. They came into town the day of our rehearsal (held several days before the wedding for just the bride and groom). My mom really, really wanted to check out the venue (she was dying for a sneak peek). Southern Oaks has a strict rule that the rehearsal is for the "bride and groom only". We get this; we know they must have rules to maximize their time and profits. But my parents paid for EVERYTHING (which Southern Oaks knew)! It seemed a bit strict that they told my mom she couldn't come with us, especially considering how pricey it is and how willing my parents were to pay in advance for all services.
The only reason you must still be reading my boring, long review is because you are contemplating having your wedding here. If you grew up day-dreaming about your wedding day and want everything to go Disney World "perfect": I highly recommend Southern Oaks! You can't go wrong! However, if you are environmentally conscious (and have spent lots of time in developing countries and can't stand to see food and resources wasted), this place is probably too wasteful for you to enjoy! Although maybe if I would have been more honest about not wasting food/cupcakes/flowers I would have been less disappointed at the end of the night, because they really do bend over backwards for the bride and groom! I wanted to give them 3-stars (because that is still A-OK by Yelp standards), but the staff definitely made them 4-star worthy. read more