It’s 2015 and we’re kicking this new year off with some new goals and some new news! One of our main goals is to blog more often, and our first blog post of 2015 is sharing some big news! We’ve been named Best of Weddings by the Knot for the THIRD year in a row!

Receiving The Knot’s Best of Weddings 2015 award is quite the honor because it’s not awarded based on advertisement, not awarded by our relationships in the industry, but it’s awarded based on our client’s positive reviews and support for our business! Their continued trust in Tying the Knot blows me away and I can never thank them enough for allowing us to bring their wedding days to life!

As an avid internet shopper for services and products, reviews are the main reason that I buy an item or not. I encourage all brides and grooms to read about each and every one of your potential wedding vendors to make sure that they are a great fit for your needs! Our industry is filled with incredible talent and the Knot gives an amazing platform for past clients to review their creative partners and for future clients to get to know them!

Here are a few reviews from the Knot by some of our super sweet brides and grooms who are all smiles about their experience with Tying the Knot! XOXO

Lori and Ryan

Photo by Mark Eric

“The first – and best- decision I made in planning our wedding. I cannot sing Elyse’s praises enough, and shiver at the thought of doing it all without her. For starters, we live in NYC, so her knowledge of the New Orleans area and local vendors was invaluable. As far as her vision and design – she is a gifted and creative designer, but also a great listener and puts her brides’ wishes first. Whereas others (even my MOH) laughed when I said I wanted a “sophisticated swamp” theme, Elyse saw it as an opportunity and came back with the most elegant, southern-Louisiana-glam design I could have possibly dreamed of!

As a planner, she has a tireless work ethic, was always three steps ahead and thinks of EVERYTHING. She is very responsive to emails/calls/texts (which trust me, is a HUGE deal), and could teach Martha Stewart a thing or two about organization. Not to mention, she radiates a reassuring confidence and calming presence that just wraps you up like a big, fluffy towel right out of the dryer. I think one of the most helpful things to me was her decisiveness- and ability to help ME make decisions. No problem was ever too small or too complicated, and she never looked down on me like I was a silly girl (although I know I was at times!). I can’t emphasize enough how awesome it was to have someone who could relate to me, and treated every question I had as a valid concern. She never forced her opinion on me, but helped me think things through and make choices that I could feel amazing about.

Most importantly, she is clearly passionate about her job, and even more so about her brides. Her enthusiasm for weddings, design, and marriage is infectious, and even though I knew she was busy planning dozens of other weddings, I never once felt like I was anything other than special. She was my advocate and ally when dealing with vendors or feuding family members, and made every element of our wedding day come together in the most seamless way imaginable. I was able to just sit back and enjoy my big day because Elyse had made sure everything was taken care of before hand, and she and her amazing team took on the day with the precision and efficiency of a SWAT team. I would have paid her three times as much for the peace of mind that came with having her on my side, and even my 75-year-old father, who doesn’t compliment anyone, was still bragging six weeks later at Christmas about what an amazing job Elyse did.

I could go on and on about Elyse and Tying the Knot Weddings, but to sum it up – I doubt that many brides can say they feel as blessed to have met their coordinator as I do, and that they were sad the wedding was over because it meant not getting to talk to their coordinator regularly anymore. I didn’t know Elyse before I hired her, and odds are that I’ll never see her in person again, but I feel like she made such a difference in my wedding experience that I will always be indebted to her, and will definitely think of her as a friend – not just a coordinator. Book her NOW if you can, it will be the second best choice (after saying ‘yes,’ of course!) you’ll make!”

Kristen and Mike

Photo by Greer G Photography

“Shortly after Mike and I were engaged we decided to have a destination wedding in New Orleans. After lots of research, we discovered Elyse’s work through a few weddings and photo shoots she had produced on Pinterest. Her taste/vision for everything was so aligned with what I had been envisioning for my dream wedding, I knew my husband and I had to meet her.

From the moment Mike and I sat down with Elyse, we knew she was the perfect planner for us. As a producer, I LOVED the fact that she took copious amounts of notes and truly listened to our ideas and offered wonderful ones of her own. Over the next year, Elyse helped us plan, create, and throw our dream wedding. We felt like she truly went above and beyond for us and created so many special details for our ceremony and reception. She went truly above and beyond during the planning process as well. Her and her team curated a wonderful set of vendors that everyone still raves about to us! Hiring Elyse was the BEST decision we could have made!”

Katie and James

Photo by Mark Eric

“Elyse and her team made the wedding planning experience personal, enjoyable, organized and efficient. They are some of the most thoughtful and talented individuals I have ever met, and my husband and I can’t say enough about what they did for our wedding (and probably our marriage). We joked several times that we would have probably eloped or broken up had we not had their help!

I knew that any time I had a question or concern, Elyse and her team would already have several answers and options for me…they think of EVERYTHING! It was such a relief that we could trust their opinion on everything from A to Z and we knew that they always had our best interest in mind.

The wedding day was absolutely perfect, and so many of our guests commented that it was the best wedding they have ever been to. Given that we’re in our 30’s and some of the last people in our families and circle of friends to get married, that says a lot…these people have been to a lot of weddings!

Aside from making the planning experience a breeze, and for creating a professional level event, one of the best parts of working with Elyse and her associate planner, Melissa, was our wedding day. We actually got to enjoy it! I have heard from so many brides and grooms that they barely got to eat or enjoy the day. With their diligent scheduling and impeccable preparation, we were able to enjoy the food, drinks, music and company at our own wedding. It really could not have been a more perfect day, and we really could not have done it without Elyse & Melissa of Tying the Knot!”