We held a 120 person wedding in the Fleur de Lis Courtyard (and adjoining room). An absolutely stunning venue and Olivia is a dream to work with. Our guests said it was the best wedding they had ever been to!

Ceremony: The ceremony felt intimate. Guests were able to sit up close and see/hear everything. Although you are right on Bourbon St., it was so peaceful. So convenient going right out on Bourbon for our second line! The staff flipped the courtyard into a cocktail space during that time and it was a lovely transformation.

Food: Food quality was important to us from the beginning since it's the only thing people talk about after weddings.😂 We were initially hesitant in signing the contract after a less than desirable experience at Desire but we had gotten some feedback from friends who had attended events at the hotel who all raved so we went ahead with the contract. They were all absolutely correct. The food is *superb*! Our favorites were the shrimp and alligator sliders but our guests RAVED about Miss Latrell's gumbo. Have no worries - the food is excellent.

Accommodating: Most of our guests were from out of state and were staying at the hotel so we had a welcome social the first night out on the terrace. We booked all of the rooms on the terrace in order to have that private space. It was great that there was an adjoining conference room guests could come thru to access the terrace. The staff even put a sign out by the elevator to help direct people! leading up to the big day, the weather forecast was looking bleak. Olivia was able to provide alternative plans and was so helpful in making gametime decisions. We ended up sticking with the courtyard and chancing it and it worked out in our favor.

Staff: Every one of our guests raved about the hotel staff. Throughout their stay, every Royal Sonesta employee was so helpful and welcoming. You really could not ask for more. They were all incredible. Even when we toured the venue and had our food tasting, everyone goes above and beyond. Olivia (Catering Sales Manager) is the most wonderful person to work with. My superlatives are insufficient for how helpful she is.

Venue: The hotel and event spaces are beautiful. The courtyard is absolutely stunning (our pictures look amazing). The flow between the Fleur de Lis courtyard and adjoining room is so smooth. It was so easy for guests to move around. Because the venue is so beautiful on its own, we barely did anything for decorations. Some small flowers on tables and some candles around the fountain. The space is stunning as is.

Wedding Breakdown:
75 guests (majority from out of state)
Date: April 8, 2023
Ceremony: Courtyard at 2:00 PM
Reception: Fleur de Lis Suite & Courtyard 2:30 - 7:00 PM
DJ: DJ Storm from Omega Entertainment
Second Line Parade & Planning: Frenchmen Street Productions

Pricing:
Great, reasonable prices for a city wedding with upscale dining/food and beverage. Very simple pricing layout for the packages so you can do the math yourself easily – or they will provide you with an estimate based on the option you are considering. You can customize/add items for more money, but their current options are really great as is.

Planning:
I started the process of looking for locations in January 2022. We live in a different state but most guests would have to travel anyways, we decided to look into our favorite city — NOLA! I knew I wasn’t going to get a wedding planner because of our budget and I already knew I what I wanted out of our wedding. Out of the gate, Olivia (Catering Sales Manager) was fantastic. She was preemptively thorough, answered all of my questions and made me laugh during some of my most stressed out moments. Simply put, every part of the planning process regarding the Royal Sonesta was made as easy as possible for me, thanks to Olivia.

I am very detail oriented, but there were several items Olivia brought to my attention for consideration that I would have never thought about. She understood exactly what I wanted. At this point, I’m convinced she is a mind reader. I was able to have the “little” things that were important to me like getting my cake packaged in to-go boxes for my guests (I provided the boxes) without a crazy up charge.

Tasting & The Team:
The tasting was an amazing experience. I loved that we got to meet the Chef and that he brought out members of his team to give them recognition for each of their contributions during the tasting.
Day of, our dedicated attendant (Zelda) was more than we could have asked for — she’s in the trust nest forever with us.

Rooms:
I’d recommend seeing if you and your bridal party/guests can fill the 8 rooms on the terrace above the courtyard the for the day before and of your wedding. It was fantastic to have that space made “private” because all of our people booked the rooms.

The Day Of:
It was calling for 100% rain and Olivia was fantastic about already having a backup option and working with me for my vision (the day before). Of course, there ended up being no rain. Everything was fantastic and went so smoothly the day of. Our guests raved about the food, beverages and venue. I knew it would all be great but it truly was fantastic. There was not a stressful moment on the day of and I couldn’t have been happier with how everything turned out.

First class Wedding experience! Olivia and the entire staff at the Royal Sonesta were a pleasure to work with for the past 11 months. Every question answered, every email answered promptly. Courtyard setting gorgeous. Fun bourbon balcony suites for the reception, such a unique experience. Food was delicious. The coordination of all of the events was seamless. Whole family loved all of the rooms. Honeymoon/bridal suite was ideal for us and definitely necessary for the getting ready part. Would not have changed a thing. Loved the Royal Sonesta!