Like the ending of real-life fairy tale, Southern Oaks Plantation and its owner, Robert Asaro, were recognized with top honors during the Wedding Professionals Guild annual awards luncheon at the Maison Dupuy Hotel on Wednesday.
Voted “Reception Venue of the Year” for 2006, Southern Oaks Plantation is located in one of the most devastated neighborhoods of New Orleans, and was one of the first businesses in the area to reopen following Hurricane Katrina.
Besides winning an accolade for his business venue, Robert Asaro was personally awarded the 2006 Outstanding Service Award for his efforts to revitalize the wedding industry in post-Katrina New Orleans. According to Jennie Keller, co-founder of the New Orleans Wedding Professionals Guild, “Bobby was nominated because of the experience, knowledge, and professionalism he brings to the group.”
Known for its picturesque, Antebellum-style mansion and beautifully landscaped gardens, 2007 marks Southern Oaks Plantation’s 20th anniversary as a reception facility. However, that milestone was in jeopardy when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. “We had no idea what we were returning to, and tried to prepare ourselves for the worst,” said Mr. Asaro, who had evacuated to Chicago with his wife, Sue. Adding to their anxiety was the flood insurance policy for the plantation, which had not been renewed. “It was sitting on my desk at work, and I kept putting it off and putting it off, convincing myself there was no rush. Little did I know.”
Miraculously, in a neighborhood inundated with six to eight feet of water, the mansion at Southern Oaks Plantation was not flooded. “We opened the front door, and it looked as if we had just finished cleaning up after a wedding,” said Mr. Asaro. Though the building was dry, it was far from unscathed. Both the mansion and the grounds suffered a great amount of damage, and required substantial renovations including a new roof, new landscaping, and new columns on the front porch.
Mr. and Mrs. Asaro started repairing the facility immediately, knowing the nuptials of dozens of anxious brides and grooms were delayed every weekend Southern Oaks remained closed. “Communication was an issue, because cell phones weren’t working,” Mr. Asaro explained, “so we tried to keep in contact with everyone via e-mail.” After working twelve hours a day at the plantation, the Asaro’s would then spend another three or four on the computer at night. “We didn’t know when we would be able to reopen, but we continued to assure everyone we were definitely coming back.”
With no help from the local, state, or federal government, Mr. and Mrs. Asaro resorted to flagging down passing utility trucks and using cold drinks and sandwiches as incentives to get jobs completed. Finally, after four months of working and waiting, on January 6, 2006, the gates of Southern Oaks Plantation opened once again.
Mr. Asaro remembers, “It was a challenge from start to finish. Besides the hoops we were jumping through for staffing and supplies, we had four months worth of weddings that had to be rescheduled.” But little by little things fell into place. New brides and grooms began to book events at the plantation, dates started to fill, and business returned to near normalcy. “We didn’t get phone service back until September of 2006, and as of today they still don’t have our cable internet up and running, but we’re making it happen.”
The optimism and hard work Mr. Asaro exhibited during his return to East New Orleans were recognized by the members of the Wedding Professionals Guild, a group consisting of hotels, florists, photographers, videographers, wedding coordinators, event venues, and others involved in the New Orleans wedding industry. Winning both the Venue of the Year and Outstanding Service Award, Mr. Asaro describes the honor as a “dream come true,” an amazing ending to a year fraught with challenges. “We run a business where we create magical experiences every weekend. It’s a wonderful thing to be appreciated not only by our growing family of happy brides and grooms, but also by our peers.”
If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Bobby Asaro, please contact Kyle Madorin at 504.245.8221, or e-mail Kyle at kyle@southernoaksplantation.com
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