Southern Weddings

To me, this Southern Weddings V9 editorial represents a Southern wedding at its simplest and best: a mid-afternoon church ceremony, followed by punch and cake on the lawn with all of your family and friends. While I will never stop delighting in the sweet, meaningful details that are dreamed up by so many of the couples who grace this site, I hope those who chose something simpler, something without all the bells and whistles, something more similar to this celebration, will always feel welcome at SW, too.

We’re so grateful to our friend Mallory Joyce for designing this special day, and to Landon Jacob for capturing all the sweetness!

We couldn’t have created something so lovely without a lovely backdrop, and the Parlour at Manns Chapel was that and more. A sweet church building from 1887, it was stunningly reborn last year at the hands of two very talented ladies. You can read much more on their site!

The story behind this editorial was centered around two high school sweethearts beloved by their small town. This pair wanted to invite ALL of their friends and family AND their entire congregation to celebrate their marriage, so in addition to a traditional invitation, they made this invitation banner and hung it at their church as a sort of mass welcome! Letters are Lovely did a beautiful job bringing it to life.

Mallory Joyce created a sweet heart wreath for our ceremony focal point. I know I keep using the word “sweet” to describe this editorial, but it’s the look we were going for, and it always seems appropriate!

Baby flower girls in white are always a good idea!

At a punch and cake reception, of course you have to have some delicious libations! We even froze berries and lemon slices in bundt pans the night before the shoot to create classic ice rings for our bowls.

Paisley & Jade supplied all of the lovely, larger vintage rentals, while Southern Vintage Table sent over the punch bowls and cups. If you were hosting this sort of reception and had the gumption to track down enough vintage punch cups yourself, they’d make a neat favor for your guests to take home!

For the kiddos: punch popsicles!

Another favor idea: pretty little bakery boxes filled with extra slices of cake, topped off with painted bamboo forks, and paired with sparkling lemonade! A Signature Welcome assembled these kits for us.

I’m pretty sure I would gasp if I walked into a wedding reception and saw this cake table! Rest assured, we cut up slices for everyone on set back in May, and the cakes by Favorite Cakes were as good as they looked!

See much more from Chapel Charm in Southern Weddings V9, in our shop and on newsstands around the South now! And stayed tuned for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this editorial, coming later today!

Photographer: Landon Jacob Photography | Planner, stylist, and florals: Mallory Joyce | Film processing: Richard Photo Lab | Behind the scenes photographer: Blue Barn Photography | Venue: The Parlour at Manns Chapel | Hair and makeup: Lula Hair and Makeup | Cakes: Favorite Cakes | Paper goods and banner design: Letters are Lovely | Banner printing: Spoonflower | Vintage furniture rentals: Paisley & Jade | Tables and chairs: Classic Party Rentals | Punch bowls and cups: Southern Vintage Table | Linens: La Tavola Linens | Cake stands: Rosanna and Shop Sweet Lulu | Forks, bakery boxes, canape plates, and bunting garlands: Shop Sweet Lulu | Punch kit favors: A Signature Welcome | Parasols: Luna Bazaar | Bride’s gown: “Enchanting” by Astrid and Mercedes | Bride’s veil: Twigs & Honey | Groom’s suit: J. Crew | Bridesmaid dresses: Weddington Way, Alfred Sung, Camilyn Beth, and Donna Morgan | Bow ties: High Cotton Ties | Flower girl dresses: Babes of the Nile | Bridesmaid jewelry: Kendra Scott | Marriage certificate: Southern Weddings Shop

Mallory Joyce, Donna Morgan, and Astrid and Mercedes are delightful SW advertisers. Lula Hair & Makeup and Paisley & Jade are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Emily