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Southern Weddings

Author: Marissa

Last week, I was having a highly-excited conversation with a friend of mine who is headed back to North Carolina (we’re both currently in Arizona). In addition to everything else she had to look forward to from her trip, I just knew hushpuppies had to be on the list — after all, we are both obsessed with the Cook-Out version! Y’all, I once drove all the way from Florida to North Carolina, and once I crossed the state line my first stop was Cook-Out, just for hushpuppies!

No surprise then, that today’s Southern Delicacy is one of my very favorite foods of all time. I actually judge the Southern-ness of restaurants on the quality of their hushpuppies (and fried pickles!).

Gourmet hushpuppies photo by Harwell Photography via Southern Weddings and hush puppy pie plate signage photo by Dave Lapham via Southern Weddings

A hushpuppy (or fried cornbread ball, for my Northern friends) is a savory treat made from cornmeal batter that is deep fried or baked in small ball shapes. Frequently served as a side dish, usually at seafood restaurants or barbecues, these yummy little bites supposedly originated in the 1800’s in Native American cooking. (Fun fact: Lots of food we consider traditional Southern fare, like grits, actually originated from Native American tribes!)

With a little more research, I also found that some say hushpuppies originated in the settlement of Nouvell Orleans (later called New Orleans) in the 1700’s, created by a group of Ursuline nuns from France. The nuns used cornmeal to create a delicious food they called croquettes de maise. These croquettes spread rapidly through the Southern states and eventually came to be known as hushpuppies!

Shrimp and okra hushpuppies, hoppin’ John hushpuppies, shrimp and okra hushpuppies, and crab cake hushpuppies

Beyond the delicious taste of these little guys, I love the story of their name. According to Southern folklore, the first recorded reference to the word “hush-puppy” dates to 1899. The name “hushpuppies” is attributed to hunters and fishermen, who would fry a basic cornmeal mixture and toss it to their dogs to “hush the puppies” during cook-outs or fish-fries.

Other hush puppy legends attribute the term “hushpuppies” to the Civil War, during which soldiers supposedly tossed fried cornbread to quell the barks of Confederate dogs!

Red velvet hushpuppies from Best Friends for Frosting and apple cider hushpuppies from The Cozy Apron

Aren’t these sweet varieties so fun? They look delicious!

No matter the origin, I just love the stories behind this delicacy! I think they would make a fun cocktail hour ‘pass,’ or I’d love to see a hushpuppy bar with all the different variations. Mmm, I’m thinking a Southern road trip is in order!

Where are your favorite hushpuppies from? I’d love to try a different version, so share your favorite hushpuppy-serving restaurants in the comments below!

Harwell Photography is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
10 Comments
  1. avatar Jessica reply

    Was just wondering where the name “hushpuppies” came from the other day with my family at a Seafood restaurant !

  2. avatar Laura reply

    When I took the quiz last week, I said that my favorite southern delicacy was hushpuppies! I’m partial to the kind served at barbeque restaurants myself, those tend to be more hot-dog shaped instead of round. And a sack of hushpuppies from Cook-Out for less than $2? You can’t beat that!

  3. avatar Kristin reply

    All this hush puppy talk has me craving a trip to the beach to visit my favorite seafood (hush puppy) restaurants. Yumm-o.

  4. avatar Jessica Clinch reply

    My favorite hushpuppies are from Cook-Out too! Thank goodness we have one so close to Elon :) I’d love to try those crab cake hushpuppies- they look delicious!

  5. avatar Allyson reply

    Cook-Out hushpuppies are so good! The bad thing is that there is a cookout on the street right behind my house, it’s so dangerous. I also judge all BBQ restaurants by their hushpuppies, it can make or break it for me.

  6. avatar Lauren reply

    My wedding is THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!! :-) And we are serving hush puppies on a bed of pulled pork in a martini glass during the cocktail hour. :-) soooo excited!!

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Welcome back for more purple prettiness, y’all! Let’s dive right in!

Eddie said her favorite design element was either the dinner tables or candy station. While the candy station is divine, I’d have to go with the tables! Come on! Look at the ghost chairs plus that fantastic petal-adorned white linen! Major swoon! I also love how Eddie used feminine design details, like the lace runner and light lavender napkins, to compliment the industrial-ness of King Plow.

We’re so thankful Harwell Photography shared this lovely lavender day with us!

Oh my fun! What a great way to do the table numbers! Love the balloons!

That linen – oh my!

We stuck to the down home country/city feel that probably only makes sense in a place like Atlanta! It was hot, the kids were playing, guest were drinking and visiting, and overall, everyone had a great time! We followed that up with a post-wedding BBQ the next day at our house. It was the best time I’ve had spending time with friends and family.

How much fun does a post-wedding BBQ with all your friends and family sound?!

I remember Jordan being extremely nervous because he is not a dancer! I chose Freddie Jackson’s “You Are My Lady” because its one of his favorite songs and I thought it would relax him. He did well.

The cotton candy was like nothing I had ever tasted before! Coming from a town where the yearly fair was “must do,” you could probably guess that I have eaten lots of cotton candy!

Y’all may not know this, but our very own Kristin is an avid county fair fan! She hasn’t missed one in many many years!

What was your reception like?  Fun, easy, kid-friendly!
Did you have a cocktail hour?  Yes we did! The open bar kept all of our guests happy while the room was flipped.
What kind of food did you serve during the cocktail hour, dinner and dessert? Sliders, petite deserts and finger foods.
Favorite design element of your big day: I would have to say that it was probably the dinner tables and the candy “guest favors” station. The cotton candy was like nothing I had ever tasted before! Coming from a town where the yearly fair was “must do,” you could probably guess that I have eaten lots of cotton candy!
Describe your wedding cake: It was all white with white cake and had a large white garden rose that cascaded down the side.
What was the scariest? When I first walked out with my dad. I wasn’t sure if I was going to smile or cry! I made it with no tears and was surprisingly relaxed!
What was the biggest challenge you faced when planning your wedding? Trying to keep the budget down. We had to decide what was important to both of us for our special day. As a woman, you realize quickly that all of those wedding fantasies you’ve had in your head for all of these years really aren’t necessities, especially when you’re over budget!
What range did your budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
Did you take a honeymoon? Yes! We went to the Amalfi coast of Italy!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future?   We are raising our sons, working on one more addition to our family and working hard to maintain successful businesses in our community.
What advice would you give to someone planning his or her wedding?  Relax, try not to sweat the small things, and remember that if you don’t have it done by the week of, not to stress yourself out. Just let it go. Things will still turn out perfectly!

Harwell Photography is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
7 Comments
  1. avatar Kris reply

    Holy cow, it’s all so beautiful! I’m in purple heaven! I wish I could have been a guest at this one :)

  2. avatar Tali reply

    Your cake is gorgeous and that dress on you…. stunning! Congrats!

  3. avatar Lauren reply

    Thanks for the feature! Loved being part of this amazing wedding!

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Today’s gorgeous bride described the couple’s Atlanta wedding as “unpretentious, fun-loving, and perfect!” Of all the adjectives that our darling brides have used to describe their weddings, Eddie’s three not only encompass her big day exactly, but they might be my favorite I’ve ever read. While tradition and formality are important to us as Southerners, we believe weddings are supposed to be personal, and a meaningful start to a long-lasting marriage. And for Eddie + Jordan, keeping their big day relaxed and enjoyable for everyone — kids and adults alike — was the ultimate representation of their personalities!

Based off the ear-to-ear grins on the faces of Eddie + Jordan and their guests, I’d have to say they achieved their goal. Special thanks to Harwell Photography for capturing the joy of their day!

Look at that stunner! My bouquet was an all-white delinquent handmade giant garden rose. The bridesmaids had a beautiful mix of gorgeous flowers with pops of purple, and the boutonnieres were unique and timeless, with just enough color.

I knew what style would look good on my body type, so I set out to find that immediately, and gave myself about 30 days to make a decision. I found my dress at the second boutique I went to, which was having a Vera Wang trunk show. How much easier can it get?

Ear-to-ear smile = pure radiant joy! You, Eddie, are gorgeous!

I love how Eddie and her planner used complimentary shades of purple and lots of white flowers to create the perfect pop of color!

One word for these handsome fellows: dapper! Love all of the pattern mixing going on!

I loved how handsome my two sons looked once they were dressed. Jordan’s suit definitely blew me away as well. He looked so handsome and perfect! To think, I didn’t even get anyone dressed — they did such a good job on their own!

Tell me a bit about the wedding ceremony.  The most special thing for us was the music selections. I had a group from our church come in and sing before and during the ceremony, which really set the tone. Since I wasn’t getting married at a church, I decided I better get some church to us! Jordan walked out to a song called “Thank You” by Johnny Gill and New Edition, and I walked out to “I Believe in You and Me” by Whitney Houston. With her passing away last year, it was important to me to make sure that I was able to honor her memory in some way. More importantly, that song really encompassed all that I wanted Jordan to know about how I was feeling and the degree of my commitment to our union. It was perfect!!

I agree with Eddie, the King Plow Arts Center is a divine location! She said “I just loved the idea of the old brick and concrete of this industrial setting meshing with all things pretty and new that the wedding would bring to the space. It was gorgeous!”

We’ll be back with more from the reception in just a bit!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.  We met at a supper club back in 2006 that was the known spot for “social singles.” Jordan was sent to our table to chat us up. Long story short, after a year and never returning his calls, I did run into Jordan again. I didn’t remember him initially but he remembered me and vowed that day that he wouldn’t be shaken off so easily again! Needless to say, he had severely changed his tone and the rest is history.
Tell me all the basics of your wedding! We chose Memorial Day weekend because it was important to us both that our guest would be able to travel from far away and have an extra day to still enjoy the festivities of our wedding. With the holiday Monday built into that, it really made a beautiful weekend. We chose to have our wedding at a venue called The King Plow Arts Center. The wedding started at 5:30pm.
What was the weather like on your big day? It had to be about 85-90 degrees. HOT!!
How many guests attended your wedding? 125 guests
What was the design inspiration for your wedding?  Why was this design special to you as a couple? Our design inspiration was something that we were both very familiar and comfortable with. We both grew up in small towns with humble beginnings so that sense of easiness and things that feel familiar had to be incorporated into the space — old school candies, a high school-style DJ, simple but elegant décor. We wanted to convey to our guests that yes, this is our special day and things look so pretty, but we are going to have a stinking good time still! Neither of us like spaces where you feel like things are so posh that everyone tends to be uptight all night! NO BUENO! I like to think of it as a posh-yet-weathered setting with touches of nostalgia that created a sense comfort and intimacy.
Bride’s favorite detail of the wedding: I also thought that my planner was Jesus for about 10 minutes while I stuffed my face with the food she and her staff packed for me and Jordan to eat back at our room that night. That detail alone was a lifesaver because neither of us got a chance to eat at the wedding. Thank you for taking care of us, Michelle!
What did the groomsmen wear? They wore charcoal grey tuxedos with no tie to convey the relaxed feel of our event, with off-white shirts and off-white leather shoes. It worked in perfectly with our wedding, however I wouldn’t suggest that anyone wear that without at least three other guys that are dressed the same!!
Who participated in your ceremony? Six of my best girlfriends were my bridesmaids, and my two older sisters were my honorary bridesmaids. Jordan’s niece was our beautiful flower girl, and his groomsmen were made up of two of his brothers, one cousin and two of his best friends. My oldest son, Jackson and our son Myles were our ring bearers.
Who was one of the most special guests at your wedding? Jordan’s grandmother. I had not met her before that day and since both of my grandmothers are not with us any longer, I was so pleased and honored that she was able to make it!

Harwell Photography is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
10 Comments
  1. avatar Kate Collison reply

    “uptight all night” = NO BUENO. Love it! :) I, too, absolutely adore the bride’s statement about how gorgeous the industrial event space would look with added things “pretty and new”! What a delightful — unpretentious and fun! — way to look at a wedding space. Thoroughly enjoyed this post; thank you, SW! And congratulations, Miss Eddie (Or should I say Mrs??!!), on your union! As a bride-to-be, thanks for some advice and food for thought!

  2. avatar Marissa reply

    Oh, Kate! I am so thrilled to hear you loved this wedding and Eddie’s outlook on planning! We wish you all the best on your wedding! xx

  3. avatar Emily reply

    That bouquet! Love love love! And her beautiful veil reminds me of mine!

  4. avatar Sarah @ Foglio Press reply

    So excited to see this beautiful wedding featured! Eddie was truly a dream bride and the team pulled everything together so flawlessly to achieve her vision. Congrats, Eddie and Jordan!

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