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Happy Friday y’all!  Who’s ready for a little mystery contest? 

Lara has jetted off to a secret corner of the globe before the craziness of our November issue kicks into high gear.  So secret, in fact, that only a handful (literally – about 5!) know where she’s gone.  She booked her ticked not even 12 hours ago and we can’t wait to hear about her adventures when she returns!  Just because we love contests, we’ve decided to let you all take a stab at the location of her travels. She won’t have much internet access, but you can follow her on Twitter today for a few clues.  Leave a comment with your best guess (guess the actual resort and you win!) before she returns home on Monday at 6pm and a $25 iTunes gift card will be yours!

And because we’re all about the mystery today, we’ve decided to share a few veiled (har har) details about our hush-hush cover shoot.

1. The photographer knows some of the most beautiful women in the world.

2. The photographer is, indeed, almost a pseudo-celebrity.

3. Truthfully, the photographer is one of the best we know.

Have you figured it out?  Stay tuned for more details in the next few weeks!  Have a great Labor Day weekend y’all!

-Emily and Katharine

Written with love by Katharine
19 Comments
  1. avatar Sue Paciocco reply

    Intercontinental Beachcomber MooreaI was there and these pictures make me want to go back!!

  2. avatar NAT reply

    Rockhouse-Negril, Jamaica?

  3. avatar Marianne reply

    Turks and Caicos?

  4. avatar Sam Tavarez reply

    It’s Rockhouse Negril Jamaica. :)

  5. avatar Candice K reply

    Oh yeah…. definitely Rockhouse in Negril. I hear it’s amazing. Have fun!!

  6. avatar juel reply

    Montego Bay?

  7. avatar Poppy reply

    Oxnard, CA?

  8. avatar Genna reply

    I’m going with Fiji!!!!

  9. avatar Catie Ronquillo reply

    Montego Bay, Jamaica?

  10. avatar Southern Weddings reply

    Some of you are very close, but one of these images was put in to throw you off : )

  11. avatar NAT reply

    my final guess is…..Tensing Pen-Negril

  12. avatar Sam Tavarez reply

    Actually… I think it’s Sunset at the Palms in Negril.

  13. avatar Nicki reply

    Yeah…one of the pics is of Rockhouse in Negril, Jamaica, we had our honeymoon there!

  14. avatar jessie reply

    Maui!

  15. avatar LARA reply

    Sam, you win! Sunset at the Palms in Negril. Loved it! How did you know? Everyone who guessed Rockhouse… you were right based on the pics! You win something too. We’ll email you details. And I’ll be posting about my trip shortly. It was an AMAZING four days! xo Lara

  16. avatar Sam Tavarez reply

    Actually, my first look at the pictures also made me think it was Rockhouse. (My Brother-in-law and his wife just honeymooned out that way this past year.) Then, I notived the Balinese style cottage, and actually googled just that: Balinese style cottages +Negril. (I know, I’m a little lame for thinking that way.) :) A few different places came up, but I ran across some resort photos from Sunset at the Palms and knew it was a match.What a strange way to win a "Name that Resort" contest huh? Anyway, I hope it was exactly what the doctor ordered, and that you feel completely recharged and revived! SO wish I could do the same right about now!

  17. avatar Sissel reply

    Thailand.

  18. avatar nixiemarie reply

    looks like costa rica to me.

  19. avatar Reyna reply

    How about Cancun?

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We like to end the week with truly spectacular weddings and Amy + Mark’s romantic Tennessee wedding from Chris and Adrienne Scott is no exception!  Like the beautiful couple (they look like they belong on the cover of a magazine, don’t they?), our very favorite thing about this wedding is the dramatic cliff where the pair exchanged their vows.   For all you Tennessee brides looking for a truly original and really memorable site for your I-Do’s, Fall Creek Falls State Park is nothing short of breathtaking.  (As an added bonus, the natural beauty of the cliff means you don’t even need to worry about decorating!)  Amy’s chic, drop-waist custom gown from the experts at A Special Touch not only let this petite bride (she’s only 5’1”!) design her dream gown from start to finish but also added a lovely personal touch to her big day.  While I usually love seeing the bridesmaids’ dresses and how they fit in with the overall color and design scheme, I’m really liking that this couple did away with bridesmaids and groomsmen completely.  Without a host of attendants, the focus was exactly where it should be: right on Amy + Mark!  Bet you can’t wait to see what the twosome did for their reception, huh?  Check back soon for another image board, courtesy of the lovely Emily Ayer.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Mark and I met at a football game in Virginia when we were 14. He was a Star Wars nerd and I was a big-mouthed bubbly teen, so our personalities didn’t exactly mesh very well. We were acquaintances throughout high school. In our second year of college, our paths started crossing more often. By this time, his confidence had grown and I had become somewhat more reserved so we were a much better fit. We spent quite a bit of time together within our circle of friends but, since I wasabout to move700 miles away, dating wasn’t really an option. After I had moved to Tennessee, Mark called to tell me he had bought a plane ticket and was coming to visit. From that first visit, it just snowballed!

Describe the proposal: We were visiting his family for Thanksgiving and it was a pretty typical holiday morning. Before dinner, Mark decided to ask everyone to gather in acircle and hold hands while each of us said what we were thankful for. Everyone grumbled and moaned since we were just ready to get to that turkey! Reluctantly, I started the circle of thanks, with Mark to my right and the circle continuing to the left. Midway through the circle, Mark got very emotional but I thought it was just due to some recent family stress.  When the circle ended with him, he began a speech about how thankful he was for ME. Then, down on his knee, he said, “The only thing that would make me more thankful is if you’d marry me.” I cried uncontrollably for the next hour and a half! The proposal was a total surprise and his family was there to share in the excitement!

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Simplicity, but with flair.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our ceremony location!  We got married on a cliff!

What was the most memorable moement of your wedding day?  Standing up on the cliff, listening to Mark’s vows.  It was so clear and calm up there.  Mark was so sincere with his vows.  It felt like no one else existed right then.

Scariest moment? Walking down the trails in heels while my brother held my dress up out of the mud!

Written with love by Southern Weddings
8 Comments
  1. avatar Ashley reply

    i’m completely and utterly in love! and considering i live a few hours from there, i’m having wedding envy! :-)

  2. avatar True Blind Faith reply

    Married on a cliff-breathtaking! And I love that she still wore heels

  3. avatar Kim with Fabuluxe™ reply

    I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful setting for such an intimate ceremony. The photography is remarkable. Absolutely breathtaking!

  4. avatar Sharon Alexander reply

    Cliff shot amazing!!! Beautiful, despite the rain…

  5. avatar Katie-Beth reply

    Your ceremony location is breath-taking…and your proposal story just made me cry too!!!! So sweet…. Best wishes you both!!!!!

  6. avatar jessica @ budgetsavvybride reply

    Mark & Amy Lynn are the hottest couple EVA! Amy Lynn is a friend of mine and is also a totally fab makeup artist who did my makeup on my wedding day! So exciting to see their beautiful wedding featured here! :) They truly belong on the cover of a mag! *wink wink* haha

  7. avatar Adrian Hitt reply

    What a gorgeous wedding! Chris and Adrienne did a fantastic job!

  8. avatar Tina reply

    What a beautiful wedding! Please tell me, where are those shoes from?!

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Emily knows me (and my love for all things formal and traditional) so well!  As soon as Lauren + Jeff’s lovely Florida wedding came through Emily’s inbox, our uber-talented Art Director knew the elegant details and classic overtones of this black-tie affair would make me melt.  Special thanks to Agnes Lopez for capturing and Heather Canada from First Coast Weddings for planning Lauren + Jeff’s glamorous soiree at the ultra-Southern TPC Sawgrass.  While the groomsmen look strikingly handsome in their tailored tuxes, the bridesmaids’ floor-length gowns from Priscilla of Boston are wonderfully romantic and the perfect complement to Lauren’s classic Rivini alencon lace gown.  The gardenlike bouquets and blooming centerpieces of peonies, hydrangeas and tiny roses from Liz Stewart Floral Design are enough to make me swoon!  (How lovely are the blue hydrangea accents on the couple’s simple, four-tiered cake, courtesy of Jacksonville Beach’s own Classic Cakes?)  Since I adore all things gold, I just have to point out the elegant place settings of delicate gold-rimmed crystal plates and luxe napkins.  I guess we know what type of bride I’ll be when the big day comes!   Want to tell me about your unique bridal style?  Check out our September mega-giveaway!

How did the two of you meet? Jeff and I both grew up in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. We went to middle school and high school together but didn’t meet until our 10th grade chemistry class. Jeff and I remained friends at school but our relationship didn’t spark until senior year. Jeff asked me on our first date and then went to our senior prom together. After senior year, we went separate ways for college (Jeff to the University of Florida and myself to the University of Georgia), but we managed to date long distance all four years. After graduation, we both decided to take jobs in Charlotte, NC so we were no longer apart from one another.

Describe the proposal. For our fifth anniversary in March of 2008, Jeff took me to Chicago for a long weekend. With so many friends getting married and Jeff working all the time, I didn’t expect to get engaged that weekend, even though I wanted it to happen!. Little did I know, he had been planning the whole thing for a month, picking out the ring and asking for my father’s permission. On our first day in Chicago, Jeff and I went to Millennium Park where we went to a quiet area in the park. After a few minutes of conversation, Jeff was on his knee asking me to marry him. I couldn’t have asked for a better day.

Three adjectives that describe the day are: Fun, loving and breath-taking. 

What was your favorite design element of your big day? The photobooth! My dad decided over a year ago that he wanted to have a photobooth at the reception. I had never seen this done before but it was a huge success. We now have some of the best photos and memories in our scrapbook!

Did you have a theme for your wedding? Simple, classic and reminiscent of a romantic English garden. I wanted our reception venue to look just a little different than other weddings and I thought a romantic English garden was perfect. Our florist tucked away little birds nests in the cocktail and reception area to really add a special touch.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was:Our favorite detail had to be the ceremony room and then the ceremony itself. Although the entire venue was decorated beautifully, the ceremony room was better than I could ever have expected. It was intimate with perfect lighting. I loved being able to see so many of our close friends and family in one place to share in such a special moment. My best friend’s husband, Chris, officiated the ceremony and did an incredible job. It was so personal and touching to everyone around.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Since Jeff and I were engaged for over a year, my mom and I went to several wedding shops to look around. As a low-key girl, my first vision was a flowy, Grecian style dress with little to no detail, but when I realized that a wedding only happens once, I ended up going in the total opposite direction. For the big day, I decided on the most beautiful Rivini alencon lace gown. I fell in love with it immediately and, even after ten more dresses, I knew it was the one! To make it more unique, Mom found a broach for the front to add a little sparkle.

Describe your wedding flowers: My favorite colors are blue and green so I knew I had to incorporate them in the wedding décor. When I decided on a peridot green for the girls’ dresses, the florist produced a sample bouquet for them with white roses, peonies, antique blue-green hydrangeas and some dusty miller. Not being a floral expert, I didn’t really know what to suggest but Tiffany from Liz Stewart Floral really created just what I was looking for! For my bouquet, I had always wanted an all white and round bouquet. I had a bouquet full of white peonies, hydrangea and garden roses. It was perfect. To top it off, I had my grandmother’s rosary tied around the stems for my “something old/borrowed” and to remember her on our special day. For the ceremony and reception, we had centerpieces of varying heights (tall wrought iron stands, mosaic glass and low potted arrangements) that had a mixture of blue, green, white and soft peach flowers.

Describe your wedding cake:Our wedding cake was a round, four-tiered cake with a simple three-dot design, pearl detailing and cascading antique blue-green hydrangea. It was a chocolate and vanilla cake with a chocolate butter cream icing in between the two layers. It was such a delicious cake that a friend ask if they had a mail service for birthdays!

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My most memorable moment was walking into the ceremony room and seeing Jeff for the first time. We hadn’t see each other for the whole day and even though I was very calm, I felt so relaxed once I saw him and was standing next to him. Jeff says that his most memorable moment was seeing me walk down the aisle. I think we were just really excited to see each other!

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future?We will be living and working in Charlotte, NC. We have been here for two years and are hoping to just be able to relax and spend some time with family and friends. Aside from taking trips together, we don’t have anything planned. We’ll see where life takes us!

 

Congratulations to the newlyweds!  We hope you enjoy spending time together as husband and wife!

Written with love by Southern Weddings
11 Comments
  1. avatar katharine @ southern weddings reply

    Though I’m admittedly biased since I work for SW Mag, I have to say this is one of my all-time favorites! What do you guys think?!

  2. avatar Tamara reply

    I agree…what a gorgeous wedding! Her dress was stunning! I am also interested in where she found the candle sticks used for her unity candle!

  3. avatar Stephanie@Geezees reply

    i love the moss letters, and the candlelight photo…what a beautiful wedding!

  4. avatar Angie reply

    What a gorgeous wedding. Lauren’s dress is so pretty. I love the cookie favours, yum!

  5. avatar Marie reply

    So beautiful! I love her bridesmaides’ dresses. Can you tell me who they are by?

  6. avatar Amy reply

    Those bridesmaid dresses are great! What style/ color Priscilla of Boston dresses are they?

  7. avatar Mo reply

    Lauren, your wedding was so beautiful!! It looks great in print!

  8. avatar Loren reply

    Lauren, the feature is awesome! You look stunning in all the shots!! I still can’t get over how beautiful the wedding was and how classic… so you!

  9. avatar Lauren reply

    Thank you to everyone for the sweet comments. The wedding was so much fun and I wish we could do it over again! The candle sticks were rented from our florist (Tiffany at Liz Stewart Floral Design) and the bridesmaids dresses are the Priscilla of Boston, Vineyard Collection #1302 (peridot).

  10. avatar White Wedding Flowers reply

    Florida beach weddings are romantic and fun. Destin Florida weddings are most romantic. Panama City Beach weddings in Florida are romantic beach weddings… Thanks 4 sharing! Kind RegardsMayWeddingFlowers.com

  11. avatar Evelyn and Ira reply

    Lauren and Jeff, the pictures are just spectacular! Both of you take wonderful pictures, and your good looks (yes, Jeff, you too) come through! It’s so nice to relive what was an absolutely GORGEOUS wedding.

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