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Have any of y’all seen the show GCB? I’m obsessed! It’s my new guilty pleasure – over the top, a bit campy, and completely fabulous. And, it’s based in the South! Holla! Y’all know I love big Southern hair, and this show is full of it!

The ladies of GCB have yet to sample chicken and waffles on screen, but I’ll bet it’s only a matter of time, as this sweet and savory bite is a Southern staple! On that note, oh heavens, please someone keep me from licking this computer screen! Seriously, the mini cones?? I think Emily’s mini food obsession is rubbing off on me!

A little history: Chicken and waffles is a soul food dish that combines delicious waffles with (usually) fried chicken. The waffle is usually drizzled with butter and/or syrup, which only adds to the deliciousness factor (and, yes, the calorie count). The exact origin of this semi-crazy combination is unknown, but according to one story, it actually has deep roots, dating from the 1790’s, when Thomas Jefferson brought a waffle iron home from France. The combo of chicken and waffles started appearing in cookbooks shortly thereafter.

A Bryan Photo via Southern Weddings (food by Cru Catering), Diana M. Lott, Ingalls Photography via Martha Stewart Weddings, Jessica Lorren, last two by Vitalic Photo via Style Me Pretty

No matter where this tradition started, we Southerners have embraced it! According to my secret Northerner source (shh, it might be Miss Emily), this Southern delicacy is particularly baffling to our counterparts up North. I’m not sure what to tell her except that perhaps it’s in our genes!

On a final note, I am personally so excited to see this delicacy being served at Southern fetes. We all know I’m a bit of a tradition freak, so seeing couples serving this truly Southern combo to their guests has me tickled pink. Because chicken and waffles is such a flexible dish, it’s perfect for almost every wedding event, from cocktail hour to a midnight snack to a going away brunch the next morning. We also love the idea of printing your grandmother’s waffle recipe on a muslin bag and sending it home with your guests as a homespun favor!

Tell me: Do you love chicken and waffles? What’s your favorite Southern food? Will you be serving a Southern delicacy at your wedding?

Psst… hungry for more?
Our Southern fixin’s Pinterest board
Black-eyed peas
Benne wafers

Jessica Lorren and Cru Catering are fabulous members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
14 Comments
  1. avatar Brit {Colure Weddings} reply

    You’re right Emily!

    Sincerely, a completely baffled northerner. ;)

    • avatar Marissa reply

      Too funny! I’m sure there are some Northern foods that would completely us Southerners! It’s all fair in the end! ; )

  2. avatar Sarah K reply

    We had chicken and waffles at our wedding day-after send-off brunch. Most of my husband’s people had never tried it and now they are obsessed. SOOOOO yummy!

  3. avatar Vanessa {vanilla and rose} reply

    There’s very little on here that surprises me when it comes to Southern food! I’m from the North but my father was born and raised in Alabama so I’ve been exposed to Southern style and food most of my life but ladies you got me on this one! What?! This is definitely an interesting combination!

  4. avatar Jennifer reply

    Don’t know if you noticed the detail in the home kitchen when all thoses chicken wings were served last week, there was an in counter fryer. How did I not know this existed. Love GCB!

  5. avatar Natalia reply

    Chicken and waffles – YUM! It was a must-have on our “breakfast for dinner” rehearsal dinner.

    Oh my goodness – I looove GCB!! Completely hysterical.

  6. avatar Wedding Food – Comfort, Your Style « thehighlifesuite reply

    […] Yogurt Parfait from Pinterest, Pancake Bar from Green Wedding Shoes, Chicken and Waffles from Southern Weddings Magazine & Pinterest, Bacon Waffle w/ Fried Chicken, Gravy & a Fried Green Tomato from Pinterest, […]

  7. avatar Grass Fed reply

    Even when I was a kid, I love eating chicken and waffles. But I haven’t tried to have them simultaneously. This is a great southern delicacy that I am very excited to try.

  8. avatar LJ reply

    We served brunch for our wedding reception. The chicken and waffles were a hit!

  9. avatar Shawna reply

    Your photos are so beautiful.

  10. avatar Kimberly reply

    Mmmmh!

  11. avatar diamondscatering reply

    Fantabulous piece of work. Thank you for sharing this information about Creative Catering Ideas.

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Alrighty, y’all. It’s group swoon time. Alaina + Ryan’s wedding was a classic Southern fete filled with some of my favorite things: a gorgeous one-shoulder dress, a lush bouquet with lamb’s ear, an outdoor ceremony underneath the trees, chalkboard signs and good eats galore. What really takes the cake for me, though, is that when Alaina met Ryan in college, she bet her friend $20 that they would marry! Big thanks to Q Weddings for sharing this lovely one with us.

What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? The location. The gorgeous plantation house, Avenue of Oaks, and lagoon are stunning. It is what allowed for us to leave everything simple. We knew having the wedding near our town would be less expensive, but if it had been anywhere else, it wouldn’t have been the idea we both fell in love with. Ryan always wanted to get married at the beach and I wanted to get married under a tree. Charleston is the only place we could make that happen for us both.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Before we cut the cake, we gathered most people inside and toasted. The toasts were stellar. To see and hear everyone who we care about share stories from different parts of our lives and to wish us well on our new adventure was beautiful. It was really intimate and something that we will never forget.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Ryan and I met in college when he was a freshman and I was a junior. We quickly became friends when we discovered we were from the same hometown and had mutual connections. Before long, we were the best of friends and nearly inseparable. I can remember doing class projects together and spending weekends and school breaks together with our group of friends. What Ryan didn’t know is that the week that I met him, I bet my friend $20 that this was going to be the guy I would marry.
Describe the proposal. Ryan and I had been dating for about three years when we decided to take a trip to California. We were staying in a beautiful lakeside resort on top of a mountain in San Bernardino and we decided to go to Sequoia National Forrest. The nearly six-hour drive was hardly close enough for a day trip, but Ryan knew that I absolutely love trees and wanted to take me to see the most amazing trees in the world. He made the trip into a whole fun day’s adventure. When we got there, he found a picnic table and we had a quick lunch and then it was time to explore. It had been a perfect day already, but as soon as we entered the forest, I was awestruck. We were in a gorgeous meadow when Ryan decided to pull me off the path to explore a small clearing. I was still so excited and looking around that I hadn’t noticed what Ryan was doing. I remember standing between two giant Sequoia trees looking up and not being able to see their tops when I looked back and saw Ryan on one knee with the ring. I don’t even remember saying yes but I do remember the tears. To keep my mind off the fact that I missed my family and couldn’t share the moment with them, Ryan planned a special breakfast on the terrace for the next morning and when I walked up to our table, I realized that my parents and his mom were sitting there waiting for us! Being able to hug our parents and spend the weekend calling our families together was the perfect way to end the best trip of my life.
In what month did you get married? April
How many guests attended your wedding? 80
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? My grandmother’s wedding dress was one that her mother made and that my mother wore. It was beautiful and had such sentimental value to it, but it was not well enough preserved for me to wear. Instead, I found my dress and in the pocket, I carried a handkerchief that my mom hand-stitched from a small patch of lace from the dress.
Describe your wedding flowers: I liked the look of all white flowers and almost had all the girl’s bouquets pure white as well, just because it looks so classy. I was happy to find those little yellow billy balls which added a splash of color and a bit of fun to their bouquets. My bouquet was solid white with garden roses, white hydrangea, and dusty millers. The stem was wrapped in twine and ribbon with small opalescent buttons sewn on. Like everything else, I wanted it to feel effortless, a little rustic, but still classic.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: A friend of ours bakes cakes for weddings and honestly, that was the easiest decision we made. We knew we wanted a simple and rustic design which would be easy to achieve and still look elegant. She did a four-tier cake with layers of yellow cake with black raspberry jam and layers of spice cake. It was decorated with a brushed buttercream and a few small flowers on top. Simple. Delicious. And it was moist! Oh, and we didn’t spend a dime!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Currently, we are looking to move to Denver just for a change of scenery. We only have a few friends there and will be visiting in the middle of February to see if it’s a good fit for us. We both have jobs that are flexible and willing to lets us move, so why not?

Photographer: Suzi Q // Venue: Legare Waring House // Florist: Tiger Lily // Wedding Cake Baker: Amanda Taylor // Caterer: Cafe Catering // Bride’s Dress: Modern Trousseau // Bride’s Hair: Affair Hair by Tanesha // Bride’s Shoes: Nina // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Sarah Seven // Accessories: J. Crew

Love this wedding? Check these out:
Melissa + Eric’s green, gray and peach wedding here and here
Beverly + Curtis’ green and white outdoor wedding here and here

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
18 Comments
  1. avatar Southern Weddings is featuring a Charleston wedding | Q blog | Wedding Photographer Austin, TX reply

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  2. avatar Ruth @ My Love Wedding Ring reply

    Love the gray and yellow color palette – so calming but so beautiful!! A lovely set of wedding photographs!

  3. avatar amanda noel reply

    OK, I just can’t get over how much I love this post. I must have stared at it a dozen times yesterday and now I’m back for more. They just look SO HAPPY AND IN LOVE! the simplicity puts the focus on their love and that is totally inspiring and totally Southern. It’s about the people, right y’all?!

  4. avatar martha barden reply

    This was my niece’s wedding and it was magical!! The love they have for each other really shows in these photos and the setting was beautiful. Fun times were had by all.

  5. avatar wedding wednesday: flower power « throwing cake reply

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  6. avatar Candice reply

    I am in love with her invitations and her color combo! Does anyone know where she ordered her invites from?

  7. avatar Legare-Waring House wedding in Charleston | Q blog | Wedding Photographer Austin, TX reply

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  9. avatar Kelly reply

    Southern Wedding ladies…help! My groom and I are trying to find fun socks like these two did for the groomsmen but we are having the hardest time! Our colors are navy and light pink, the ties are light pink navy poka dot…any suggestions of where we could find some?!

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Kelly! So fun! My best suggestions are searching at Macy’s, Nordstrom, and J.Crew – they usually have some fun, multi-color pattern options. Best of luck with your search!!

  10. avatar Summer Wildflowers – Something Pretty reply

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  12. avatar dianna strassburger reply

    Who made these bridesmaid dresses? Know a website I can look them up on? Love them!

    • avatar Nicole reply

      Hi Dianna! Alaina got the bridesmaid dresses through Sarah Seven. We love them!

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  16. avatar zack reply

    We’re looking for the dress shirt (5th picture down, under the close up of the Groom’s bow tie). Does anyone have any information on it (Brand, where to buy, etc.)? Any help is appreciated. Thank you, Zack

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Have you taken our 2012 survey yet? Thanks, y’all!

Quick update: There’s a bulletin board above my desk now!! Okay, back to regularly scheduled awesome wedding time. Darcy + John’s Florida nuptials were, like most of the wedding we fall for, full of family-crafted details. In fact, Darcy said that old family photos uncovered during their engagement provided the inspiration for many of the personal touches included in the wedding. I am in awe of the couple’s gorgeous vine and baby’s breath-covered chuppah — it was built by both D + J’s fathers using wood from Darcy’s family backyard! And y’all know good and well that I can’t let those sweet hankies and monogrammed ties pass without comment! Who else is pinning those today? I’ll leave you to take in these gorgeous photos from Divine Light Photography, but not without mentioning that Darcy + John’s shiny green getaway car is rad. Plus, how perfect for Fat Tuesday!

We don’t often see day-after shoots, so we love getting a glimpse into the first days of Darcy + John’s married life with help from Divine Light Photography. Isn’t it just lovely? I can’t help but fall for that last shot. I can just image the couple lounging in their wedding finery and reliving all those blissful moments from the day before.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. (From the groom) In September 2008, on one lovely fall weekend in New York City, a little reunion was planned for our group of friends who had all become close while attending college at Florida State. This was the first meeting between us, and it was quite bizarre to our group of mutual friends that we had never met one another in all our years at FSU. I decided to go for it and introduced myself to Darcy, only to find the night was ending soon and I’d have to wait until the next day at the FSU alumni bar to have another chance to get to know her. As we all watched and cheered on our Seminoles the next day, the group saw an instant and steady connection between me and Darcy. I returned to Dallas where I had just moved two months prior to start a new job. It was only about a week later that I found myself buying a flight back to New York to visit Darcy for an extended “first date weekend”. After many long months of back and forth and meeting in distant places from Santa Monica to Calgary, I decided to leave Texas behind and was headed for the big city. The rest, as they say, is history!
Describe the proposal. It was a regular Friday night the week before Christmas in New York City. John asked me to meet him in front of the Plaza Hotel an hour or so before the dinner reservations. Once we met at said fountain, he asked me what I wanted to do to “kill some time” until the 11pm seating at the restaurant. We headed to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and it was there that he proposed and I happily accepted! He had in his possession a family heirloom – the engagement ring that belonged to my late grandmother, Helen. He secretly collected the ring from my father in anticipation of popping the question. All seemed quite spontaneous; he got me good!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Personal, comfortable, and charming.
In what month did you get married? December
How many guests attended your wedding? 160 guests
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We wanted to spread around the Southern hospitality we loved about our childhoods. That meant lining the ceremony aisle with grandma’s mason jars filled of baby’s breath; a dinner station devoted to fried pickles, corn pudding, and BBQ sliders; and a scotch n’ bourbon specialty bar built of family antiques. Then, there was the collection of “Della’s Doilies.” John’s late grandmother, Della, was a meticulous crafter of the most beautiful crochets one has ever seen. When I saw them, I knew it was perfect for our table décor, and was the way we’d pay tribute to John’s “GranDella.”
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: The weekend of our engagement party in Ft. Worth, the guys of the two families played golf and ate BBQ, while the ladies went dress shopping. I did some solo snooping in the salon and saw a dress I wanted to see off the hanger. Lo and behold, she was the one. Romona Keveza is known to create elegant, romantic, and glamorous dresses; I found one that had an old-timey Hollywood feel but was also modern and edgy at the same time. It was different than any dress I had seen before, which made it the right gown for me.
Describe your wedding flowers: I carried my favorites, white peonies. For the bridesmaids, we did fun, wild, red anemones. We kept it feminine for the mothers with a simple hand-tied bunch of baby’s breath all wrapped in white lace. My bouquet of peonies was the perfect place to tie a locket that belonged to my mother that I have held onto since she passed away. Inside the locket were two school portraits she’d cut out of me and my brother. It was really special to know she was right there with us. We hung a garland of baby’s breath around the frame of the chuppah and on the tables at the reception were bold bunches of all red gerberas with black centers, either tucked inside a birdcage or low arrangements placed on the tree stumps, which John’s uncle cut down for us on his Mississippi farm. Placed around each center arrangement were a trio of milk glass vases, each containing a single wild flower bunch – baby’s breath, Queen Anne’s lace, and hypericum berry.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: Red velvet! Some tiers were yellow and chocolate marble. The s’mores bar was a big hit over at the wood-burning fire pit. Lastly, a cool Florida night makes for a great time to enjoy a Serendipity frozen hot chocolate.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Making sure we had a great time planning the event, but not getting overwhelmed with the process. It’s a great time in your life and is like no other in time you’ll spend together, so make sure you take a step back and realize what a special day it’s going to be for you and your soon-to-be spouse.
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Our band! Tom Sartori was a band we both enjoyed in college in Tallahassee at Bullwinkle’s Saloon. He doesn’t “do weddings” but we wrote to him with our special request and he delivered an exceptional show. We can’t thank him enough for making it a party we truly will always remember.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? John loves to play his guitar. He got up on stage to thank our friends and family for attending. Then, Tom handed him a guitar, and John soon started strumming John Mayer’s “Daughters.” This was the father-daughter dance. It was a really touching and sweet moment; I was just trying to take it all in and was feeling more blessed than ever.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? One of my favorite moments in the ceremony was when my dad handed me over to John, and said, “She’s all yours.” We all chuckled.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We love to travel and plan to expand on our list of places we’ve been together and the places we will live. The world is ours for the taking. Up next: we’re planning our extended honeymoon to somewhere exotic and relaxing.

Photographer: Divine Light Wedding Photography // Videographer: Bill Wagy Productions // Florist: Bee Ridge Florist // Wedding Cake Baker: Matt and Dom’s // Caterer: Fete Catering // Rentals: US Tent Rental // Linens: Tan linen toppers made by groom’s mother. // Paper Products: Askew Design // Bride’s Dress: Romona Keveza // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: Veil from Etsy // Bride’s Shoes: flats by Christian Louboutin, heels by Badgley Mischka // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: TART Infinity Dress

If you’re loving this wedding, check these out:
Our Green Wedding Details Pinterest board
Our Southern Ceremonies Pinterest board

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
17 Comments
  1. avatar The Friday Fresh Squeeze | Floridian Weddings reply

    […] adorable Oscar themed party ideas could be fun incorporated into a wedding as well. Seeing this beautiful wedding is a reminder to why outside Florida weddings are just amazing and beautiful! I love everything […]

  2. avatar Weekly Wedding Favorites | Going to the Chapel reply

    […] to fathers and their daughters (obviously!), but I love how Mayer mentions mothers too. This bride’s story about how her husband performed “Daughters” while she danced with her dad at her […]

  3. avatar Florida on site hair and makeup artist reply

    Fantastic looking wedding! Everyone looks like they were having so much fun!! Hair and makeup, and dresses were gorgeous too!

  4. avatar Lauren Hall reply

    Just wondering the venue of this wedding? Its so beautiful; I live in Florida, this looks like some where in Palm Beach.
    Thank you
    Lauren

  5. avatar Lauren Hall reply

    Wondering if this venue is in Palm Beach? I live in Fl, and its just so beautiful!

  6. avatar inspired 3.4.12 | beka stays reply

    […] at all of the green in this wedding! gorgeous photography, […]

  7. avatar Meagan reply

    Where did they get those great monogrammed ties?!

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Meagan! I just got in touch with Darcy, the bride, and here’s what she said: “We got creative and went on a hunt to find the ties first, then took them to get them monogrammed after the fact. So they weren’t all made and stitched by the same company. The ties were Neiman Marcus, and I got the embroidery done in Sarasota at V&J Embroidery (who usually offers a printable online coupon!). The font I used was MACHINE. She also monogrammed all of my bridesmaids’ vintage hankies.” Hope that helps!

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  10. avatar Heather reply

    Beautiful wedding! Anyone know where the bridesmaid dresses are from? They are stunning!

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  15. avatar Lisa reply

    Love those hankies! Where are they from???

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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