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Welcome to the next installment of our Southern Hospitality feature! Each month, we pick a Southern city and an expert host. Our host shares their favorite items custom to that city that would be perfect packed into a welcome bag for family and friends at a weekend wedding. There’s nothing like Southern hospitality, especially at a destination wedding!

I couldn’t have picked a better city for my last Southern Hospitality post than Savannah, Georgia (don’t fret, the other gals will keep the SH posts coming!). This beautiful city attracts millions of visitors each year due to its Southern history and timeless charm. I’ve actually visited several times, since my aunt used to live there, but I was too young to remember the trips clearly. A post-graduation trip is in order, don’t you think?

When we decided to put together a Savannah tote, we knew exactly who to call for our expert… our friend, Melissa of Scott Hopkins Photography! I know you’ll enjoy her picks! Having a wedding in Savannah? Let us know in the comments below!

A. Savannah Bee Company Honey. Savannah Bee Company is a small company based in Savannah who produce the finest, most natural honey products available. ($9.00 for gift pouch with honey and lip balm)

B. Low Country Luxe Candles. Their Signature Scents Soy Candle Collection features scents like Spanish Moss, Savannah and Living in High Cotton. ($35.00 for an 8oz candle)

C. Bath Fizzies. Homemade and handcrafted natural bath products in downtown Savannah! ($3.00 per fizzie)

D. Green Cardigan. This green cardigan with pearl buttons would be a wonderful gift for the members of your bridal party, especially if the wedding takes place around St. Patrick’s Day, as Savannah has one of the largest parades in the United States! (Cardigan can be purchased at BleuBelle Boutique)

E. Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible. A staple for any Southern kitchen. ($29.99 for a signed copy at the Paula Deen Store)

F. Pecan Pralines. Delicious pralines from Savannah Candy Kitchen. (around $17.95 a lb)

G. Gift Certificate to Leopold’s Ice Cream. The best ice cream in Savannah – a perfect snack for a hot summer day! (Price varies)

H. Key lime Coolers. Byrd Cookie Company has been a Savannah tradition since 1924, providing tasty Southern-style treats for every occasion. ($9.95 per tin)

I. Savannah Note Cards. This card set features some original pen and ink drawings of the fountains at Forsyth Park, Lafayette Square, Columbia square and Bonvaventure Cemetery. ($12.00 set of 8 cards and envelopes)

J. Girl Scout Cookies. Savannah is the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girls Scouts of the USA. Each year, about 65,000 visitors travel to the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah. (Price varies)

K. Visit Savannah Visitor Guide. This guide provides great information on attractions, restaurants and activities for visitors. (Free, and available to view online)

L. Trolley Tour of Savannah. Taking a trolley tour of Savannah is a wonderful way to be able to see the sights and learn about this historic city. You should also take a night-time ghost tour to hear some of the stories behind America’s Most Haunted City. ($51.00 for deluxe package which includes regular tour, haunted tour and Davenport Museum Ticket)

M. A copy of “The Book”. Based in Savannah, the successful NY Times Bestselling book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil has brought hundreds of thousands of tourists to the area to in order to visit the sights made famous by this book. ($15.00 soft back)

We paired our expert’s picks with this classic design from Emily of emma j design. Want a tote of your own? Simply download the PDF here and take it to your local screenprinter. Thanks, Emily!

From the Savannah area and have additional suggestions to add to our tote? What did you love about Savannah if you’ve visited before? Have a city in mind for future posts? Comment below and let us know!

Check out past totes:
Nashville
Atlanta
Austin
Richmond
Emerald Coast
Charleston
Chapel Hill
Asheville

Scott Hopkins Photography is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Sierra
7 Comments
  1. avatar Regina reply

    My husband and I spent our first year of marriage in Savannah, GA and just moved back “home” to NC. A Savannah tote would be remiss without any Savannah College of Art and Design related items. SCAD has done so much to preserve the city’s historic charm by restoring homes for use by the school and reviving many parts of downtown Savannah. There are over 70 historic buildings utilized by SCAD in Savannah — buildings that may otherwise be sitting vacant and decaying. Not to mention that SCAD brings a world-renowned Fashion Week, Movie festivals and arts appreciation to the community unlike anywhere else in the south. I would love to see a little item from shopSCAD designers (ie: this little gem (I happen to own) from SCAD grad designer Kathryn Riechert http://www.shopscad.com/cart/product.php?productid=16518&cat=376&page=1)

    • avatar Melissa reply

      Regina: Hi Regina- The pen scotched notecards listed above are also from the shopSCAD collection :) http://www.shopscad.com/cart/product.php?productid=956

  2. avatar Melissa reply

    Hi Regina: the pen sketched notecards listed above are from the shopSCAD collection :)

  3. avatar Layla Mayville {Simply Savannah Events} reply

    Nice selection!!!!

  4. avatar Amy reply

    Leesburg, VA tote!!

  5. avatar rachel reply

    what about Charlotte, NC totes? I have had such a hard time finding a great design…..any suggestions?

  6. avatar Kelly reply

    We are having a destination wedding in Savannah in April and are planning on doing something just like this for our guests. We would like to do a similar tote but personalize it with our names and wedding date for our guests. Do you have a suggestion of who we can reach out to for that?

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Welcome to the next installment of our Southern Hospitality feature! Each month, we pick a Southern city and an expert host. Our host shares their favorite items custom to that city that would be perfect packed into a welcome bag for family and friends at a weekend wedding. There’s nothing like Southern hospitality, especially at a destination wedding!

This month, we chose to feature Asheville, the largest city in Western North Carolina and truly a unique city. I’ve been lucky enough to visit multiple times, experiencing everything from walking around downtown to visiting the Biltmore to cheering at an The Avett Brothers concert on New Year’s. But the last time I visited Asheville was in February, when I was staying nearby to review a Honey List destination. You can read more here!

Once we decided to feature Asheville, we knew we had to ask our friends, Melissa and Becca of Asheville Event Company, to be our experts. I know you’ll enjoy their picks! Having a wedding in Asheville? Let us know in the comments below!

A. Tupelo Honey Cookbook. Tupelo Honey is one of the most popular restaurants in town and this cookbook features all their favorite recipes for good ole’ southern cuisine. ($34.94)

B. Gift certificate to 12 Bones. They arguably have the best BBQ in town and maybe in the Southeast. President Obama has stopped by twice to sample their tasty treats. The blueberry chipotle sauce is a must try! (price varies)

C. Locally grown honey from Sweet Betty Bee’s farm. Need I say any more? ($72.00 per case of 24 1.5 oz. jars)

D. Go Local gear. Asheville supports a strong climate of buying local and staying local. Go local, love Asheville t-shirts are the perfect way to embrace Asheville’s culture. (price varies)

E. Biltmore Estate tickets and a bottle of their wonderful wine! Explore George Vanderbilt’s extraordinary home, beautiful gardens, and Antler Hill Village & Winery while you are in Asheville! (price varies)

F. Gaelic Ale Mustard from Crooked Condiments. A smooth, thick mustard with a touch of heat and a touch of sweet featuring Asheville’s very own Highland Gaelic Ale. ($3.95 for 4 oz.)

G. Beer! Asheville has earned the title of “Beer City USA” for three years in a row. With fourteen breweries located in the region, beer is the perfect gift to include in your guest tote. The first brewery in Asheville was Highland Brewery. Try their Gaelic Ale or one of their many seasonal beers. Or, if you love beer so much that you want to experience all that Asheville has to offer, try the Asheville Brews Cruise. (price varies)

H. Apple. Western North Carolina is home to a large crop of apple growers. Enjoy one of our delicious varieties of apples in your welcome bag. (price varies)

I. French Broad Chocolates. Who doesn’t love chocolate? French Broad Chocolates quickly became one of the hottest downtown spots pairing a love for chocolate and their lounge. They are world famous for the truffles! (price varies)

J. Asheville area notecards by local artist, Jeff Pittman. Write individual notes to each of your guests or give each of them a set to include in their welcome gift. ($25.00 for pack of 10)

We paired our experts’ picks with this cool design from Mink Letterpress. Want a tote of your own? Simply download the PDF here and take it to your local screenprinter. Thanks, Nicole!

From the Asheville area and have additional suggestions to add to our tote? What did you love about Asheville if you’ve visited before? Have a city in mind for future posts? Comment below and let us know!

Check out past totes:
Nashville
Atlanta
Austin
Richmond
Emerald Coast
Charleston
Chapel Hill

Written with love by Sierra
17 Comments
  1. avatar Paige reply

    I was born and raised in Asheville, NC and I am getting married at Lioncrest at the Biltmore this September! Asheville is such a fun and unique city – the list you put together is a great representation of some of the wonderful things the city has to offer!! If you are visiting the area, you should also visit the Grove Park Inn & Spa and treat yourself!

  2. avatar Melissa Tuck reply

    LOVE the tote design! Asheville is one of my favorite cities. Bravo!

  3. avatar Southern Weddings Magazine: Southern Hospitality Feature « Mink Letterpress reply

    […] The folks at Southern Weddings Magazine asked Asheville Event Company to be their Asheville experts and Mink Letterpress to design a tote bag for their Southern Hospitality feature. For this feature, they ask their expert to pick items that represent the town to pack into a tote bag to give to wedding guests. Coincidently, Asheville Event Co chose Sweet Betty Bee’s Honey to include in the tote – and my brother Erik Minkin did the awesome logo design for it! Check out the full post here. […]

  4. avatar Meredith Perdue reply

    Wonderful selection of goodies – this post makes me incredibly excited for my first Asheville wedding this fall!

  5. avatar lauren reply

    Love Asheville such a great place to go for a romantic weekend trip.

    PLEASE do a Jekyll Island,GA OR even a Golden Isles, GA (St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island) tote. If y’all could do this it would be DIVINE!

  6. avatar Sarah reply

    YAY Asheville :) We are getting married there in September, and all our guests will be coming from out of town so this list is GREAT and very helpful for ‘welcome totes’ for us to leave for our guests. This definitely makes me VERY excited for September!

  7. avatar Melissa Porter reply

    Thanks so much for including us in this awesome Asheville post! There’s much more ideas where those came from! We LOVE Asheville!

  8. avatar mia reply

    i LOVE these southern hospitality features and totes! they’re fabulous! we’re getting married next june in cashiers/highlands, NC…would y’all think about doing either a cashier or highlands themed bag? that would be incredible! thanks for the inspiration! <3

  9. avatar gail reply

    Hi Sierra –

    Found your posts through pinterest – our daughter is getting married next spring at rosemary beach, fl and would love to see if you know of a source for all the great cotton totes that you have designed for your brides ???

    Thanks,
    Gail

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Gail! I’d try the Dollar Tree store, of if you’re looking for an online source, cheaptotes.com has the best prices we’ve ever seen! Can’t vouch for the quality, as I’ve never seen them in person, but that might be a place to start!

  10. avatar Alex reply

    Sierra- I love checking out what’s included in each tote! Have you done Birmingham, AL or would you consider featuring?

  11. avatar jenn reply

    I just wanted to thank you for featuring this Asheville tote bag! I was married in Asheville this past January and we used the free download to make totes for our guests! http://jennnash.typepad.com/blog/2014/03/our-wedding-pros.html Your blog was a wealth of inspiration during my wedding planning and even though my wedding is over, I still can’t get enough wedding loveliness :)

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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Welcome to the next installment of our Southern Hospitality feature! Each month, we pick a Southern city and an expert host. Our host shares their favorite items custom to that city that would be perfect packed into a welcome bag for family and friends at a weekend wedding. There’s nothing like Southern hospitality, especially at a destination wedding!

Y’all don’t even KNOW how I have been waiting for the opportunity to put together a Chapel Hill tote as part of this series! Chapel Hill is where I’ve lived the past four years, it’s where The University of North Carolina is located (half of the office’s alma mater), and it’s where our fine office is based (as those of you who went to the yard sale last week know!). And while I could go on and on about things to do or items to include, March in Chapel Hill is really all about two things… gorgeous weather and UNC basketball.

When we decided we were going to focus on Chapel Hill this month, we knew we had to ask our friend and talented photographer, Meredith Perdue, a UNC alumna, who is now based in Maine but often returns for weddings (got all that?), to serve as our guest expert. We hope that you’ll enjoy her picks, and maybe add a few of your own in the comments!

A. Pecan Pralines from A Southern Season. A Southern Season is Chapel Hill’s go-to gourmet & specialty food store, and these pecan pralines are some of their most popular treats in the store! ($16.95 for 10 oz.)

B. The Social Department T-Shirt. T-shirts are a staple in any college town, but this screen-printed take is a great alternative to the usual collegiate lettering. ($25.00)

C. Elaine O’Neil Note Cards. Elaine O’Neil, a local textile collage artist, creates some of the most whimsical Chapel Hill scenes. Her note cards would serve as an inspiring reminder of Chapel Hill’s charm. ($12.00 per pack)

D. Chapel Hill Toffee. These scrumptious, locally-made sweets are sure to satisfy any guest’s sweet tooth during their stay! ($6.99 for 5 oz. box)

E. Crook’s Corner Grits. Crook’s Corner is one of Chapel Hill’s best known restaurants. It has been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, Bon Appetit, and Travel + Leisure. Their shrimp & grits is a definite favorite among Crook’s patrons! (5 for 2 lb)

F. Mama Dip’s Family Cookbook. Another Chapel Hill favorite, Mama Dip’s serves some of the area’s best traditional country cuisine. If your guests don’t have time to swing by Mama Dip’s while they’re in town, they’d be able to recreate some of the deliciousness with the help of this cookbook! ($12.58)

G. JHill Design Print. I was beyond thrilled when JHill Design released their Chapel Hill print – it perfectly embodies the darling Southern college town I know and love. ($22 for a small print)

H. Carolina Brewery Pint Glasses. Who wouldn’t want a pint glass to commemorate the great beers that are made right on Franklin Street at Carolina Brewery? ($15.00 for 4-pack)

I. Cheerwine. A strictly-North Carolina favorite for years, this cherry soft drink has slowly been spreading its reach to other states in the region, but the glass bottle cane sugar variety is a rarity that can’t be passed up. ($12.00 for original 24-pack)

J. Cackalacky Spice Sauce. Recently featured in the Bon Appetit, ‘Savor of the South’ issue as an editorial favorite, Cackalacky’s zesty sauces can be used as dressings, dips, and marinades, a perfect accompaniment for a variety of food. ($12.98 for 5 oz. 3-pack)

K. Carolina Popcorn Shoppe. Popcorn might just be the perfect welcome bag snack, and this locally-made popcorn from Carolina Popcorn Shoppe comes in a wide variety of flavors! ($15.00-$30.00 for a tin)

L. Tar Heel Cookie Cutter. Recreate that iconic Tarheel footprint with any of your tasty sweets. ($6.99)

M. Dogwood Bloom from BHLDN. Chapel Hill is known for its many lovely blooms, including the Dogwood. These porcelain blooms from BHLDN would be a perfect reminder of Chapel Hill’s natural beauty. ($10.00)

We paired Meredith’s expert picks with a fun tote design from another Chapel Hill fanatic, the fine folks at Old Try. Simply download the design here and take it to your local screenprinter. Thanks, Micah!

From the Chapel Hill area and have additional suggestions to add to our tote? What did you love about Chapel Hill if you’ve visited before? Have a city in mind for future posts? Comment below and let us know!

Check out past totes:
Nashville
Atlanta
Austin
Richmond
Emerald Coast
Charleston

Meredith Perdue is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Sierra
8 Comments
  1. avatar amanda reply

    Love the feature! Great job Meredith!!! Although my allegiance lies in Raleigh with a pretty shade of Red. :) I love the dogwood pin as a reference to NC! I’d be happy to receive that bag as a guest!

  2. avatar molly stillman reply

    AH! YES! I live and work here in Chapel Hill and LOOOVE it. As far as Chapel Hill staples… I think for t-shirts you shouldn’t forget Johnny T-Shirt on Franklin Street! And for fancy game-day clothes – Julian’s!

  3. avatar Lauren reply

    Oh, I just love Chapel Hill! I’m a Carolina alumna, too (’09), and this post made me so happy! One of my favorite things to see every year was the azaleas blooming around the Old Well, especially on the last day of classes when the Clef Hangers would sing there! And even though spring in Chapel Hill is legendary, I have to admit that I love fall, too. The porch at Top of the Hill during football season is still one of my very favorite places in the whole world.

  4. avatar MacKenzie reply

    I love Mere’s ideas for the Chapel Hill tote! The JHill print is a really awesome addition. Also, I love the pecans from Southern Seasons!

  5. avatar Cary Pennington reply

    Really fun post! Thanks for sharing!

  6. avatar Lauren reply

    I would also include cheese straws and a chocolate tarheel from A Southern Season- we definitely hit up Southern Season when we got married at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill a couple of years ago (and reading this list is making me homesick- we can’t get half of it where we live now!) We also included Cheerwine, of course, and had personalized moon pies as quirky, fun favors- we had a lot of northerners & out of towners at our wedding and we wanted to make sure they had a taste of the best of what the south had to offer.

  7. avatar Caroline reply

    A Go Heels, Go America pin!

  8. avatar kathryn tice reply

    I’d love to help come up with ideas for a Charlottesville, VA tote!!

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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