Southern Weddings

Every summer, we love doing a behind the scenes series to help y’all get to know us a little bit better. In honor of this year’s Summer Love theme, which is all about revisiting childhood adventures and sharing them with our beaus, we’re giving y’all a peek at what inspired the series to begin with–our own childhoods! Each week, you’ll hear from another SW gal about her best summer memories, favorite traditions, and early thoughts on weddings.

Where did you grow up? I was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and lived there until I was nine. Then, we moved to Charlotte, North Carolina.
What were your childhood hobbies/favorite activities? Roller skating. Everywhere. Every day. We had a steep driveway that all of our neighborhood friends would roll down, successfully proving their dare-devilishness. We also had a lot of woods behind our neighborhood, so all the neighborhood kids would get together, make trails, and set up “camp,” pretending that we had to survive out there in the wilderness.
What did you want to be when you grew up? So many things! I wanted to be a photographer for a long time. Then, I wanted to be a teacher, an interior decorator, a lawyer, a pediatrician, and a marine biologist.
What is one of your favorite memories from summer as a child? I loved helping my parents garden, checking in on the watermelon every day, watching the sunflowers turn to the sun, and picking caterpillars off the tomatoes. In the evenings, we’d sit outside and eat the strawberries right off the plant!
What food or meal most reminds you of your childhood? Fish sticks and mud pie with gummy worms! My mom made us a mud pie every year for our birthday, and my sister and I loved pretending it was real dirt when our friends came over, even going so far as to put flowers in it like it was a real potted plant.

Tell us about a favorite summer vacation. Did your family go somewhere every year in the summer? Yes! Growing up, we’d go to the Outer Banks every year with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. I’d usually get the top bunk in our rental house, my dad would teach me to play pool, and everyone would work on a puzzle :) My favorite summer vacation actually happened last year because the family got back together and spent the week at the Outer Banks after years of not attending. This time, my sister brought her husband and I brought my boyfriend, which made it even more memorable (and the board games more ridiculous).
Did your family have any summer traditions? When we were really little and growing up in Virginia, we would take family bike rides past the local college campus, their giant fountain, chicken coops, sunflower fields, and big houses, all the way to Dairy Queen, where we were treated to Oreo Blizzards before riding back. The ultimate treat! I still can’t pass a DQ without remembering those bike rides.
What were your general impressions of weddings when you were younger? Apparently, I was very uninterested in weddings when I was younger! I didn’t enjoy watching the Disney Princess movies (I was very much into the Jungle Book and Peter Pan), and I did not choose to play dress up with the white dresses at preschool (like my sister did). I do remember thinking that everyone had to wear red nail polish when they got married (as my mom did).

In case you missed a post…
Lisa’s childhood summers
Marissa’s childhood summers

Written with love by Emily