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We’ve seen our share of delicious food bars at weddings. At first, they’re a fun surprise. Then, they become a welcome part of weddings everywhere. (Hello biscuit bars and bourbon bars of the South!) When we first saw the images from Andi Mans of Lola + Stephen’s wedding, we stopped in our tracks. A pickle bar is definitely something we haven’t seen before, but now we’re smitten with the fun details and whimsical twist!

From the groom:

Who doesn’t love Pickles? When it came to our Southern vintage wedding with a twist, we knew we just had to have a Pickle Bar! What’s more refreshing on a hot summer day then biting into a cool, juicy, full-sour pickle? Our guests loved them! When I was little, my father took me on a trip to the Big Apple, where I fell in love with the cucumber’s cranky cousin, the pickle. Ever since then, I couldn’t get enough of them. I eat them with everything, including ice cream! When it came to our wedding, my soon-to-be wife, Lola knew to surprise me with a pickle bar made up of our favorite crunchy sticks from around the U.S.

We featured pickles from The Stage Deli in New York with their Full-Sour Power Pickles, Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market Pickles from Florida, and finally, our favorite, Britt’s Pickles from Seattle. They are 100% organic and come in flavors such as Pepper and Ginger and Hot and Sour!

Should you have a Pickle Bar? Darn tootin! My only advice is that you can never have too many — within an hour, our guests had gobbled up every last crunchy cuc.

What do y’all think of the pickle bar? Would you have one at your wedding?

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
5 Comments
  1. avatar Andi Mans reply

    Love! Thank you for the feature, this sure was super unique and I was so excited to see it and capture it as well! What an adorable touch, and might I add, I got to try some, and boy were they delicious! :)

  2. avatar Rachel V reply

    Love this!

  3. avatar Lisa at Wish Vintage Rentals reply

    How exciting to see our pieces highlighted here today! We loved working with Lola & Stephen, two very creative spirits, and helping them bring their wedding vision to life! The fun pickle bar was just one of so many adorable details in this wedding!

  4. avatar Lola and Stephen’s Wedding Featured on Southern Weddings Magazine — WISH Vintage Rentals reply

    […] Lola and Stephen’s vintage wedding at Barrington Hill Farm in Dade City, FL is featured on Southern Weddings Magazine.  We are inspired by our clients every day and Lola and Stephen are no exception.  They had such […]

  5. avatar Kris reply

    Are you kidding me right now? A pickle bar???!!! My husband and I LOOOVVVEEE pickles and this is awesome! I have never seen this before. Amazing detail for a Southern wedding, absolutely love this!!!

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Happy day before summer, y’all!! I don’t know about you, but summer is hands down, with a doubt, my favorite season of all time. Long, warm days, catching fireflies, ice cream and hanging out on the porch with good company make the next few months magical. Y’all know us. If we love something, we must find an excuse to celebrate it!

All the gorgeous styling of Amy Atlas!

When Amy Atlas, sweets designer extraordinaire, released her book, Sweet Designs just two months ago, we were dying to share it with y’all! The bright colors, yummy recipes and fun tips were just what we needed to ring in the summer.

We’re thrilled that we can giveaway one of Amy’s books to two lucky winners! It’s a fabulous resource for planning the epic sweets spread at your wedding, but you’re also going to find so many ideas in there that you’ll start styling desserts at all of your parties. (Wait until you see her chapter on picnic spreads! I die.)

To Enter: Leave us a comment below telling us what you love most about summer.

Win: TWO winners will each receive one copy of Amy Atlas’s book, Sweet Designs!

This giveaway closes on June 27. Good luck!

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
50 Comments
  1. avatar Liz reply

    Oh my word I have heard great things about that book! fingers crossed. =)

  2. avatar megan reply

    summer is the heart of baseball season!

  3. avatar Kristyn M reply

    I love the warm summer early evenings when the fireflies start to appear and running around with my nieces trying to catch them! (They are so good at it! Must be something about being young because I used to be much better at it than I am now!)

  4. avatar Megan P. reply

    I love the carefree attitude of summer!

  5. avatar Desiree reply

    I love summer beers!!! mmm

  6. avatar Kelly reply

    I love being able to open all the windows in our home when the weather is nice! We have a ton of trees surrounding our house, so from the vantage point of my bedroom upstairs, it feels like I’m in a treehouse!

  7. avatar Peyton Marie reply

    My favorite thing about summer is the watermelon, ice cream and backyard cookouts with family and friends. Everyone is more relaxed in the summer and the whole atmosphere is happy happy happy :)

  8. avatar Linden reply

    I love going to the lake! Waterskiing, being on the boat, and just relaxing by the water is the best! I’ve heard great things about this book.

  9. avatar Katie W. reply

    I love the longer days of summer!

  10. avatar Rachael reply

    Love being able to get outside and have picnics by the lake.

  11. avatar Laura reply

    My favorite thing about summer is going on vacation!!! I live in NC, so I visit the beach AND the mountains during the summer!

  12. avatar Laura reply

    My favorite thing about summer is summer cookouts!! Complete with dessert, of course :) Hope I win!

  13. avatar Kati W reply

    My favorite thing about summer is going to the lake on the weekends. It’s only an hour away from where we live, and we always have fun summer traditions — like making homemade ice cream and playing charades!

  14. avatar Nicole reply

    Oh, where to start. Summer is just the best! I love unwinding with the fiance on the back patio with a glass of wine, enjoying the fireflies, and watching our pups run around the yard. Perfect summer night!

  15. avatar Elizabeth reply

    My favorite thing about summer is making homemade ice cream!!

  16. avatar Kaitlin Boles reply

    Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to enter this giveaway, so sweet of you! Good luck to everyone who has entered this giveaway! I love summer vacations, a break from nursing school and finishing up my psychology degree as well! I love being able to plan my wedding this summer eventhough it isn’t until October of 2013. I am also happy to spend time with my fiance, family, and friend this summer! I love summer time!

  17. avatar Jessica reply

    What I love most about summer is coming home from college and being able to get back into the swing of doing things with my family. I love weekly Sunday bagels with Grandpa, nightly family dinners that are homemade by a combination of my parents and me, and just hanging out with everyone at night in our living room or on our back porch if the weather is nice!

  18. avatar Kristy reply

    Late night swinging : )

  19. avatar Liz @ Hobby Lobbyist reply

    I love the green grass and beautiful flowers of summer.

  20. avatar Annie reply

    I love drinking sweet iced tea on our patio while watching the fireflies!

  21. avatar Meghan reply

    Cicadas makin’ noise on a lazy hot summer afternoon after having pulled a few crab pots earlier in the day. Having a crab feast outside right on the picnic table complete with Old Bay, Firefly with limeade, and laughter!

  22. avatar amanda reply

    my favorite thing about summer is the peaches, honeysuckles and fireflies! you can just smell it right now… ahh summer..

  23. avatar Erin reply

    My favorite thing about summer? The sunshine! Sunset isn’t until late (like 8:30 pm!) which means more time to drive around with the windows down, more time to sit on the deck and take in the day, more time to spend time with those we love <3

  24. avatar Shea Heimbach reply

    I love eating corn on the cob and ripe watermelon with family on our back porch as the sun sets!

  25. avatar Angela- The Southern Fried Bride reply

    Love the warm breeze in the air!

  26. avatar Tiffany Freeman reply

    What I love about summer is weekends spent camping at the lake and boating all weekend long. The longer days mean more time to enjoy the evenings cooking out and being with family and friends!

  27. avatar Jessica of My Baking Heart reply

    My favorite part of Summer is sitting by the pool sipping Pina Coladas! Thanks for the opportunity to win! :)

  28. avatar Sandryte reply

    Good weather – that’s why I love summer! And then comes my balcony with flowers, outdoor furniture, afternoon tea and icecream, watermelons. A camping trip and a few picnics are a must for the year!

  29. avatar Afton reply

    The thing I love most about summer are picnics and summer nights around a bonfire roasting marshmallows!

  30. avatar Kimberly reply

    I love summertime because I can spend precious moments with my closest friends and family! Picnics at the park, hiking by the creek, and enjoying time at Bible study are some of my favorite things to do in the summer =)

  31. avatar Theresa reply

    Spending time with family outdoors for cookouts!

  32. avatar Megan reply

    I LOVE that it stays daylight so late, so we can enjoy a great summer evening with a glass of wine while doing some front porch sittin’! :)

  33. avatar Megan reply

    I LOVE that it stays daylight so late, so we can enjoy a great summer evening with a glass of wine while doing some front porch sittin’! :)

  34. avatar Katie O’Keefe reply

    What I love about summertime? Fireflies, lake weekends, frozen lemon pie, bright (neon) clothes, watermelon, grilling, roasting s’mores at night, freshly cut grass, the smell of sun tan lotion, pistachio ice cream, spending time with family outside and never needing a sweater! Thanks for doing this giveaway – I love Amy Atlas.

  35. avatar Lindsey D reply

    I love long, lazy days at the beach!

  36. avatar Kori reply

    I love the lake in the summertime with my family!

  37. avatar Brittney Perryman reply

    My favorite thing about summer is the way it brings Southern families together. Whether we’re attending concerts in our small town, hanging out at my aunt’s pool, or just sitting on the porch making homemade ice cream, my huge Southern family always spends the summer together and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

  38. avatar Anne M reply

    Picnics…fireflies…homemade ice cream…the warmth of the sun and the comfort of spending time with family and friends!

  39. avatar Susan Trexler reply

    Oooh, sitting in the backyard under the trees with a sweet breeze cooling the end of the day at sunset, while sipping a glass of wine. It’s so peaceful and quiet!

  40. avatar Whitney reply

    What isn’t there to love about summer?! I would have to say my favorite thing about summer are the lazy days spent on the beach that turn into lazy nights grilling out. Oh and of course homemade Cheerwine icecream!

  41. avatar Brittany reply

    My favorite part of summer is there’s always a reason for good food and yummy desserts! Whether it’s grilling hamburgers on the porch with friends, or trying a new Popsicle recipe by the pool.

  42. avatar Samantha Jones reply

    What’s not to love about summer? Any Southern girl knows that summer is a time to break out cute sundresses and heels (or wedges!), fun jewelry, and spend time outdoors with loved ones. My personal favorite is to a host a family BBQ with home cooking and drinks in mason jars.

  43. avatar Emma reply

    My favorite thing about summer is 4th of July! I always spend the day with my family and friends soaking up the sunshine and cooling off in the pool then eating lots of delicious food (and drinking ice cold sweet tea, of course!) and lighting fireworks.

  44. avatar Brenda reply

    Summer reminds me of good times with friends near the water. The breeze off the water and the hot sun are an invigorating combination and give a great tan. Outdoor weddings are lovely and we recently enjoyed our daughters at a historic barn, tented tables and a rented dance floor and band. The patio lights around the dance floor were so romantic when the sun went low…tuxes, frills, and sweet memories with loved ones. The deserts were arranged for a southern belle at teatime.

  45. avatar JennaLea reply

    Traveling, going to the beach, and enjoying foods fresh from the garden.

  46. avatar Katie reply

    My favorite thing about summer is summer dresses. They are so cool, pretty, and easy.

    Also, the all white display is gorge.

  47. avatar Paula reply

    Summer in Australia means Christmas for us ! Christmas, and BBQ’s, beaches and holidays! Summer in Australia signals the end of one year and the beginning of another – how can we not love summer (our biggest celebration period of the year) !

  48. avatar Sara M. reply

    I love walks on the beach with the dog, ice-cream, sunglasses and margarita cookouts :)

  49. avatar Liz Rotz reply

    Summer means baseball games (Go STLCards!), hanging out on our back deck, and working in the garden!
    Liz

  50. avatar Sarah H. reply

    Chicago comes alive in the summer. Late night dinners outside, running along Lake Michigan and sundresses.

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Southern Delicacy: Grits

by in Main, Southern Food on

My husband BDK and I are completely obsessed with Scott Cochran. If you’ve ever been to an Alabama game, you’ve seen this fellow on the sidelines yelling and bouncing, or up on the jumbotron with his famous “yeah yeah yeah yeah!” Last night, we spent a good hour watching YouTube videos of him and his motivational speeches. Seriously, this guy wakes up on fire and never stops! Y’all, I promise I’m going somewhere with this…

Like college football and saying yes and no ma’am, FOOD is crazy important in the South! So much so that it inspired us to begin a new Southern Weddings mini series: Southern Delicacy. Beginning today, we’ll all learn a little more about the yummiest (and yes, sometimes the wackiest!) grub in the country!

Image credit: Luster Studios

What better Southern food to start with than grits? Originating from the American Indian culture, grits are now most commonly found in the Southern United States. They are mainly eaten at breakfast, and made from coarsely ground corn. Grits are often seasoned with salt or sugar, but true Southerners serve them with cheese, butter, country ham red-eye gravy, or – my personal favorite – shrimp! Grits are one of those foods that you either love or hate – there really isn’t an in-between. A cousin of mine thinks they taste like “dirt”! I tend to disagree with her. I do agree that the texture is a bit grainy, and plain they can be a bit bland, but with the right amount of butter and cheese mixed in, they’re rather yummy. Think more ground popcorn than dirt!

Image credit: First two images from Martha Stewart Weddings (here + here); grits sign photo by Melissa Schollaert via Southern Weddings; next two images by Veil & Bow via Style Me Pretty (bag design by Sarah Jane Winter); grits favors by Calder Clark (photo by A Bryan Photo)

Grits make a great Southern addition to any wedding menu, but don’t stop there! We love the idea of a mix your own grits bar, and a shrimp and grits appetizer station would be perfect to start your reception off on a Southern note. I also adore the idea of adding a personal touch to favors by tucking a bag of grits and a copy of your grandmama’s best recipe into some pretty packaging for guests to enjoy at home.

What’s your favorite Southern food? Let me know in the comments below, and you might see your name and favorite food up in lights! (Okay, in my next feature. Who needs lights anyway?)

Melissa Schollaert is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
20 Comments
  1. avatar Perryn reply

    LOVE It! We had a Grits Bar at our wedding and it was amazing! (of course some of our northern friends weren’t fans…) But it is such a wonderful Southern touch..and Very yummy! P

  2. avatar Liz reply

    I have been on the hunt for small bags of grits for wedding favors— any suggestions???

    • avatar Marissa reply

      Hi Liz! Any small muslin bags with a drawstring will be great, but I’m a BIG fan of these adorable muslin bags with mason jar thank you’s printed on them. http://www.etsy.com/listing/76709425/muslin-favor-bags-muslin-3×5-set-of-25 Good luck! xo, Marissa

  3. avatar Annie reply

    Grits are so good! My husband and I got married in VA, and we had grits at our rehearsal dinner (a fun Southern-style dinner) and at the brunch the next day.

  4. avatar Katie reply

    One of the best memories of my wedding has to do with grits! Seeing this post, I have to share. There is a grist mill in my hometown that still makes grits the old fashioned way – fresh ground with a stone and no preservatives. I was going to do them as favors in little muslim bags with our new initials handstamped on them. I picked up my order of freshly ground grits 2 days before the wedding and stayed up all night with my dad bagging away. The next morning, over breakfast no less, my mom and I noticed weevals in the grits! We both started crying, with a little laughter mixed in! I was terrified to send my guests home with bugs in their grits! (especially my in-laws to be from New England!)Turns out the mill had ground the grits a week to early! We fixed it though with a trip to the grocery store to pick up store-bought stone ground grits with perservatives!!

    • avatar Marissa reply

      Oh, Katie! That is horrible, but I do see why y’all laughed! I’m glad to hear that it ended up working out in the end! Thanks for sharing your story! xo, Marissa

  5. avatar Madelynne Miller reply

    I ABSOLUTELY must agree that grits are amahzing. Gouda grits? yes! Cheddar grits? yes! Mixing bacon and eggs into your grits? yes! stone ground grits? more please! Shrimp and grits is the BEST.

    • avatar Sierra reply

      We are definitely on the same page… I don’t eat grits unless I mix bacon, eggs and cheese in there (sort of like how I prefer a loaded baked potato)!

  6. avatar Kelly reply

    I love love love my Granny’s cheese grits! Favorite food ever. I do have an addition to your perfect-accompaniments-to-grits list, though: bacon! As much as I’m not one of those people who likes to put bacon on EVERYTHING, the salty crunch of bacon goes perfectly with stone-ground grits! Yum! :)

  7. avatar Laura reply

    Although I’m a born and raised Southerner, I never was much of a fan of grits, fortunately when I started dating my boyfriend, he opened my eyes to their wonders :)

    But I have to say that my favorite, quintessential, southern food has to be corn bread! I’m going to insist that corn bread and biscuits be served at my southern spread reception (family style of course!) with lots of fresh butter and preserves at the ready.

  8. avatar BrittanyElizabeth reply

    hmmm, I think by far one of my favorite southern foods is the Barbeque! :] It’s just so good! And no other place does it better than the south! :] But grits are pretty good too! My fiance likes his with syrup! :]

  9. avatar AmandaR reply

    FRIED GREEN TOMATOES!!! Man alive, they’re good and fancy people even eat em and add special “coulis” and what-not to em. We are having them as an appetizer during the cocktail hour at our wedding in June. Oh ya, mac n’ cheese too! I love food.

  10. avatar Vanessa reply

    I love this idea! I’m from PA but my father is from the south so I’ve grown up eating grits and obviously love them! :)

  11. avatar Jackie Briggs reply

    My daughter is planning a Charlston wedding within the next year. Since we are true “grits lovers,” we’d love to send guests home with a favor of grits. Any suggestions on where to purchase, how to package, etc. small samples of grits? Thank you!

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