One of our favorite photo friends, Nate, twittered this today: “A perfect example of how to not ever get featured on a wedding blog or get referrals from a florist… link to the above floral destruction.” Proven wrong. This is the joy we wish every bride would have on her wedding day! Don’t take anything too seriously, y’all. Lurve it.
OK, we digress. Back to biz.
We want YOU in V3! Brides, wedding planners, photographers, stationers, designers, mothers-of-the-bride, wedding flautists (?), bakers and bridesmaids: it’s your turn to sound off for a chance to be quoted in a special feature in our next print edition!
By commenting on this post, you agree to let us publish your words in print. Capiche? Leave as many quotes as you like, and a handful of you will be chosen for print! Please be sure to comment with a valid email address so we can contact you to confirm your quote.
BONUS GIVEAWAY: five lucky random commenters will get the first copies of V3 hot off the press! So, break out the sweet tea and give us your best, y’all!
Tell us why you love southern weddings. (Not us… although we love the love… tell us why you love weddings in the South.)
Weddings in the south are unlike any other. They are full of charm, color, and many un-traditional elements that just make the day come even more to life. Not to mention, the people in the south just full of energy and so hospitable! I love the weddings in the south because they are not only about the couple, they are about the love of family and life….and there's nothing better than that!
I love Southern weddings because of the romance they seem to exude. Pretty much every Southern wedding I've seen also seems to be laid back, but still elegantly gorgeous. Perfect romance!
Words from the daughter & wedding planner of a Southern Mom We ♥ Southern Weddings as they are the true Essence of “LOVE”. The details can’t go wrong when you have the 5~F’s Family, Friends and Fabulous down home southern Food. It’s your dream fairytale Southern Wedding; don’t under estimate the south we can do FABULOUS too.Kimberly ClarkWedding & Event Producer
Words from the daughter & wedding planner of a Southern Mom We ♥ Southern Weddings as they are the true Essence of “LOVE”. The details can’t go wrong when you have the 5~F’s Family, Friends and Fabulous down home southern Food. It’s your dream fairytale Southern Wedding; don’t under estimate the south we can do FABULOUS too.Kimberly ClarkWedding & Event Producer
Words from the daughter & wedding planner of a Southern Mom We ♥ Southern Weddings as they are the true Essence of “LOVE”. The details can’t go wrong when you have the 5~F’s Family, Friends and Fabulous down home southern Food. It’s your dream fairytale Southern Wedding; don’t under estimate the south we can do FABULOUS too.Kimberly ClarkWedding & Event Producer
Southern weddings celebrate love in a completely unique way. It's got that "relaxed on the porch" vibe complimented with some "Gone With The Wind" romance. It's the perfect mix of comfort and elegance. It's what we do, y'all ;)
A Southern wedding is not just an event, it is an affair! It is a time to gather with your friends and family and celebrate love with an ice cold mason jar of sweet tea in hand; you can't just do that anywhere ya'll.
Southern weddings have the charm that inspire lovers to dream from the beaches to the amazing southern homes. Each wedding I photograph reminds me of how perfect life is when we relax and spend time with the ones we love. You become part of the emotional joy others are willing to share with you.
Let's face it. Southern Weddings are some of the most charming, stylish, and imaginative celebrations on the planet. From mason jars to mint julep cups, wide-open grassy fields to secluded country chapels, from the piedmont to the coast, Southern Weddings epitomize everything that is beautiful about the South. And the best Southern weddings will leave guests feeling comforted, amused, and filled with even more love for the couple they came to celebrate.
The true hospitality of the event. At a Southern Wedding, you can always count on having a good time, feeling welcomed and love, and truly feeling as if you are a part of the soiree.
Southern brides are sassy, classy and fabulous. Every time I have the opportunity to meet a new couple I feel like I am meeting new friends. I love the South and Southern weddings.
Southern weddings have an unmistakable charm to them that no other geographical wedding has. Weddings in the south have such rich history behind them and they represent decades and decades of tradition. What I also love about southern weddings is how they make you feel. Going to a wedding in the south, you know you are going to be welcomed with open arms, open hearts and amazing southern hospitality. The food is down-home comfort, the drinks are sweet to keep you cool and you can count on the men holding the door for you and the women being superbly dressed. To me, the represent an era that is long forgotten everywhere else.
Arnold Palmers, fried chicken, East Carolina BBQ and homemade cole slaw. Yum.
(My 3-year-old just stole my sweet tea AND told me he wants to watch dinosaurs on the computer. *sigh*)Southern weddings are about following solid tradition while knowing where to bend – or actually break – the rules. Why is the best sweet tea in the South? Because true Southerners know when to add extra sugar, some blackberries and an orange slice and when to leave the pitcher alone. There's a wealth of entertaining knowledge and hospitality in the South that allows for a melding with customs and trends from the rest of the world without losing our own identity.
It’s marrying on your family farm, surrounded by cicadas and your sorority sisters. It’s wearing a wedding veil that has been passed down for generations and toasting to a new life with the champagne of the south. It’s making a grand get-away in a beat up old Chevy truck. It’s a wedding in the South, y’all! What’s not to love?
Location, Location, Location. Whether it is a country church, an elegant southern garden, or a rustic barn and pasture, your wedding style can be paired effortlessly to these locations.
A little bit of country, a lot of class, and just a touch of sass!
Southern weddings are all about southern culture! Seersucker & sweet tea, mint juleps in mason jars, bow ties and BBQ dinners, pound cake and peaches!
Southern weddings are all about family, joining the bride and grooms family as one. Southerners celebrate with a relaxed, sophisticated charm that is unique to the southern states. I {heart} southern weddings!
What's not to love about a southern wedding? Red velvet, cake pulls, second lines, mint juleps, sweating mercilessly during the months of April – September… the South is one of a kind and our weddings are gorgeous!
A good wedding brings out the best in people – from the couple, to their families, friends, and whole community. On any given day, Southerners celebrate family, faith, fun, and food – so it's no wonder that a Southern Wedding brings together the best of all these!
Southern weddings are SO. MUCH. FUN. They are beautiful, sophisticated and glamorous and, of course, rich with tradition. They are formal and classy but not uptight which is a very delicate line to walk!
Ah, southern weddings- they're so many things, all wrapped up in one, but most of all, they're about southern hospitality. Southern weddings aren't just one day, they're a whole weekend of eating, drinking, and spending time with loved ones. You can just feel the love and happiness in a room, and it completely surrounds you. Southern brides and grooms are about style, but also comfort, and fun. It's reflected in the details- from signature drinks served in mason jars to flip flops for the after party, I guarantee a southern wedding is hands down going to be one of the best weddings you've been to!
Southern weddings are about life, love, family, attention to detail and the simple way of life. What more could you want on the biggest day of your life?
Southern weddings are one of a kind – while each bride is unique, all southern weddings flourish with love. Southern weddings are romantic and full of little details. Southern weddings are down to earth. My favorite part of photographing a southern weddings (besides the fabulous details of bow ties, mason jars & gorgeous flowers, etc) is the ceremony…specifically the vows. Now matter how many weddings I attend, no matter what the budget, no matter how big or how small, southern wedding vows are the best. They remain traditional with hints of the couple's personal touches. Hearing the vows makes me think of my husband, our wedding day & reminds me what weddings are all about – it makes my heart smile. Simply put, southern weddings are genuine & filled with love.
I love southern weddings because the people don't look at you funny when you talk about an engagement session… because the bride AND her guests will kick off their shoes for a hoe-down throw-down… because a true southern belle's voice will make you giggle inside… and maybe, if you are lucky,you will get to marvel at (and then devour) a mashed-potato bar.
What is a Southern Wedding?It starts with having Daddy walk you down the center aisle of the church while Momma stands with the first chord of Trumpet Voluntary to sneak the first peak of her pride and joy. Its meaning what you say in the vow cermeony. Its carrying on traditions from wearing great grandmother's veil to the groom bearing great grandfather's name. Its joining two families with sweet tea, peonies, mashed potatoes, one heck of a bride's cake, and the Alabama fight song. Its leaving in an old blue and white Ford truck with Just Married on the windows and it ends with Happily Ever After.
I love Southern weddings because it's all about Family. Family and community are the center of Southern weddings, the way it should be. Plus, the food is great :)
Southern weddings are one-of-a-kind affairs that exude love, life, romance, simpleness, family and food. Each is unique but every has that special sparkle that you know it's a Southern affair. You can't go wrong with a Southern wedding.
As I've planned what I would consider our southern wedding- I loved that I did not have to follow all the rules. The reason I love southern weddings is can include all the traditions of the past that our parents did at their weddings, but can also have the twists to make it much more of an "us" affair! From the corn fritters and fried okra appetizers to the family recipe dessert buffet to the surprise mariachi band in honor of my hispanic heritage as well! The mix of all the family and friends gathered together to be there with us on our special day to the amazing food and unforgettable fun is what makes our Southern Wedding a day we will never forget!
I love SW Mag! I'm constantly visiting your site for inspiration :)
It's all about love. Love of family, love of God, love of country, love of details, love of food. So much love that I usually walk away from Southern weddings with not just clients, but friends.
I'm originally from New York City and moved to Charleston almost 4 years ago. I recently got engaged and I'm planning my wedding at Boone Hall Plantation for October of 2011. I'm EXTREMELY happy to have my wedding in the South…why? Weddings in the South are so much more relaxed and informal. No one will make comments about having a buffet rather than a formal sit-down. Want to have a backyard wedding…fine! What about a barn…even better! It's also about community. It's almost expected to ask your friends for help or accessories to use at a wedding.I can't wait for my day. My friends from the North will have a TOTALLY different experience than what they are used too (ie…$300 a plate of rubber chicken at a stuffy ballroom with no windows in mid-town Manhattan)A
I think it all started with "bashful and blush" Steel Magnolias made me want a southern wedding for me as a child. Its beauty, characters, charm and romance. Its trials, triumph and a red velvet cake how can it get any better than that!
Southerners will brave 103 degree temperatures and 100% humidity with a SMILE to watch a couple become one.
As a Southern Wedding Photographer and Bride, I have discovered that Southern Weddings never get old. Even the vintage style weddings are so modern and fresh. Every detail is accounted for in a Southern Wedding, and that's why so many brides, Southern or not, decide to have a Southern Wedding. I am so excited to have my own Southern Wedding!
When I think about southern weddings, I think about the charm of outdoor garden, winery, or farm weddings. The ladies are using hand fans or under the shade of parasols to get a little relief from the sun. The ceremony and reception sites are full of beautiful flowers such as magnolias and hydrangeas. You are sure to see a mason jar either as part of the decor or as a glass for some sweet tea or lemonade. Guests enjoy a big dose of southern hospitality as they eat comfort food and listen to great music. What southern wedding would be complete without a groom's cake? All of these things and so much more….are why I love southern weddings!
Hospitality, beauty and tradition define the South. Southern weddings are the perfect example of these three characteristics meeting. If you aren't from the South, come to a wedding here. You'll quickly fall in love.
The best thing about a Southern wedding is that it can be whatever you want it to be. Big or small. Casual or fancy.Indoors or out. Buffet or seated dinner. There are no rules. Of course, in my day….almost 30 years ago….there were a few rules; you did have to match your mints and punch to the bridesmaid dresses and their shoes (closed toe pumps, of course) had to be dyed also. And why did I make my bridesmaids all wear bee-hive do's…..some were barely recognizable! Thank goodness we've moved past "matchy matchy." When my daughter marries next May, there will be short dresses, all kinds of hair do's and shoes, paper flowers, lots of milk galss….. and no mints. Family and friends. Beautiful expressions of love. Dancing. It will be just what she and her fiancee want it to be.
Even though I live on the East Coast now, I will never, ever be able to give up the southerner in me. I love our weddings because they are full of fun and love. Southern weddings aren't being about being pretentious. It's about sharing that special moment with your family and friends. You can have a waltz one minute and a square dance the next! They have that simplicity about them that just exudes greatness!
I love the warmth and intimate feel of southern weddings. It doesn't matter how many people you invite it still just feels like a party with your family and friends, not like a show! Love southern weddings!
Southern weddings are a drop of sunshine… even when the weather's not ideal!
Simply two little words… Sweet tea!
Weddings in the South are kind and simple yet big and boisterous. Above all, Southern weddings are tradition. For today's belle's and beau's, it's about combining those meaningful traditions with a "good ole' helping" of individual personality.
Weddings in the South are like everything else we do a round here…BIG and full of hospitality! Weddings are an occasion for the whole town to come together and the Mother of the Bride to get to show of the hosting skills she has been honing for the last 50 plus years. They are charming, romantic, and fun down to the very last detail. Weddings in the South are not an event, they are a tradition and a way of life!
A Southern wedding can be so many different things: a backyard picnic affair in flip-flops or a black-tie dinner at the Country Club, but one thing that transcends all Southern weddings is the love and grace of the Bride & Groom. A Southern wedding is a jolly celebration of two families joining together, which just may include mint juleps, lots of pearls, a war of SEC fight songs, elaborate groom's cakes, mason jars, and fabulous flowers.
Southern charm: while I may technically be a westerner, I am no stranger to the term! I come from a rich Southern heritage where roots run deep, and not too many moons ago, my humble abode sat nestled in the midst of my beloved South (it was a most sublime time of my thus far life). Let me lay it out pure and simple: there is an air, ambiance, and essence unique to a southern wedding that (despite our best-west efforts) can not be duplicated! Perhaps mimicked, perhaps inspired by, but never duplicated.
One word: Grandmas! There is nothing in the world like a southern Grandma. They are truly the matriarch of a southern family and a breed you do not find anywhere else in this country. Love. Them.
Southern girls are brought up to be brides. The details, fashion and exquisite photography in Southern Weddings Magazine is a perfect example of how well these brides have planned. All of them are executed flawlessly. FlutterFly Events
What I love about Southern Weddings is the hospitality of the people. Here in the south everyone threats you as if you are a friend. Its so great that I actually become friends with many of the couples we photograph.
I'm thinking about setting up shop in The South, just so I can experience the wonderfulness of a true Southern wedding! We try to emulate them in the west, but it's never quite the same.
A Southern wedding is the perfect balance class, elegance, warmth and hospitality. At every wedding I have attended (as a planner or a guest) in the South, I was welcomed like a member of the family. No matter how formal the event, the feeling of southern hospitality is at the heart of every Southern wedding.
Why We Love Southern Weddings: Brides are not afriad to put their personality into the wedding. They are a good mix of tradition and out of the ordinary style. You can't get better than the outdoors, especially in the south.
Southern Weddings are all about big guest lists. Why? Because a Southern bride and groom see their big day as more than a sacred act. They see it as a celebration of that act and they wouldn't think of excluding anyone they know from the festivities! Southern hospitality at it's finest.
the best southern wedding we've ever attended was in michigan!! ~ A bride from Georgia and a groom from Cali made for one great Southern Wedding in the midwest!
I love Southern Weddings because they represent simplicity with pops of fabulousness, charm & sophistication, family & lots of love. Southern brides believe in family tradition but are sassy enough to also create new traditions on their wedding day!
I love Southern weddings because of two words- family and love! And a little dose of that indescribable Southern charm :)
Southern weddings are steeped in rich tradition. They are romantic and heart-felt. Southern hospitality makes each guest feel as though they are right at home. Family, friends, food and sweet tea are plentiful. Laughter and joy fill the space like the warm Southern air. Stunning settings such as coastal beaches and plantations are commonplace There is just nothing quite like the charm and charisma of a Southern wedding…
I love Southern weddings because of the ease, charm, and uniqueness of each one. Southern weddings are seeped with tradition and meaningful touches. From wearing your mother's pearls to carrying a grandmother's hankerchief, I think the South relishes these touches. The focus is on two families joining as one and just general "good ole" southern fellowship with friends. Oh and of course you can't forget the food and forever charming Southern hospitality.
Southern weddings are all about the experience – sharing the life, love and happiness with all of your guests. Hospitality in the South truly leaves no stone unturned and this sentiment is reflected into every single detail, from a cold mint julep on a hot summer day to a monogrammed blanket on a cold winter night.
Without a doubt the best thing about Southern weddings is the food! Couples who serve their favorite comfort foods ensure that they love the food, and display their personaliites. With so many items indigenous to the South it's easy to appease everyone's appetites. Need some examples to make your mouth water? I thought so. Put a spin on fried green tomatoes by serving them on mini biscuits with remoulade sauce, or serve grit cakes topped with shrimp and red eye gravy. Don't forget to include the fried macaroni and cheese or the peach tea to wash it all down!
I love Southern weddings because of grooms get to have their own cake!
Southern weddings are pastels, bow ties, tradition, hospitality, family values, & always full of charm.
I love hearing Sweet Home Alabama at every reception. I'm not from Alabama, I moved here from NC, but having married an Alabama fan and become one myself, the interjected "Roll Tide Roll" joined into the chorus is pretty smile inducing. And of course the food.
Southern weddings are the epitome of family traditions, great food, BUTTER CREAM icing on the wedding cake and sweet tea!
A Southern Wedding oozes style and grace, no matter who the couple is. Weddings in the south are a big deal because each one is purely different in taste, color, style, size, and location, and season. Each couple chooses details that represent their courtship, their romance, or their individual tastes, and they go all out to share their passions (Hello, Carolina & Clemson)! Traditions from decades ago are passed down through families, and the best moments captured at every wedding are the father and daughter first dance. From city weddings in the winter to beach weddings in the summer, one thing remains the same- friends and family are in abundance of attendees. There are often 8+ bridesmaids and groomsmen because down here, we simply can't choose between such close friends- so he have to choose them all! From shrimp and grits to mac n' cheese and steamed oysters, one thing is for certain- southern weddings certainly offer food like no other.In short, southern weddings are extremely personal and extraordinary events in the lives of all involved. It's not just another party to go to – it's a life-changing memory in the making.
I happen to be lucky enough to work for a beautiful southern plantation, which is also where I just recently had my wedding reception. Most of my family is from the north, so I was delighted to invite them all down to Virginia for a dose of some down home southern hospitality. It's nice to enjoy beautiful scenery and visit with loved ones, but you can't top the food! No boring beef or chicken! Bring on the crabcakes, ham bisquits and fried sweet potatoes!
How much the Northerners and Westerners end up loving them.
Southern weddings give a southern gal the opportunity to show off everything we love about the south. It's not only a chance to enjoy the food, culture, and lovely (I mean humid) weather, but it's an opportunity to display in one day the essence of warmth, hospitality, family and friends. To me all those things represent best the place I call home, the south.
I LOVE Southern Weddings because of the feeling of intimacy there is in the air. Even if there are hundreds of guests, it still feels so special. Details are the biggest thing southern weddings have over them all, there are so many that don't go untouched during the planning process, so that even the smallest detail can make a guest feel so special and connect to the couple. And because of this fact, the LOVE that each guests feels from and for the couple acclimates on that special day to make it the PERFECT Southern Wedding! And so really the love at weddings you feel is why I LOVE SOUTHERN WEDDINGS, and isn't that what life is all about at the end of the day, love!
the reception!!!!!!!! southern brides and their guests know how to throw down. and they enjoy doing so.
One thing I love about southern weddingsl… you'd get to hear "Ya'll" .. a lot. We live in Minnesota. Nobody says "Ya'll" And, the sweet, country, eclectic flair of a southern wedding is undeniably charming! *Love*
I am proud to be a strong southern woman, and to have grown up knowing and loving the roots that ground me and have taught me the meaning of family and how broad its definition is. Southern weddings reflect that; you will never feel out of place at a southern wedding, you will be treated like family! Southern weddings are not only the joining of two happy hearts, but the melding of two families and their traditions. They are joyous and playful, crazy and classy all at the same time. It's just how we do things down here—with a glass of sweet tea and a smile!