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Monthly Archives: March 2013

Since we’re talking about new things today, I first wanted to mention that our sidebar is looking pretty fancy all by itself! We did a tune-up over the weekend to offer a better mix of options for our delightful advertisers, and we’re so pleased with how it turned out. As always, if you’re interested in advertising with SW, just email Marissa or fill out this form!

Now, it occurred to the SW ladies a few days ago that we’ve never formally introduced y’all to our new shop! Not that we’re that formal over here, but we do like to keep up with some niceties, and proper introductions for something this exciting only seems fitting.

The pieces in our shop are lovely, I’d say there’s no question about that. But, what we’re most proud of is how they fit so perfectly into our heart and mission — love for the South, love for love and marriage, and love to lead couples toward rich, full lives. We’re not just doing this to do it, we’re doing it because we couldn’t be more excited about it!! I think the mission will become even more apparent as we roll out new goodies, but I hope y’all can see even now where we’re headed!

Today, I’m going to highlight a few of my very favorite products quicker than two shakes of a lamb’s tail. First up is the South print. Right now we’re stocking it in pretty pink, metallic gold, and the loveliest shade of teal. It’s Hardink Calligraphy’s work that graces this letterpress beauty, which you may recognize it from the pages of Southern Weddings V5!

Next up is our “Vows” print, which is also pulled from the pages of V5! Lindsay Letters penned this gorgeous reminder of our wedding ceremonies. I think this one would be perfect for a bedroom, whether you choose it in metallic gold, perfect pink, or pool and gold. This one also makes a stunning wedding or shower gift — I think it’s okay to go off-registry in this case! :)

The newest additions to the Southern Weddings gang are these darling goodies from Belle & Union. We featured Meg’s Southern phrase cards in V5, and when we approached her about selling them in our shop, she was thrilled — she said she had gotten so many requests from you all post-publication, but wasn’t able to fulfill them since she doesn’t do retail! Right now we have eight of her letterpress cards in stock (they’re available in sets of three, too!), and three of her oh-my-word-cute Southern tea towels.

That’s all for today, but don’t be surprised if we pop back in soon with more introductions! Until then, enjoy the shop!

Elizabeth Hardin is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

emily Written with love by Emily
1 Comment
  1. avatar Kelly reply

    One of Meg’s friends was in my bridal party and I received the tea towels (and matching recipe cards) at my bridal shower. I AM IN LOVE WITH THEM. The towels are huge, a great quality, and add the perfect pop of color in our kitchen. I’m seriously considering gifting them at every shower I go to in the future. I just need to get my hands on her wrapping paper now!

    Keep up the good work, Meg!

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When it comes to our Southern Delicacy features, I must say that I have tried almost all of them! Today’s, however, I sadly have never had the pleasure of tasting. If a muffuletta tastes as good as it looks, though, I’m in for a treat whenever it is that I can sink my teeth into one!

Look at all that melted cheese – YUM!

Muffuletta photos from Robyn Lee via Serious Eats and Celebration Generation (including a recipe!)

The muffuletta is both a type of round Sicilian sesame bread and a popular submarine-style sandwich that was created in New Orleans (using muffuletta bread, of course!). A traditional style muffuletta consists of a muffuletta loaf split horizontally and layered with marinated olive salad (homemade is best!), capicola, mortadella, salami, pepperoni, ham, Swiss cheese and provolone. WHEW!

The original muffuletta was born at the Central Grocery in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Sicilian farmers selling their produce at the nearby farmers’ market would come in for lunch and order some salami, ham, cheese, olive salad, and either long braided Italian bread or a round muffuletta loaf. Tradition had the farmers eating everything separately while sitting on crates and balancing their meals on their knees — not the easiest set-up. Seeing their daily struggle, Central Grocery’s owner suggested cutting the bread and putting everything on it like a sandwich. The farmers found that the thicker Italian bread proved too hard to bite, so the softer round muffuletta loaf won out. Soon the farmers came to merely ask for a “muffuletta” for their lunch, and a NOLA classic had arrived!

Mini muffulettas from Southern Living; mini muffuletta crostinis from Thrifty Foods; muffuletta bites from Rhubarb and Honey; and muffuletta squares from Three Many Cooks

They may not be identical to the original, but we think these mini variations are just the cutest, and perfect for a wedding cocktail hour! Have y’all ever had a muffuleta? I’m dying to try one!

What’s your favorite Southern Delicacy? I’d have to go with beignets!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
2 Comments
  1. avatar Kimberly reply

    Thanks for including my muffaletta bites in your round-up! I adore the muffaletta sandwich … and I think I may be making those muffaletta squares soon!

  2. avatar Mardi Gras Wedding Inspiration from The Graceful Host and Old South Studios – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] New Orleans delicacies like mini muffulettas were […]

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Are any of y’all How I Met Your Mother fans? Lauren’s red cowboy boots remind me of that show — admittedly, I chuckled a bit when I saw them. I’m happy to say, however, that Lauren pulls of this Southern staple with complete success unlike Ted Mosby. They’re perfectly appropriate for Lauren + Joe’s fall wedding which boasted warm colors and warm temperatures. I love that the couple’s wedding colors provided graphic pops throughout the evening while still blending in nicely with the rustic feel of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Though L + J both have parents who were born in the North, they both grew up in Virginia and knew they had to have their wedding at a place thet visited often. The mountains were not only a gorgeous setting for their outdoor nuptials, but they’ll continue to hold all the memories of their big day.

The SW gals are sending big hugs to Meg Runion for sharing this wedding with us!

Don’t y’all love Lauren’s dress with the big bow? Be sure to scroll down for more adorable views of it!

I knew exactly what I wanted: an A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline and a large asymmetrical bow on the back. There were a few dresses that had some of those aspects but not exactly what I had in mind. I ended up trying on a beautiful A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline, but no bow. The wedding dress consultant suggested we have the bow custom designed. I immediately knew that was the way to go. The seamstress designed a bow that exactly matched the image in my head. I absolutely loved my dress and was happy to be able to customize it to fit my style perfectly.

I knew right away I wanted bright shades of orange for the flowers. Our wedding was on September 1, so we were in the late summer/early fall season. We chose orange and cream as our colors because we felt like they represented both summer and fall. My bouquet was a vibrant orange mix of Mexican sunflowers and dahlias. The bridesmaids carried huge bouquets of baby’s breath because I love the rustic, understated feel they have. The groomsmen’s boutonnières were orange dahlias. We really wanted our wedding to represent the natural beauty of the changing seasons in the Virginia Mountains.

We love Lauren + Joe’s simple but beautiful altar setup. It reminds us of Jodi + Kurt’s wedding from V4.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did not do a “first look.” We both really wanted that first moment we saw each other to be right when I walked down the aisle. It was worth the wait!
Did you write your own vows? We did not. We would’ve been too nervous! However, we did write each other a letter to read before the ceremony. My matron of honor and his best man delivered the letters to us while getting ready. It was a very sweet moment and one of our favorite memories of the day.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We had five readings at our wedding. Two of the readings were Irish and German wedding blessings to honor our families. We had a biblical reading, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, and a poetry reading, “To Love Is Not to Possess” by James Kavanaugh. Before the exchanging of the rings, our reverend read the “Blessing of the Hands.” We went through countless readings but chose the ones we felt really spoke to us and reflected our feelings for each other.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our venue was definitely Southern. While both our parents are from the North, Joe and I grew up in Virginia and consider this our home. We knew we wanted to have our wedding outdoors in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and at a place we visit often. We loved the barn at our venue and it perfectly reflected us as a couple. Other Southern details included were our food and drinks. For the cocktail hour, we included Virginia ham biscuits and other Southern food. All of the wine was from local Virginia wineries. The bluegrass music at our ceremony and cocktail hour matched the beautiful mountain scenery. As far as decorations, we used mason jars as much as we could and farm tables at the reception. For our bridal party, the bridesmaids wore their own cowgirl boots and the groomsmen and flower girls wore seersucker.

Our favorite details were the escort cards and table names. To honor our love of live music, we decided to name every table after a concert we attended together. For the escort cards, we had “concert tickets” and displayed them at a “will call” table.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert: I had seen pictures of a wedding cake with burlap ribbon and absolutely loved it. I knew that would fit in perfectly with our other details. However, after speaking with the cake designer, I realized that real burlap would not be the best choice because of its smell. Instead we used jute ribbon and it had the same look. The cake was classic and rustic — it was perfect!

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. Joe and I have been to over 50 concerts together and music is a big part of our relationship, especially our shared love of bluegrass music. We wanted to make sure that was reflected in our wedding. Our favorite local bluegrass band played during the ceremony and cocktail hour. Our song is “I’ve Just Seen a Face” by the Beatles, and the band learned it just for our wedding. I walked down the aisle to a slowed-down bluegrass version of our song — which was a complete surprise to Joe. It was one of our favorite moments of the wedding. When we walked back up the aisle as a married couple, they played the song again, but this time in its original temp. Our first dance was “It’s Your Love” by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. I am a huge Tim McGraw fan and Joe agreed that was the perfect love song for such a special moment.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Joe’s youngest sister is my best friend from college. I had never met her older brother Joe, but she always joked that I should marry him because then I would be “Lauren Bull Schmitt.” (My maiden name is Bull and Joe’s last name is Schmitt). It became a joke of ours throughout our four years at college. I finally met Joe at his sister’s graduation party and it was love at first sight!
Describe the proposal. Joe had a very difficult challenge of trying to surprise me. I knew a proposal was coming and was definitely looking for signs of when it would be! Joe came home one night from work with all of my favorite foods for dinner and I immediately thought he was definitely proposing that night. We grilled outside on the deck and listened to music with the tiki torches lit. We finished dinner and it still hadn’t happened. It started to rain and I decided I was going inside. I decided I was wrong and it wouldn’t be that night. I went inside and sat on the couch to watch one of my favorite shows — Law & Order SVU. Joe was in the kitchen washing dishes and I was not paying attention to him. All of the sudden, I heard a loud commotion and what sounded like him running into the family room. I turned to look and see what had happened. Joe was on one knee right in front of me with a ring and giddily said, “Will you marry me??” He definitely caught me off guard! He said he planned it that way and called it the “sneak attack proposal!”
In what month did you get married? September
How many guests attended your wedding? 180
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? I think having to limit ourselves was difficult at times. We had to choose what was really important to us to be included and what “extras” we did not necessarily need.
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on?We were really happy with the two bands that played at the wedding. We loved having the bluegrass band set the tone for the wedding while playing at our ceremony and cocktail hour. The Real Geniuses, the ’80s cover band that played at our reception, was awesome and ensured that the reception was one big dance party.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? There were so many! One that really sticks out in both of our minds was when the reverend read the “Blessing of the Hands.” It was after the vows and we were holding hands, looking right at each other. That was the moment where we both had to fight back tears!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Decide on a budget right away and then decide what aspects of your wedding are most important to you and your future spouse. For us, the photographer and band were the most important and we splurged on them. It is really easy to go over budget quickly, so plan carefully!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are looking forward to continuing the life we’ve made in Richmond and eventually starting a family. In the near future, we expect many nights snuggling on the couch with our dog and watching Law & Order!

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
3 Comments
  1. avatar Ashleigh reply

    Love those hokie orange dresses. Have to assume you’re Hokie fans since it was in VA – and who else would you root for?

  2. avatar bridaldressuk reply

    Beautiful, what a lovely day it looked.

  3. avatar kelcey reply

    What brand are your brideamaid dresses? They are adorable! :)

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