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Monthly Archives: November 2013

We’re extra excited to share today’s gorgeous wedding, because Juliet and David have both been on Southern Weddings before, but as vendors! You can find Juliet’s lettering here and David’s photography here. Knowing how talented this couple is, we were not surprised at all that their North Carolina wedding was so lovely and ethereal. Their wedding planner, Laura of Ashton Events, is not only one of our delightful BRV members, she is also a friend of the bride and groom, and she played an instrumental role in David’s proposal!

Hugs to Alicia Swedenborg for sharing Juliet and David’s wedding with us!

Tell us all about the proposal! Long story short, I was heading down to Florida (where David lived) for a visit. A wedding planner friend, Laura Helm, asked me to assist her on a styled shoot that Friday in Lakeland. I arrived at the most beautiful ranch, ready to help set up. The shoot was beautiful–it included a handmade sailboat, a sweetheart table set for two, cafe lights strung from tree to tree, cute love notes spread throughout, and fresh flowers everywhere. Shortly after the videographers and photographers arrived, Laura sent me on a trip to the store for a few last minute things she forgot. After returning, the “Mr.” and “Mrs.” signs on the backs of the chairs had been switched out to say “Mr. David Lapham” and “Mrs. Juliet Lapham.” On the table was a note addressed to “Juliet Grace Jones.” It was a love note from David with words leading me to look up, where he popped out from behind a tree. After a few sweet words, David got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. Afterwards, we ate cheesecake, sipped on sparkling white grape juice and danced the night away!

I have been in love with Claire Pettibone’s dresses for years. I always knew I would wear one of her beautiful creations. There are not many stores in North Carolina that offer her dresses, but J. Majors in Charlotte does, so that was the first place I went. When I saw my dress, I knew it would be mine. I’ve never had a dress fully represent me as well as this dress did. The femininity, the lace, the ribbons–I could go on and on! It was perfect!

Describe your wedding flowers. Call me crazy, but our flowers were picked out literally two days before the wedding! We were on a tight budget and actually found our florist at the farmer’s market in Charlotte. She put together all of the bouquets and David’s boutonniere. Our wedding planner, Laura, arranged all of the centerpieces the day-of. I was so in love with my flowers! They did a great job!

My most memorable moment would have to be just before the ceremony began. We originally planned on an outdoor ceremony. Just about five minutes before the ceremony began, all you could hear were loud thunder rumbles and lightning strikes. Clearly, the outdoor ceremony I initially wanted was not happening. The groomsmen met me at the cottage where I was getting ready with umbrellas in hand. Everything was chaotic and everyone was scurrying to get inside. But looking back, it was SO much fun! All you could do was laugh at the situation. When it came down to it, despite the rain and everything getting washed out, it made the ceremony that much more memorable. It was far more intimate and perfect inside–I am actually glad it rained!

Our wedding took place on an equestrian farm in Mooresville, North Carolina. It represented the South in the best way possible. From the plantation-style home on the property to the horse stables, it was the South at its finest!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: How can you just choose one?! One detail that sticks out to me would have to be the favors. David’s mom worked so hard to make maple syrup on their family farm, so it was a sweet touch to our wedding.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. David and I met at Southeastern University through a mutual friend. We were just friends for about a year. I even recall giving David dating advice here and there. Little did I know, this boy was trying to steal my own heart. And he did just that! David surprised me and took me to Disney World on Valentine’s Day for our first official date. I mean… Disney World? On Valentine’s? Talk about an incredible start to a relationship. We dated for two years before getting engaged.
When did y’all get married? August 10, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 80
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. The songs we choose for our ceremony really set the tone for our wedding. I have always been in love with the movie Father of the Bride, so we chose our favorite songs from that movie for most of the music. For example, the bride’s processional was “Snow Scene” from Father of the Bride, which makes me cry every time I listen to it! Our communion song was “Come Thou Fount,” sung by David’s best man, Corey Voss. The recessional was to “A Soulful Hallelujah” by Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir. Our first dance was to “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra, and the father/daughter and mother/son dance was to “Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We kept things simple with a classic white cake with lavender on top. We also had a family friend make individual mixed berry pies, which were delicious!
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? As practical as it is, we decided against the “first look” idea. Ever since I was a little girl, I always looked forward to walking down the aisle towards my groom and that being the moment he saw me for the first time on our wedding day. THAT moment was my favorite moment of the day, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We kept things simple and chose to say traditional vows.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My something borrowed was a handkerchief David’s mom gave me to carry on my wedding day. It had belonged to her mom, who passed away shortly after David and I started dating. It was so sentimental to me. My something new was so many things, but definitely my dress. Something old was my earrings. Something blue…am I allowed to say my groom’s tie? :)
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? There were a few challenges: planning a wedding states away, having a small budget, and changing our venue two weeks before the big day (yep, you heard right)!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? Less than $10,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? We were so honored to have Laura Helm of Ashton Events by our side on our wedding day. She flew up to North Carolina the weekend-of and helped bring everything together! I do not know what we would have done without her! We were also super thankful for our photographer, Alicia Swedenborg. We entered a contest when we first got engaged for a photography giveaway and Alicia chose us! We were so blessed by her being there and capturing our day.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Make sure you focus on what really matters – you and your love becoming one! Do not spend time stressing or worrying about the details of your wedding. It will all come together, and if it doesn’t – who cares?! You’re married and that’s all that matters! I know you’ve heard it before, but the reason why you heard it many times is because it’s the truth!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are just so excited to have this time enjoying the newlywed life! We are hoping to travel and share as many adventures together as possible. We would love to start a family in the next couple of years as well.

Photographer: Alicia Swedenborg / Planner: Ashton Events / Venue: Johnson Carriage House and Meadows / Florist: Herr’s Fresh Flowers / Cake Baker: Sarah Coleman / Pie Baker: Diana Spradley / Caterer: Family Catering / Rentals: Wish Vintage Rentals / Paper Products and Signage: Juliet Grace / Bride’s Gown: “Queen Anne’s Lace” by Claire Pettibone / Hair and Makeup: Jennifer Abercrombie / Bride’s Shoes: Cici Hot / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Pim + Larkin / Groom’s Attire: J. Crew / Groomsmen Attire: Zara

Ashton Events is a delightful member of the Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
12 Comments
  1. avatar Dana reply

    a wedding that hands out maple syrup is guaranteed to be awesome

  2. avatar Juliet Grace Design reply

    […] to Southern Weddings for featuring our wedding […]

  3. avatar Judy Jones reply

    I am blessed to be the mother of the bride and having David as my new son in law. I have watched their relationship blossom and each step was carefully orchestrated by their commitment to have the Lord first in all they do. Excited we were able to give our daughter the dream wedding she always wanted. That glorious day has been relived every time I see a photo. Thank you Alicia Swedenborg for your creative talents and capturing a perfect day!
    Judy Jones/Raleigh, NC

  4. avatar Morgan Jones reply

    Oh my goodness this venue is right down the street from the house I grew up in! I remember when they built this estate of a barn!! Neat to see how else they are using it! :)

  5. avatar Alicia Swedenborg reply

    yay! thank you sooo much for this feature! Juliet and Dave is an amazing couple – sooo caring, cute and had the loveliest wedding! and honor to photograph! xo

  6. avatar SOUTHERN WEDDINGS | CHARLOTTE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER » alicia swedenborg -wedding photographer new york | engagament photography reply

    […] i’m so excited to have Juliet & David’s wedding outside Charlotte in North Carolina featured on Southern Weddings… i truly love this wedding magazine and having my wedding photography published with them is an […]

  7. avatar Laura reply

    It is so refreshing to a see a wedding where the couple didn’t spend $50,000! So beautiful, too.

  8. avatar Ivy Ellen reply

    I love the idea to use a chalk board for the table plan. congratulations to you both

  9. avatar Emily reply

    Love Juliet’s hair piece! So delicate + pretty!

  10. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up | Southern Weddings reply

    […] We love real weddings! Juliet and David’s beautiful North Carolina barn wedding was so lovely and sentimental. We love that their planner, BRV member Ashton Events, was even part of David’s proposal! See it here. […]

  11. avatar Winter White, Gold, & Green reply

    […] row: bride and groom, image by Alicia Swedenborg via Southern Weddings; ivory and antique gold centerpiece by Fern-Studio, image by Landon Jacob via Snippet & […]

  12. avatar JMajor's Bridal Blog » Blog Archive » Real J. Major’s Bride: Juliet reply

    […] There are so many beautiful details of this day, you’ll have to pop over to their feature in Southern Weddings to get all ins and outs of this gorgeous couple’s […]

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Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up

by in Main on

Oh happy day!! Many of y’all already have V6 in your hands (if you pre-ordered, your order is on its way!), and even though our official launch isn’t till Tuesday, we couldn’t be more excited about our new issue popping up a little early. We can hardly wait to hear what y’all think–don’t forget to use #SWV6 and tag us on social media if you take pictures with your magazines!

Just in case you missed it this morning, we debuted our gorgeous new cover! Don’t miss the sweet story behind our decision, as well as pictures from the unique opportunity we had to reveal it to our gorgeous cover girl, here!

As if that wasn’t enough excitement for the week, Lara and Nicole were tickled pink to be featured on The Everygirl! After the teaser you can see in that fun feature, we finally gave y’all a tour around our cozy office.

Now onto the lovely weddings from the week!

College sweethearts Mycah and Todd filled their beautiful Florida wedding with Southern food, sweet details, and adorable nods to their alma mater. See it here.

Melissa and Justin were married at an absolutely stunning venue in North Carolina. Despite the rain that day, their portraits are incredible! See it here.

From looking at their glamorous wedding pictures, you’d never guess that Heidi and Garth are dairy farmers! Rich contrasts like this are one of our favorite things about the South, so we love their West Texas wedding. See it here.

Danielle and Sam’s joyful big day put such a smile on our faces this week! We love her tea-length dress, their colorful flowers, and the details inspired by their respective hometowns. See it here.

Last but not least!

We’re giving away a Sandals honeymoon! There’s still time to enter to win this amazing trip here.

We’re sharing an engagement session by Scott Hopkins Photography on our Facebook page for Facebook Friday, so stop by and take a look!

Have a happy weekend!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
1 Comment
  1. avatar Jessica Sloan reply

    My best vacation happed just recently when my sweetie planned a trip for us to Salem, MA where he purposed by carving “Will you marry me?” in a pumpkin. Romantic and thoughtful! Thanks the man I’m going to marry and I would love to be able to give him this amazing gift back. :)

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Friends, it is with unbelievable delight that I introduce you to… the Southern Weddings V6 cover!!!

Oh my stars, indeed!! We are so, SO, so, SO, so, SO very proud of this beauty. Not only because she is quite obviously beautiful, but because of all of the stories between the pages that she represents. Ready for a little bit of her own backstory? Here we go!

Last spring we started working on an editorial shoot with our friends Ryan Ray and Stefanie Miles. (You may remember them from last year’s Yellow Rose editorial.) The shoot went off just as planned, and Ryan sent us the finished images a few months later. They were GORGEOUS, and we were so happy! I had mentioned to him before the shoot that we did not have a cover for V6 planned, and that we’d love for him to keep that in mind when cropping and posing portraits.

We didn’t immediately spot a cover, so we went busily about the business of finishing our shoot season. We selected a lovely image from one of our other editorials for the cover, and even sent it to the printer for proofing! From the beginning, though, we had been tweaking and adjusting to try and get the image to really shine, but when we saw the printer proofs, we just knew it wasn’t going to “sing.”

So, with just days (hours?) left before our final, final, FINAL version was due to be printed, we made the HUGE decision to scrap all of our cover plans (and launch party color scheme!) and choose an entirely new image — Ryan’s. Talk about a leap of faith — we never even saw a printed proof of the cover until the finished magazines arrived at our office!! I have to say, I was very resistant to the idea at first — as much as I love Ryan, I was looking forward to having a new talent grace our cover, and we were so far into the process at that point. But when we saw the new version mocked up, it was simply undeniable — this was our cover.

Perhaps the very BEST part? The couple on the cover is married in real life!! The bride is Christina Frederick, a wedding planner in Tulsa and Houston (one of our Blue Ribbon Vendors!) and one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. We actually had the chance to surprise her IN PERSON with the news that she was going to be our cover girl! She attended Lara’s Making Things Happen Conference in October, and was totally bowled over when we flashed the cover on the screen. Thankfully, we had a photographer there to capture the moment:

So many emotions in such a short span of time! THANK YOU to Robyn Van Dyke (also a Blue Ribbon Vendor!) for capturing them all!! Of course, Christina knew that we’d be publishing the shoot, but at that point she hadn’t seen ANY photos from the day, and she most certainly didn’t know that she was going to be on the cover! She and her husband Blair are such a perfect example of why we love weddings and marriage, and we are so proud and blessed to have them grace our pages.

Though our official release day is Tuesday, we’ve heard that copies have already popped up on newsstands around the South! Yeehaw!! Be sure to snap a pic of yourself with your copy and tag #SWV6 on instagram or Twitter! If you live outside the South, you can always find a copy in our store. (And speaking of our store — be sure to stop by on Monday, when we’ll be sharing a look at the famous SWPS!)

THANK YOU, RYAN AND STEFANIE!!!

In the meantime, we’re DYING to know: What do y’all think??? Did we make the right decision? Are you as much in love with V6’s cover as we are?

P.P.S. Check back on Tuesday to see more from this gorgeous editorial!

emily Written with love by Emily
31 Comments
  1. avatar Harmony reply

    You guys made a great choice in choosing this cover and it’s especially sweet that it’s a real couple.

  2. avatar Oh My Stars! | Christina Leigh Events reply

    […] a marriage more beautiful than your wedding. If you have found the new issue, or if you have seen their post today you know where this post is headed. This post comes from a beyond blessed and completely honored […]

  3. avatar Christina Frederick reply

    Oh My Stars! Emotions have come rushing back! What an honor it is to be a part of V6 in such a special way. Blair and I could not be more blessed to not only be part of the SW family, but to have worked with such an amazing team that had the vision for the shoot, and to grace the pages with true love that resonates marriage! Thank you all for luring your heart into another fabulous issue!
    Here’s a peek at my take on this amazing issue. :)
    http://christinaleighevents.com/blog/blessed-completely-honored/

    xo Christina

  4. avatar Rebecca reply

    awwwwww what a SWEET post! I cant wait to get a copy of mine in the UK!

  5. avatar Katie Selvidge reply

    My heart is just bursting with happiness for Christina and Blair! Could not be more proud. Y’all, it’s just beautiful.

  6. avatar Sara Velordi reply

    This is gorgeous! Y’all have done it again! :)

  7. avatar Kat reply

    Ladies, I LOVE the cover & can’t wait to get my hands on my preordered copy!!!! It’s simply stunning – I love her dress, that gorgeous bouquet & the fact that they are ACTUALLY married really emphasizes what Southern Weddings is all about! I can’t wait to spend an entire day taking in every page :) SO HAPPY for you!!!!

  8. avatar Laura reply

    It’s beautiful! And you can definitely see the real-life love between the couple.

  9. avatar shelby reply

    oh my stars, that story makes me so happy! The cover is beautiful beyond words! congratulations ladies, I can’t wait to snag my copy :)

  10. avatar Robyn Van Dyke reply

    SO happy I was able to capture Christina’s priceless, tearful reaction!!! Can’t WAIT to get my hands on this gorgeous issue!! :D

  11. avatar Madi Reid Sanders reply

    I am totally TEARING UP as I see these images! Y’all never cease to amaze me with your dedication to this publication, the brand and the core of what it’s all about. I am so proud of each of y’all and what you’ve brought to the wedding industry…The focus on what matter’s most. I’m always cheering you on in every endeavor! Sending big southern hugs. AND Christina—YOU LOOK STUNNING!
    Love it all!
    -Madi

  12. avatar 11.8.2013 | Madi Reid Sanders reply

    […] teared up over this incredible post on Southern Weddings.  Man, oh man, these ladies are […]

  13. avatar Kylie reply

    SO IN LOVE with every square inch! Cannot wait to get my hands on a copy to see the rest of the amazingness. Y’all are simply wonderful, so happy for each of you! Big hugs from Oklahoma, xoxox

  14. avatar Jordanne Van Wert reply

    LOVE IT!!!! You definitely made the right choice!! Congrats Christina!!! That is so amazing!!!! :) Makes me tear up watching her face!

  15. avatar Jenn Dean reply

    The cover is absolutely stunning! I grew up with Christina- she is truly an amazing, loving, caring woman inside and out who works hard to make others’ special day the most beautiful it can be! She is so incredibly talented and loves sharing her talent with everyone else to make their dreams a reality! Couldn’t have picked a more deserving person to be on the cover!

  16. avatar Amanda reply

    In a society where marriages are breaking up all around us, it is so refreshing to see Southern Weddings taking a stand for the goodness of marriage. Love the cover and what it represents. Real love between real people. Love your hearts. Love your vision. Keep up the fantastic work. Can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!

  17. avatar Nancy H reply

    It’s gorgeous!!!! Im one of the lucky few that was in the room when the cover was revealed. I welled up seeing Christina’s reaction and can not wait to see all of the delcious pages in person. Amazing work ladies :)
    XOXO
    Nancy

  18. avatar jacin reply

    what a gorgeous cover and i’m so happy for christina! she truly is one of the sweetest gals!! what a special moment for her :)

  19. avatar ame reply

    YES! YES YOU DID!!! What a GORGEOUS couple!!! I love seeing her reaction too, SO adorable. I got a little misty seeing this! Cannot wait to get mine!

  20. avatar Nancy Ray reply

    Undeniably the right choice. And watching Christina’s face when you revealed it was priceless. Can’t wait for the celebration next Thursday!

  21. avatar Stacey White reply

    My SW copy is on its way to my mailbox…and I cannot wait, in fact, I won’t…I’ll be buying another copy or two at the store. The cover is timeless and the cover couple, well, simply PERFECT! Thank you SW for your leap of faith; you did good!

  22. avatar Krista Janos reply

    Love hearing the sweet story behind this cover. Her face is priceless. What special way to remember your special day! Am I the only one wondering what the second choice cover looked like?

  23. avatar Blair M. Frederick reply

    First of all, Thank you all so much for capturing this moment of my gorgeous wifey! Secondly, I have to commend you gals for pulling off such an awesome surprise, Great job!

    We are both truly grateful and honored to be part of such a prestigious publication, and look forward to see you all at the launch party!

    Take care and see ya’ll then!

  24. avatar Madelynne Moulton reply

    Just fabulous. What a sweet sweet story and a happy ending to all of it! I cannot wait to go get my issue this week!

  25. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up | Southern Weddings reply

    […] Oh happy day!! Many of y’all already have V6 in your hands (if you pre-ordered, your order is on its way!), and even though our official launch isn’t till Tuesday, we couldn’t be more excited about our new issue popping up a little early. We can hardly wait to hear what y’all think–don’t forget to use #SWV6 and tag us on social media if you take pictures with your magazines! Just in case you missed it this morning, we debuted our gorgeous new cover! Don’t miss the sweet story behind our decision, as well as pictures from the unique opportunity we had to reveal it to our gorgeous cover girl, here! […]

  26. avatar SWPS Volume 6! | Southern Weddings reply

    […] garage and we had opened a few boxes to get our first look at the V6 cover (read more about that here), we got to […]

  27. avatar SWPS Volume 6! – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] garage and we had opened a few boxes to get our first look at the V6 cover (read more about that here), we got to […]

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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