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Monthly Archives: April 2014

We’re celebrating Kristin’s birthday today! Check out #KNWbirthday on social media to see the “recipe” for what makes her wonderful, and leave her some love!

While I’m an Alabama girl at heart, I’ve spent a good portion of my life in Florida. I would say I know some of the best hidden gems in the state, but I think Beth has a leg up on me–she and her sister write a super fun blog called Palm Beach Lately. While PB is a fabulous place to be, I’d have to say that Rosemary Beach takes the cake! It’s a quaint little beach town filled with the sweetest folks and the prettiest buildings (you can even drive your golf cart or ride your bike everywhere!). I can completly understand why Beth and Lawson fell in love with the town and decided to treat their guests to a wedding weekend filled with relaxing, riding bikes, and playing on the lawns.

Heavens y’all, the Town Hall even made for the most lovely backdrop for Paul Johnson to snap one of my favorite aisle shots! Thanks for sharing, Paul!

What a little doll!

I always envisioned going to New York to find my wedding dress, but when I went, I was torn between two styles. I went online to search for a dress that included what I liked about both dresses in one, and I found a Jim Hjelm dress that was exactly what I was looking for. I looked for the nearest shop that carried the dress and it ended up being the one!

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? I had visited Rosemary Beach, Florida for a wedding about nine years ago and always thought it was such a magical town for a destination wedding. We live in Palm Beach, but wanted a more intimate wedding. Many people were confused about why we were going to a beach town in Florida, when we already lived in one! When Lawson and I visited Rosemary Beach, he instantly loved the town too, and we knew it was exactly what we wanted for our wedding weekend. The town is quaint and beautiful, complete with intimate restaurants, pristine beaches, and amazing architecture. It was so great to see our guests relaxing, walking from their house rentals or hotels into town for dinner or cocktails, riding bikes, and playing on the lawns.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? No, we did not do a first look. Since I was a little girl, I always imagined walking down the aisle and seeing my groom for the first time. It is the most amazing feeling to see your future husband’s reaction…one of the most significant moments in your life. There is something so special about tradition.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? “These Hands” was read by the woman who set us up on a blind date.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. I coordinated a wedding in NYC when I first started in the event business, and the bride walked down the aisle to Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me.” I remember thinking that when I got married, I wanted to walk down the aisle to that song. When we were leaving the church, we played “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers. It seemed so fitting once we were pronounced husband and wife. Our first dance was to Ray LaMontagne’s “You are the Best Thing.” We both loved the song and what it stood for, so we knew that it had to be our first dance.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We gave vintage embroidered handkerchiefs to our mothers, grandmothers, and my sister with personal notes. The reception was in a tent on a lawn near the ocean, and the dance floor under the night sky. There was a custom corn hole game in the lawn at cocktail hour, along with a beer boat and koozies. And of course, my handsome southern gentleman.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Being creative with our budget. I love details, so picking what really was important and letting some of the other details go was hard sometimes.

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Our DJ. We love to dance and we danced the night away. Even a rain storm didn’t stop us! Everyone got under the tent and up on their chairs and kept dancing. We also loved our videographer. Everything went by so quickly, it was so hard to take it all in. We get to relive our wedding day every time we watch our video.

What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? Etsy!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Looking back at the tent and seeing all our friends and family there to celebrate the next chapter in our lives as husband and wife.

Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My something blue was my Gators garter, in honor of my time as a University of Florida Cheerleader, and my something borrowed was my Cartier bracelet from my brother, who owns Gregory James Jewelry.

I’m not a cake gal, but heavens that looks divine! I adore the Swiss dots and pretty peach combo!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. A family friend set me up on a blind date with Lawson, and there was immediate chemistry. We talked and talked and had a great lunch before he headed out of town. I thought he was so cute and sweet, and we had a lot in common. He called me as soon as he got back, and we have been inseparable since.
Tell us all about the proposal! In October 2012, at one of my favorite places, Soho Beach House in Miami, with both of our families there, he asked me to marry him. He could hardly get the question out before I blurted “yes!” It was amazing to share that special moment with our families.
When did y’all get married? November 16, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 130
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We wrote our own vows. I was hesitant to do so, but Lawson really wanted to and I am so glad we did. Your own vows are a personal expression of your love and commitment to each other. My favorite part of ours was, “In front of those we love, I choose you today and everyday for the rest of our lives.”
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Not to sweat the small stuff. It’s easy to get caught up in the details, but the most important part of the wedding is to celebrate each other.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We recently moved into our new home and are looking forward to our honeymoon at the end of the year.

Photographer: Paul Johnson Photography / Videographer: Films by Francesco / Planner: Beth Beattie Branding, PR and Events / Ceremony Venue: Town Hall, Rosemary Beach / Reception Venue: Eastern Lawn, Rosemary Beach / Florist: Events by Nouveau Flowers / Wedding Cake: Confections on the Coast / Caterer: Townsend Catering / DJ: DJ Wolf / Bride’s Gown: Jim Hjelm / Paper Products: Palm Beach Parties / Bride’s Jewelry: Gregory James Jewelry / Hair Stylist: Amanda Parisi / Makeup Artist: Jamie Gummere / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew / Men’s Attire: Bonobos

marissa Written with love by Marissa
11 Comments
  1. avatar Emily reply

    I adore their first dance photo – the clouds coming in make it so dramatic!

  2. avatar Lisa reply

    That dress was made for her!!

  3. avatar Mary reply

    This is such an insanely gorgeous wedding!

  4. avatar Mikkel reply

    Beautiful! Love the bridal party portraits and how the cake was captured. LOVE the calligraphy on the menus too! It all looked so gorgeous and like a great party in a beautiful setting!

  5. avatar Friday Fresh Squeeze #136 | Floridian Weddings reply

    […] From Palm Beach to Rosemary Beach for the prettiest little wedding by the sea. […]

  6. avatar Hilary reply

    I love her monogram design on her pillows & koozies, do you know which designer she used for those?

  7. avatar Molly reply

    Where did you get the koozies? I love the simple classic monogram.

  8. avatar Kate reply

    Love the PJs for the bridesmaids! Too cute – where did she get those?

  9. avatar Stevi reply

    Anyone know the style number of the wedding dress? I would love to get a better look at it. Thanks!

  10. avatar Erin Dunavant reply

    Who designed their logo? What Etsy site was used to personalize party favors?

    Thank you!

  11. avatar Kara reply

    I have been looking everywhere for this color of bridesmaid dresses! Yellow….but very pale yellow. Do you know the name of this color from Jcrew? Is it “champagne” or “parisian yellow”? It is hard to tell online!

    Thank you!

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Happy Birthday, Kristin!

by in Main on

No one loves a celebration quite like our own Mrs. Kristin Winchester. Whether it’s someone’s birthday, an anniversary, or a national holiday, she’s the gal who will remember and send you a text, an email, or even a surprise card in the mail. Since she’s celebrating her own birthday today, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to shower her in love!

Landon Jacob

Every hour, on the hour, people who love Kristin will be sharing “ingredients” to the “recipe that makes KNW wonderful”—did I mention she’s a fabulous cook?—on social media. Follow along with the hashtag #KNWbirthday!

Happy birthday, dear Kristin!! Wishing you the most joyful day!

Love,
Lara, Emily, Nicole, Marissa, Lisa and Morgan

lisa Written with love by Lisa
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Happy Easter, belles!

Marianne Caldwell, owner of RiverOaks Charleston and one of our beloved Blue Ribbon Vendors, is a Southern Weddings kindred spirit. As you can easily see on her Instagram feed, she, like us, loves beautiful weddings, the culture of the South, and most of all, strong marriages. We are continually inspired by stories of how she cares for the couples she works with and we were so excited to hear a snippet of what she and her husband, Kenny, have learned in their 33 years of marriage. Enjoy!

The only thing we will leave behind for the generations that follow us is our story. We want our marriage to be a great and meaningful story, because the marriage relationship is the most important earthly relationship. This takes intention, purpose, and a lot of work!

Daily habits are good things to cultivate, so we kiss at least three times a day–hopefully more, but at the very least, I kiss my man every night, there is an after-work kiss, and he kisses me every morning, no matter what! Love notes are made so easy these days with texting. “Love texts” are thrilling to receive and are a huge deposit into our daily relationship.

In the harder times, an intentional mindset that our relationship is more important than our issues reminds us to be quick to say, “I am sorry” or “Please forgive me.” There was a time in our marriage when we were off track, and we found that seeking outside help before it got any worse was beneficial.

Something that energizes our marriage is that we have found common interests to dream about together and we work together to make some of them happen, such as building projects, a garden, trips, ministry, landscaping, a family, and a wedding company! One of our dreams was for children, and we were blessed with four of them within five years. They are all now in their 20’s and gone from home, so we have each other alone again, which is a dream, so remember to keep your spouse above your children!

Our marriage of 33 years has been a continual and necessary lesson in what it means to live for greater things than ourselves. Our faith in Jesus keeps us learning this and makes our marriage sweeter along the way. A great way to keep your marriage growing is to invest in a couple a step behind you and pour your life into them together! We have taught newlyweds at our church for 15 years, yet this ministry has given back to our marriage more than we have ever given.

Finally, each anniversary, reminisce about first dates, first kisses, when you fell in love, your wedding day, and more, to help you cherish your story in the past, present, and future. This intentional and purposeful work in your marriage will tell your story for generations to come!

Christopher Shane

Keep up with Marianne:
Website: RiverOaks Charleston
Facebook: RiverOaks Charleston
Twitter: @RiverOaksCHS
Instagram: @RiverOaksCharleston

lisa Written with love by Lisa
1 Comment
  1. avatar Jadzia reply

    Beautiful!! Thank you for sharing!

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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