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Southern Weddings

Monthly Archives: November 2015

Though we like to think that gals from around the world can pull inspiration from any of our features, the truth is that many of the details we dream up are very specific to the area of the South where we shoot them. That’s on purpose, of course — we love exploring what makes every corner of our beautiful home unique! — but it does make it extra important to create editorials in a variety of Southern states. One such state that we hadn’t had the pleasure of visiting before Southern Weddings V8 was Kentucky. Having the chance to craft a story involving the Bluegrass State, traveling to Louisville, and meeting so many wonderful readers and vendors in KY was one of our very favorite parts of #MakingSouthernWeddings this year, and we hope y’all (Kentuckians and otherwise!) love the result!

Biggest hugs to photographer Whitney Neal and stylist and florist Jaclyn Journey for working with us on Our Kentucky Home!

We were so happy to have Rachel Fisher Calligraphy on hand to create paper details as the shoot unfolded, including escort cards and signage. She did make our beautiful invitation suite ahead of time, however!

Some of you may recognize that smiling face — it belongs to Kayla, who was one of the bridesmaids on V7’s cover! We adored working with her so much that we asked her to return as a model for this issue, this time with her sweet husband!

Jaclyn created the most amazing wildflower- and bluegrass-inspired bouquets for our ladies. Blue is not always an easy color to work with in flowers, but she pulled together a gorgeous handful of scabiosa, delphiniums, Queen Anne’s Lace, bachelor’s buttons, sweet peas, stock, and grasses that was a perfect fit.

There were so many fun fabric patterns to play with in this shoot! From the gingham groomsmen shirts to the coordinating flower girl dresses and mix and match bridesmaid tops, we were inspired to incorporate all shades of blue in the attire.

Jaclyn’s talented husband built our ceremony arch! It looked right at home paired with rustic white pews from the Pew People.

One of my favorite photographs from this issue — I think everyone who’s been married can remember the joy of walking (or running!) back up the aisle as husband and wife!

There’s nothing like down-home favorites at a wedding reception, and Wiltshire Pantry knocked our socks off with their spread of delicious (and beautiful!) Southern food! I may have been partial to those deviled eggs, but skillets of mini hot browns were a non-negotiable for this Kentucky-themed editorial.

We couldn’t resist wrapping up the evening with a little bluegrass music — we were in the Bluegrass state, after all! Local couples, take note: we adored working with the talented gents of Fresh Cut Grass! They would be a perfect complement to any cocktail hour!

If you haven’t already, pick up your own copy of Southern Weddings V8 here, or on newsstands across the South! This is the last editorial to share from this issue, but check back in the new year to see more from our featured weddings!

Photographer: Whitney Neal Photography | Film processing: Richard Photo Lab | Planner, stylist, props, and florals: Jaclyn Journey Event and Floral Design | Venue: Farmington Historic Home | Caterer: Wiltshire Pantry | Dessert: Wiltshire Pantry and Kentucky Woods Bourbon Barrel Cake | Hair stylist and makeup artist: Carley Randall Beauty | Paper goods: Rachel Fisher Calligraphy | Pew rentals: Pew People | Farmhouse table: Louisville Farm Tables | Glassware: 12th Table | China: Lancaster Court, LLC. | Bluegrass band: Fresh Cut Grass | Bride’s gown: “Lafayette” by Sarah Seven | Bridal salon: The Dress Theory | Bridesmaid fashion: Anthropologie | Jewelry: Dress & Dwell | Floral bow tie: Lord Wallington | Striped and gingham bow ties: High Cotton

Whitney Neal and Jaclyn Journey are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

emily Written with love by Emily
3 Comments
  1. avatar Dana reply

    Love the blues and all the patterns! Beautiful styling!

  2. avatar Lindsay C. reply

    The food in this shoot looks DELICIOUS!

  3. avatar Drawing Inspiration from Southern Weddings V8 – Kyla Mary reply

    […]  I especially love the pie bar, the mismatched groomsmen, and their bowties. View the original post here. […]

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If you’ve had the chance to flip through Southern Weddings V8 (which we so hope you have! If not, find it here), you’ve most likely seen the gorgeous Astrid & Mercedes ad, right next to our Sweet Tea Society manifesto! We know wedding dress shopping can be daunting, so we love sharing our favorite designers, especially when we just know their styles and hearts will resonate with y’all. That’s why we’re tremendously grateful to have had Astrid & Mercedes (who believes in “petal-strewn kisses, ceremonies under the trees, and dancing barefoot under twinkling lights”) as part of the SW family for the past few years. We were tickled pink to have the opportunity to ask founder and designer, Lea-Ann Belter, a few questions for today’s Designer Spotlight!

Tell us about the beginnings of Astrid & Mercedes–why did you want to start a bridal line, and how did you get started? I spend a lot of time with my two nieces, Astrid and Mercedes, and after our adventures, all I want to do is sketch wedding dress designs. Rather than fitting in with my Lea-Ann Belter collection, though, the drawings that filled my notebook had a totally different sensibility. So, I followed my two muses and created a line of gowns just like my nieces–plucky, unconventional, and up for anything!

Tell us about what y’all offer to brides and gals. We create bridal gowns and accessories with a whole lot of care and love! Each wedding dress is made with 100 percent silk and is hand-cut, draped, and sewn by my wonderful team at our Toronto atelier.

What sets Astrid & Mercedes apart from other bridal gown brands? My niece-muses, Astrid and Mercedes! Their carefree, vibrant spirits weave their way into every gown and accessory. We also produce everything in the same studio as the Lea-Ann Belter collection. Something so special and dear to my heart needs to be made with the same attention to detail as my couture collection.

What is your single best tip for a bride about to start shopping for her wedding gown? Leave your expectations at the door. So often, women have preconceived ideas of what they’ll like, what they should wear, or how they should feel when they find the right gown. Approach the experience with an open mind and listen to your heart. When it flutters just in the slightest, you’ve got a winner!

What is your current favorite wedding dress in your collection? If you were to get married tomorrow, which dress would you wear? My favorite changes from day to day, but lately, whenever I see Glamour, she makes me smile–probably because she was inspired by a trip we took out to the Niagara escarpment. It’s such a beautiful place, so fresh and full of natural beauty! If I were getting married tomorrow…oh my goodness! I guess I’d be up all night sewing to create something that felt just right.

Do you have a favorite Astrid & Mercedes memory? I had been dreaming of creating the collection for so long that seeing it come to life in the studio was really moving. I’ll never forget how it felt to see all the new gowns hanging together in my Toronto boutique.

What is the single greatest lesson you’ve learned in business? Be fearless and believe in yourself.

Name three items every gal should have in her closet. A vintage piece that makes you feel beautiful, glamorous, and strong, a pencil skirt (so versatile!), and, of course, heels that won’t quit!

Thank you so much, Lea-Ann! Follow along with Astrid & Mercedes here:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

This post is brought to you by Astrid & Mercedes – thanks for your support of the brands that make Southern Weddings possible!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
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We’re always so thankful when we can have behind the scenes photographers on hand at editorial shoots–so much goes into the making of the finished images, and it’s a lot of fun to share a peek into that with y’all! On top of that, it’s really sweet to have these records for our own memories, and since our Texas Sweethearts editorial shoot day was a favorite from this year for both Emily and me, we’re particularly glad that our Blue Ribbon Vendor and dear friend Jen Dillender was there to spend the day with us. Our vendor team and reader models were all amazing, and made this shoot such a joy to be a part of!

It is inevitable–there are always behind the scenes shots of us snapping sneak peeks for Instagram!

All hands were on deck setting up gorgeous vignettes and details around Star Hill Ranch! This property is unreal–the owners relocated historic homes from around Texas to create the most charming faux town square. We remembered it from this wedding we shared a few years ago, and knew it was our dream venue for this shoot!

Pink Avocado Catering pulled out all the stops for our Texan-inspired menu. We were determined to make upscale frito pies a “thing” at this shoot, and couldn’t have been happier with the way they turned out!

Shooting portraits is one of my favorite parts of any shoot day. It’s so much fun seeing the fashion we chose shine, especially if there’s a real couple modeling for us! I couldn’t stop laughing at the shot below of Emily wearing the veil–she couldn’t very well leave it on the ground and let it get dirty or wrinkled, after all! :)

Everyone from our photographer, to our beauty team, to our behind the scenes photographer poured their hearts into making this editorial magical–we’re tremendously grateful to work with people who share our hearts for marriage and the magic of the South.

For the finished photos from this editorial and all of the wonderful vendors involved, see V8 in print (now on news stands and online here) and this post!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Maureen reply

    Ya’ll are too cute! I love seeing Em and Lisa in action and with Victoria and Ben as models! Love it!

  2. avatar Rhiannon reply

    This shoot is so beautiful with such unexpected pops of color. The amaryllis are perfect! Well done, everyone!

  3. avatar Dana reply

    Wish I could’ve gone to this shoot! More Texas shoots! :)

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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