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A few weeks ago, with our shop relaunch, I mentioned that we had added a whole new category to the Southern Weddings Shop: our e-book library! This was a natural next step for us, gals who have always been equally devoted to the pretty AND the practical. It’s my joy to give you a more extended peek into one of our first two digital offerings today: the Ultimate Guide to Budgeting for Your Wedding!

Anyone who knows me knows that I am extremely passionate about personal finance. Since I am also passionate about weddings, this new e-book is pretty much the culmination of my life’s work! :) The good news is that you do not have to be passionate about either to get the most out of our guide — in fact, it’s meant for people who want to cover their ears when they hear the word budget!

In this 26-page digital download, we equip you with everything you need to know to spend, save, and celebrate your wedding with money smarts. Topics covered include:

— How to set your wedding budget
— Ways to supplement your hired professionals (and save money!)
— How to negotiate while hiring vendors
— Our favorite ways to cut costs
— Creative ways to stretch your budget
— Setting your budget priorities
— How to talk to your parents about money
— When and how much to tip wedding vendors
— Industry standard percentages for your budget
— 11 line-item budgets from real weddings (ranging from $12,500 to $100,000+)

…plus a budget spreadsheet, a payment tracker, and plenty of encouragement along the way!

We believe that if you can do your budget well, the rest of wedding planning will be so much more joyful – and that’s our greatest wish for you! Get more info and purchase your Ultimate Guide to Budgeting for Your Wedding.

P.S. Curious about the intersection of our e-book library and the Joyful Wedding Planner? Our e-books can be used alongside our planner (since we go into more detail on each topic than we were able to in the planner) or in tandem with another planner. We’ve heard from so many brides who were sad to have purchased another planner before finding ours, so this is a way that all of y’all can still get our perspective on individual topics without purchasing a second planner!

emily Written with love by Emily
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It’s an incredible feat when a wedding feels magical enough to takes guests out of their normal lives, but makes them feel right at home at the same time, and I’m convinced that Mattie and Louis accomplished just that. They chose to be married on Mattie’s parents’ property, which is not only breathtakingly beautiful, but also deeply meaningful–it’s where Mattie’s parents and her brother were married, too. Mattie grew up admiring the garden parties her parents frequently hosted, so she and Louis decided to adopt the same elegant, but relaxed, feel for their wedding. With the help of Simply Chic Events and Beehive Events, they combined the garden’s natural aesthetic with plenty of nods to their families, the most stunning blooms, and a hearty helping of Southern hospitality to create a day that was uniquely theirs.

Many thanks to Kate Headley for sharing this gorgeous day with us in V9!

We got married on June 18, 2016 at 6 P.M. at Old Mill Cottage, my parents’ home in Crozier, Virginia. Because we knew our wedding would be outdoors, we targeted an early summer wedding date to try and avoid the risk of high heat that is common in Virginia in July and August. The ceremony and cocktails were held in different locations of the arboretum and gardens. The dinner reception was held under tents. I had always dreamed of being married in the gardens of the home where I grew up. It is a beautiful place, made even more special to me because my parents were married in a grove of trees on the property, and my older brother and his wife chose Old Mill Cottage for their wedding and reception as well. My parents love the outdoors and gardening and have spent years building a gorgeous, five-acre arboretum which provided perfect spots for the ceremony, cocktails, and reception.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. What was your favorite thing about it? My mom and I went shopping in New York one weekend and found my dress at Gabriella New York Bridal Salon. I had been eyeing Marchesa’s Azalea gown on Pinterest before we went shopping, and when I put it on, I knew it was the one. I thought it was the perfect garden wedding dress and loved the crystal and flower petal appliqués and airy tulle overlay.
Describe your bridesmaids’ dresses. How did you choose them? I wanted mix and match bridesmaids’ dresses, so I shared the color palette with my bridesmaids and asked them to pick out a couple dresses they liked in that palette. From there, I was able to coordinate their picks, and everyone got to wear something they liked!

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. What part was most special to you? Did you include any special readings? We had a Christian-Jewish interfaith ceremony. Louis and I spent a lot of time putting the ceremony together to blend our traditions, cultures, and religions, which made it very unique and personal to us.
Who participated in your ceremony? Family members, friends? If so, what did they do? Louis’ sister, Rebecca, co-officiated the ceremony with the minister from my church growing up. The minister conducted the ceremony and exchange of vows, while Rebecca led the sections of the ceremony honoring Jewish wedding traditions. Our niece and nephew, who are also our godchildren, were the flower girl and ring bearer. They are so special to us and it was wonderful that we were able to include them in such a big way. They were adorable and really stole the show!

My parents are beekeepers, so we had a subtle bee and honey theme throughout the wedding: specialty honeybee cocktails, bee emblems on the invitations and paper goods, a honeycomb-inspired display for the escort cards, clover honey ice cream to go with the cake, and of course, a jar of Old Mill Cottage honey for the guests to take home!

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Why was this design special to you as a couple? The season and the botanical setting of our home and property were the design inspiration, as well as the style of entertaining that I learned from my parents. My parents like to host outdoor dinner parties that are best described as casual, elegant, French-style dinners with colorful tables, lots of flowers and candles, and bottles of wine on the table. Our wedding planners expertly developed the beautiful details of our wedding and reception to complement the setting and style that were important to us.

We had the good fortune to work with a very creative floral designer who also lives “in the country” and appreciates the beauty of interesting botanicals, as well as the more traditional flowers. I wanted vintage-inspired bouquets and arrangements that used seasonal flowers and greenery in our color palette.

We had one kiddie table set up outside the tent for all the young kids we were having at the wedding. At each kid’s “place setting,” there were jars of colored pencils, mini etch-a-sketches, small wooden toys in wood berry baskets, and a kids Polaroid camera.

Tell us about your wedding cake or sweets. The base layers of the cake were completely covered in buttercream and then faded to a scraped naked style as you worked your way up the layers. The hand-piped buttercream on the base layers mimicked the embroidery on my grandmother’s family’s antique silk piano shawl, which was used on the altar table at the ceremony, and which also provided the inspiration for the design of our invitations. The cake was adorned with cascading fresh flowers. Our cake was layered with two different flavors: lemon zest cake with blackberry buttercream and lavender cake with honey buttercream. They were both served with clover honey ice cream.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met in 2007 in New Orleans when we were both attending Tulane University. We knew of each other through mutual friends and eventually found ourselves hanging out in the same crowd. After a few nights out on the town here and there, we could tell there was a connection. We both refer to one specific late night that ended at the infamous dive bar near campus called Snake and Jake’s as the night that really sparked our relationship. And the rest is history!
Describe the proposal: Louis proposed to me at the gorgeous historic Driskill Hotel in Austin. We had just seen a comedy show and decided to get a drink at the Driskill Hotel bar. While we were enjoying a cocktail, Louis excused himself to go to “the bathroom.” A few minutes later, the concierge came up to me and said Louis would like for me to join him in the Governor’s Suite and handed me a key. I knew right then what was about to happen! I went up to the room and Louis was on one knee out on the porch overlooking downtown Austin. It was very romantic and a night I’ll never forget!
How many guests attended your wedding? About 225 guests
What were some of the highlights of the reception? My stepdad’s toast, the Hora (chair dance), all of the kids on the dance floor, and our amazing band that had everyone dancing!
Tell us about your grand exit. Louis and I stayed until the band stopped playing at midnight and hopped on the bus with the rest of our guests back to the hotel, where we continued the party.
Did you include any Southern traditions in your wedding? In the fall of 2015 after we got engaged, Louis and his parents traveled to Virginia to spend the weekend with my family at Old Mill Cottage. We had a ceremonial burial of a bottle of Virginia Gentlemen bourbon under a garden statue at the site of the ceremony to ensure good weather for our wedding day…and it worked! Also, Louis’ father and brother served as his best men.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We just moved from Austin, Texas to Mobile, Alabama and we’re getting settled into our first home together! We’re looking forward to establishing ourselves in Mobile and eventually starting a family.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? Make sure to enjoy every second of your wedding week! It goes by so quickly, and there’s no reason to stress over the little stuff at that point.

Photographer: Kate Headley | Videographer: Monachetti Weddings | Planner and Designer: Simply Chic Events | Venue: Old Mill Cottage and Arboretum | Florals and Rentals: Beehive Events | Caterer: Occasions Caterers | Wedding Cake: Sweet Fix | Bride’s Gown: “Azalea” by Marchesa | Bridal Salon: Gabriella New York Bridal Salon | Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman | Bride’s Earrings: BHLDN | Matron of Honor’s Dress: Style 651755 by Needle and Thread | Bridesmaids Dresses: Various styles and colors by Jenny Yoo and Adrianna Papell | Hair Stylists: Ashleigh Snider and Niki Crocker of JAK Salon | Makeup Artist: Stephanie Parker Makeup | Groomsmen Fashion: The Black Tux | Paper Goods: Brown Linen Design | Linens: La Tavola Linen | Dinner Tent Chandeliers: Amelia Wood Bead Chandeliers from Pottery Barn | Favors: Old Mill Cottage honey jars | Transportation: James River Transportation | Lighting, Tents, and Flooring: Skyline Tent Company

The Black Tux is a delightful Southern Weddings sponsor!

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

    Oh my, I tried to pick just one favorite detail but there were so many that I don’t know where to start! All of this is so amazing — the location, mixing the traditions, the bee details (I die!) — and of course the sweet dogs and this gorgeous couple. Love it! Thank you for sharing this gorgeous wedding!

  2. avatar Catherine reply

    Her dress is stunning and just perfect for the aesthetic of the whole day!

  3. avatar Kimberly reply

    Gorgeous wedding! Welcome to Mobile!

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If I didn’t know better, I’d say the traditional second anniversary gift (cotton) was chosen with Southerners in mind! There are SO many ways to get creative with this gift suggestion, and today we’re sharing a few of our favorites below…

A cozy blanket for cuddling on the sofa. We love this heirloom-quality one from Brahms Mount.
A painting from a Southern artist. Canvases are made from cotton! A few of our favorite Southerners: Blakely Made, Sally King Benedict, Michelle Armas, and Britt Bass Turner.
A bow tie in a spring color. Our favorites are from our collection with High Cotton Ties.
A cotton boll wreath. For your front door or kitchen!
Cotton notecards. With or without monogram – your choice! (But we still think it’s fun to get excited about seeing your new-ish last name :))
A new sheet set for your bed. Go with a fun pattern like the gems from Southern favorite Biscuit!
His and hers aprons. We love the classic, understated styles from Heirloomed.

What do you think, friends? Any suggestions to add to our list? I’d love to hear!!

Celebrating your first wedding anniversary? See our gift suggestions here!

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

    I really like the idea of a painting. I’ve found some artists that will make a collage painting from pictures of details of your wedding. It’s a nice alternative if portraits aren’t your style.

    A nice monogrammed robe (maybe coordinating his and hers) is also a nice splurge, for all those Sunday mornings spent lounging around.

  2. avatar Catherine reply

    Big fan of both Biscuit and Heirloomed!!

  3. avatar Friday Favorites No. 24: Lots of Changes! – Classic Catherine reply

    […] When you see a show that has you smiling through tears, you know it’s a winner. Also, the second anniversary gift is cotton, and Will read my mind and got me these pajamas with my monogram embroidered on them! I 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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