Southern Weddings

Emily, SW’s Creative Director, is a Southerner stuck in a Northerner’s body (though she can’t kick her New England love affair!). She enjoys the color pink, is obsessed with china patterns and exploring mundane points of etiquette, and could devour French bread all the livelong day. She loves the ocean. She’s a sucker for swirly calligraphy, fluffy garden roses, weddings under the stars, and classic white cakes. She lives in North Carolina with her brilliant husband and two pretty kitties, and she wants to be Tami Taylor when she grows up.

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Hometown: Gales Ferry, CT
Birthday: February 28, 1987
What fires me up: Sweet peas, hymns, saving money, giving money away, my cats, eating carbohydrates, setting goals, writing thank you notes, the beautiful outdoors, and living into my marriage vows
You would be surprised to know: I get the hiccups after almost every meal.  Unfortunate, but true.
Claim to fame: My metabolism (which is already high) went into overdrive from about fourth grade to seventh grade, and my best friend’s mom coined the nickname “Old Hollow Leg” for me.  Seriously, y’all, I was known to eat twelve pancakes or five slices of pizza in one sitting!!
How I met my husband: I had a crush on John in middle school (unrequited, of course).  Fast forward to our senior year of high school.  I actually thought he was dating someone else, and so was flabbergasted when he called me up out of the blue to say, “So, I think I like you…”  What else could I do besides burst out in nervous giggles?  We went on our first date (ice skating) a few days later, and have been together ever since.
My favorite memory from my wedding is: Walking down the aisle to meet my husband, hands down.
How I came to work at Southern Weddings: I was a classic case of The Right Person At The Right Time.  You can read the long version here!
Favorite Southern Weddings editorial ever: “A Williamsburg Wedding” or “Deep in the Heart of Texas” for the final images, “Paper, Cotton, Flour” or “Fine Feathered Fete” for the experience.
Best part of my job: EVERYTHING!  I have a strong entrepreneurial drive, and I love that I can have ownership over my work even as an employee.  I also love that there is a larger mission to what we do, so even the most mundane task takes on a new importance when I think of it as part of the larger picture.
Why I do what I do: To me, marriage is the gift that keeps on giving. The everyday things of life — from grocery shopping, to after-dinner walks around our neighborhood, to kisses on the way out the door in the morning — are so precious to me because I get to do them alongside my best friend. I LOVE that I get to be a part of a publication that celebrates that, and encourages couples in their everyday together lives. As much as I love weddings, after five years at SW, I believe working at any other wedding magazine would feel hollow, because a wedding means nothing without a marriage. We believe marriage is doable, and joyful, and worth it, and if you do, too, that’s what will build a generation of strong marriages… and that’s what will change the world.
What I do in my spare time: I try my best to keep my personal blog, Em for Marvelous, up to date.  John and I also love to explore the outdoors, travel, and garden, but he does not share my passion for tinkering with crafts or visiting the flea market.
True love is: Always, always, always wishing you could spend more time together.