Southern Weddings

Hi friends! I’m so happy to be formally introducing you to the newest member of the Southern Weddings family – Mrs. Kristin Winchester! Kristin joined us in July (after getting married in June!), and has been tearing it up with our Blue Ribbon Vendors ever since. We’re so thrilled to have her on our team, and are pleased as punch for y’all to get to know her a bit better! — Emily

Hi y’all. I couldn’t be more excited to sit a spell and share a little bit about myself – the newest gal in the SW office. Grab a big glass of sweet tea or freshly squeezed lemonade (or mix the two for a yummy Arnold Palmer) and let’s get started.

Nancy Ray

1. Confession: I make my bed every day. My day doesn’t feel right unless it starts off with a freshly made bed. I love the feeling of turning down the covers in the evening before crawling inside, something I inherited from my grandmother. (Note: I’m the first one up in the household so this responsibility falls to my beloved husband. Amazingly he has obliged and pulls up the covers each morning. Bless his soul!)

2. I have a crazy, big, loud and amazing family. I definitely get my competitive nature from them since we find an excuse for friendly competition at most holidays (i.e. full-contact Easter egg hunts, post-turkey backyard croquet – and my favorite – the annual Christmas Cookie Competition). The CCC winner gets a lovely pink plastic tiara and bragging rights for the year. I am a proud 3-time winner, but sadly finished in second place last year.

3. I completed the United States Marine Corps Mud Run in September of 2010. For a girl that doesn’t really get dirty too often, this was a big personal feat. Our team was named ‘Pearls & Shades,’ because I would show up to our training runs in my giant sunglasses and pearl earrings; my teammates found this get-up to be hilarious.

Martha Manning — stay tuned for more from my wedding on the blog soon!

4. The kitchen is my favorite room in any house. I love cooking, baking and just hanging out. My dream house has a kitchen complete with granite counter tops, plenty of comfy seating, two ovens and a fireplace. Any time you’re in the area and want to pop on by for supper, let me know!

5. I’m a Tar Heel born, I’m a Tar Heel bred and I have a deep love for my alma mater and college sports in general. I bleed Carolina blue, and I love to tailgate in Chapel Hill during football season. This is handy, since my husband works in collegiate athletics — sadly, not at Carolina, but it still means I get to attend my fair share of college sporting events and take ‘vacations’ to bowl games, ACC Basketball tournaments and Final Fours.

Martha Manning

6. I love holidays, potentially to an unhealthy level, making any excuse to decorate and dress for the occasion. Think pencils, crayons and red apple centerpieces for back-to-school (even though I am not in school and have no school-age children… or any children, for that matter) and pink and red outfits for the ten days leading up to February 14th. I just purchased my 4th of July dress for 2013 last week – a full ten months in advance (it was on clearance!!).

7. I love colleges and find great delight in visiting college campuses. If I am traveling to a new town that has a college/university nearby, I’ll do my best to visit, explore the campus grounds and make a stop by the student store to pick up a cup/shirt/etc. branded with the name of the school.

8. I feel that olives taste like rubber tires, and I have determined that they are a very polarizing food – you either love them or hate them. While I am not a very picky eater, there are a few foods that fall into the ‘no thank you’ category for me. Olives, plain milk and cooked carrots top the list of ‘foods that I try to avoid.’

9. The beach is my happy place. Just give me a floppy hat, a beach chair, and a good book – I’ll be set for days. There is something wildly comforting about the sand, sea and salty air.

Martha Manning

10. In 10 years, I plan to still be madly in love with my handsome husband, the proud mama to 2-4 kids and potentially own a dog (who will be named Murphy, after the campus building where KPW and I met in 2004). All of this greatness will take place in a house with an enormous front porch, where I will happily spend my mornings and evenings in between running errands, volunteering for a great non-profit organization, and continuing to dabble in the wedding world.

You can read more about me here!

Do we have something in common? Introduce yourself in the comments below!

Written with love by Kristin