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Most people either love Valentine’s Day or hate it, and I’ll be honest with y’all–I fall pretty firmly in the first category. That said, I don’t think you need to go all out and over the top to have a really great day with your beau–Dave and I are planning to head out to one of our favorite restaurants on Saturday night (with the hope of beating the Sunday crowds!) and then attempting my dad’s famous crepes recipe on Sunday morning at home. Nothing fancy, just lots of fun :) If you need a little bit of inspiration for your weekend plans, we rounded up some of our favorite ideas from past Southern Newlywed posts that we think would be a great fit for Valentine’s Day. Let us know your plans in the comments below!

Molly + Eric, by Jon Sharman Photography

“When we want to have a night out on the town without spending a fortune, we like to compromise and hit up our favorite spots for fancy cocktails and appetizers. We’ll get dressed up and pick a spot that’s typically a pinch out of our price range (but justifiable if we’re just going to grab some snacks and sips at the bar). We always order stiff drinks (I like martinis and specialty cocktails while James typically chooses whiskey) and a variety of savory appetizers to share.” – Rachel + James

“Sundays end up being the sweetest days for us together. We love starting the morning at our church home, beating the crowd to our favorite brunch spot, and spending the afternoon at our home, whether that means taking naps or just taking the entire day slow. Since we work at the boutique on Saturdays, Sundays are sacred–they are our day to unwind and refresh for the week ahead.” – Molly + Eric

Shalyn + Drew, by Ever and Anon

“Rhett and I love to set up a picnic area in our backyard and have dinner and dessert. His dad made us a beautiful coffee table out of the wood from our wedding backdrop, so I bring that table out to the backyard and fill it with food and flowers. We sometimes even do this for breakfast! It’s the perfect date, and we love that we can just step outside our house for it. On a newlywed budget, it’s nice to not have to drive somewhere and pay a lot of money at a restaurant.” – Brandee + Rhett

“While I love cooking and we eat at home most nights, we tend to go with standard, tried-and-true recipes that keep us from spending all evening in the kitchen. However, it can be extra fun to plan to stay in and make an ordinary evening not-so-ordinary (all while wearing pajamas and no makeup). We love to open a bottle of wine, find a “fancier” (see: more time-consuming) recipe, and maybe even pull out the nice napkins. While prepping the meal together, we are known to be pretty silly–singing (me), rapping (KPW) and dancing (both) while chopping vegetables and making marinades.” – Kristin + Kyle

Melissa + Will, by Allison Kuhn Photography

“While we were dating, our go-to nights out revolved around live music and local bands. For us, a live show always brings back that giddy feeling we had while first falling for each other.” – Sarah Jane + Brad

“One of our favorite things to do is travel, and since leaving the country isn’t always an option, Curtis and I have been known to create our own Italian dates! We go to an Italian restaurant for dinner, and follow it with gelato and then dancing in a piazza. It’s always fun to pick some of our favorite places we’ve traveled to and try to recreate our favorite evenings there–you really have to get creative!” – Blakely + Curtis

Mandy + Conner, by Gracie Blue

“This one was a huge surprise for Conner. I gave him two envelopes, and he was only allowed to open one in the morning. Inside was a date card that gave him vague details about what to wear, what time to be ready for dinner, and anything special he needed to know. It kept him in suspense all day and made a movie and dinner date a little more fun!” – Mandy + Conner

“Our favorite date night is building a fort in our living room that has lights all around it. We rent Redbox movies and eat tons of snacks! We always see who can stay up the latest, and whoever loses has to clean up the fort the next day!” – Shalyn + Drew

Erin + Todd, by Courtney Dox

“One of our very favorite dates is more of an un-date! Budget-conscious, pajama-friendly, and makeup-free, we LOVE a complete day at home ordering takeout and watching movies. We’ve been known to binge-watch Netflix (House of Cards, anyone?) for hours. Since we travel so much, BDK and I are homebodies, and really enjoy spending time just relaxing and hanging out. These nights (or days) in are sometimes the best way to recharge our batteries and reconnect when everything is a bit hectic.” – Marissa + Brandon

“Our schedules always seem to fill up with never ending to dos, so we try to carve out time to spend together by doing something good for our health, like going for walks. We usually bring along our dog to give him some exercise, too, and love using this time to explore our neighborhood, find cute trails to walk, and just spend uninterrupted quality time together (my love language).” – Melissa + Will

lisa Written with love by Lisa
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I’m not sure what it is about coffee shops, but I was recently reminded while on a coffee date with a friend (that lasted three hours!) that there are few better places to cozy up, relax, and enjoy some great conversation. Y’all may remember Melissa and Will from their wedding feature a few months ago, and now that they’re well into their first year of marriage, we were excited to catch up with them and learn about a few of their favorite date ideas. At the top of the list was a coffee date, and with a place as cute as Not Just Coffee to frequent, I can’t say I’m surprised!

Thank you so much to Allison Kuhn Photography for these beautiful photos!

The couple: Melissa and Will Mackvick
By day: I was recently laid off from my job (a true blessing in disguise from the sweet Lord), so I currently spend my time trying to figure out what my niche is career-wise. Will spends his days working as an associate at an investment bank here in Charlotte. He is a busy bee, but is doing a great job managing his work/life balance, which means so much.

Where they live: I was born and raised in Greensboro, and Will grew up in Raleigh–a place near and dear to our hearts, as that’s the city where we met during our junior year of college. For the last few years, we have been calling Charlotte our home and are absolutely smitten with the Queen City! We are Southerners through and through!

Their love story: Our love story is simple but sweet, and my all-time favorite. In January 2010, I was introduced to Will by some of our mutual friends. We spent some time getting to know each other that night, but ended up going our separate ways. A few days later, I couldn’t stop thinking about Will and reached out to him over Facebook. I invited him to a Valentine’s celebration that my friends were hosting, and the rest, as they say, is history! We were engaged in July 2014, and tied the knot in June 2015.

Melissa and Will’s five favorite date nights:

1. Coffee Talk: It’s almost impossible to begin our days without a cup (or two) of coffee, and we love starting off our weekends by heading to one of our favorite spots in Charlotte to “sit and sip,” and sometimes do our devotional. Not Just Coffee, The Mayobird, and Sunflour Bakery are some of the shops we frequent, depending on the mood we are in and the atmosphere we desire.
2. Game Night: Will and I are both competitive, so games let us get that side of ourselves out in the spotlight! You can often find us playing Scattegories or Checkers, or having friends over to play a few rounds of Balderdash or Wits and Wagers. We always lose track of time laughing and having fun…never acting our age!
3. Walk it Out: Our schedules always seem to fill up with never ending to dos, so we try to carve out time to spend together by doing something good for our health, like going for walks. We usually bring along our dog to give him some exercise, too, and love using this time to explore our neighborhood, find cute trails to walk, and just spend uninterrupted quality time together (my love language).
4. Root for our Home Team: Will is a huge sports fan and I love people watching, so it’s always a win-win for us when we go to sporting events. Going to baseball games to root for the Charlotte Knights is a summer favorite.
5. Movie Nights: Since Will often has to travel for work, there are nights (and even weekends) when we don’t want to leave the house…so we don’t! Instead, we pop some popcorn, make ice cream sundaes, pour a glass of wine, and watch movie after movie. We make a day of it! I’ll generally pick a movie to watch, then Will gets to pick one, so we both get to watch something we find entertaining. The number of movies and shows we have watched is A LOT!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
2 Comments
  1. avatar Melissa reply

    Thank you so much for featuring one of our favorite dates! We had SO much fun working with the talented Allison Kuhn and love anything that relates to Southern Weddings Magazine! XOXO!

  2. avatar Emily reply

    LOVE Not Just Coffee! So glad to see a couple introducing folks to one of the best coffee stops in Charlotte.

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Though there’s something undeniably romantic about summer in the South (just watch any Nicholas Sparks movie for proof!), fall, when the sticky weather is past, is a much more natural fit for a cozy date. We’ve rounded up several favorite ideas from the Southern Weddings team and our past Southern Newlywed couples to inspire you, starting with one of my favorites: choosing pumpkins at a pick-your-own patch and strolling through a corn maze!

Big hugs to Blue Ribbon Vendor Perry Vaile for these fun photos of me and my husband!

1. Head to the driving range. Cooler weather makes anything athletic more palatable, in my opinion, and even if you’ve never picked up a club, hitting a few balls is decidely low-pressure, and can be downright hilarious. Plus, you get to stand next to each other, mostly in one place, so there’s more chance for conversation than with most physical activities!
2. Treat the Fair like a tapas restaurant and share small bites of the… interesting options available. Bonus: compete to fill out our BINGO card!

3. Recreate travel. One of our favorite things to do is travel, and since leaving the country isn’t always an option, Curtis and I have been known to create our own Italian dates! We go to an Italian restaurant for dinner, and follow it with gelato and then dancing in a piazza. It’s always fun to pick some of our favorite places we’ve traveled to and try to recreate our favorite evenings there–you really have to get creative! – Blakely
4. Race each other. Poor Eric did not marry an outdoors-y girl, but luckily, I do love a thrill ride. And what better way to get your heart racing than with a little thrill and competition! Our ideal Friday date night would be a trip to the indoor (!) high-speed go-cart track, followed by our all-time favorite: Mexican food! – Molly

5. Picnic in your backyard. Rhett and I love to set up a picnic area in our backyard and have dinner and dessert. His dad made us a beautiful coffee table out of the wood from our wedding backdrop, so I bring that table out to the backyard and fill it with food and flowers. We sometimes even do this for breakfast! It’s the perfect date, and we love that we can just step outside our house for it. On a newlywed budget, it’s nice to not have to drive somewhere and pay a lot of money at a restaurant. – Brandee
6. Work your kitchen chops. While I love cooking and we eat at home most nights, we tend to go with standard, tried-and-true recipes that keep us from spending all evening in the kitchen. However, it can be extra fun to plan to stay in and make an ordinary evening not-so-ordinary (all while wearing pajamas and no makeup). We love to open a bottle of wine, find a “fancier” (see: more time-consuming) recipe, and maybe even pull out the nice napkins. While prepping the meal together, we are known to be pretty silly–singing (me), rapping (KPW) and dancing (both) while chopping vegetables and making marinades. – Kristin

7. Head into the city. This is when we unplug the most. We intentionally take a night (usually for a special occasion) and head into Atlanta, cell phone-free. We pick a new restaurant that has rave reviews and eat a new-to-us meal. We’ve even been known to stay the night on the 62nd floor of the Westin! – Hannah
8. Take a drive. This is one of our favorite ways to spend time together. During the afternoon, often on Sundays after church, we pick up lattes from our favorite coffee shop and just drive around together. We let ourselves get lost in the country and in conversation. We listen to music, roll the windows down, and explore our city. – Olivia

9. Have a “man night.” Carl is a big football fan, as am I, and something we’ve started doing together is what I affectionately call “man nights.” We go to a sports bar, drink beer together, and eat bar food while watching a game. It’s one of my favorite things to do together, because not only does Carl enjoy it, I do too. It’s such a fun, casual way to play and unwind together, and it’s a great excuse to eat really fantastic, greasy food. – Stephanie
10. Meet for fancy cocktails. When we want to have a night out on the town without spending a fortune, we like to compromise and hit up our favorite spots for fancy cocktails and appetizers. We’ll get dressed up and pick a spot that’s typically a pinch out of our price range (but justifiable if we’re just going to grab some snacks and sips at the bar). We love the food, drinks, and bar vibes at places like Gemma, R+D Kitchen, Bolsa, Meddlesome Moth, Stampede 66, Victor Tangos, and True Food Kitchen. We always order stiff drinks (I like martinis and specialty cocktails while James typically chooses whiskey) and a variety of savory appetizers to share. – Rachel

Drop your favorite fall date night idea in the comments, if you have one! We’d love to hear!

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

    I cannot even handle how beautiful and sweet these photos are!!

  2. avatar Erin Phillips reply

    These photos are gorgeous! How fun to have some sweet images captured while you’re still “just the two of us” :).

  3. avatar Maureen reply

    Love this and Em you look gorgeous!

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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