Southern Weddings

In all my years of blogging, there hasn’t been a harder post for me to write.  Whitney has been with us here at Southern Weddings since day one and to see her head to the Big Apple next week to be near her sweet boyfriend, Scott, will sincerely be one of my saddest days.  She’s seen me through ups and downs in life and in business, through moves and four gorgeous issues and now into my years as a mother.  Y’all, I just can’t even put into words how much I am going to miss her around these parts.  Grace has come to know her as a favorite “Auntie” already (blame the red hair and Whitney’s electric smile!) and I feel like she’s always been family. And she always will be.

The day Whitney told me she was moving to New York, my first thought was YOU GO GIRL!!!!  My second was, oh my goodness please don’t go!  I’ll miss you too much.  It’s a bittersweet goodbye.  We’re all so excited about what’s ahead of her, but there will be a lot of tears next Friday when she officially says farewell.  There already have been a lot of tears.  We all have been quietly moping around the office a bit lately, unable to really talk about Whitney leaving without having a cry fest start to well up.  Thankfully, she’s only a quick plane ride away and has promised many visits home to Chapel Hill!

Whitney…. oh, hello tears again… I love you, beautiful lady.  Thank you for being a true friend and for giving your all to our dear brides here and for working your tail off to make all of our lives happier every day.  You are a remarkable woman.  You’ve weathered so much over these last four years that I’ve known you and you’ve grown faster than kudzu on a corn patch.  I will sincerely miss seeing your smiling face here every day.  We all will.  But, you have great paths ahead and so much joy waiting for you in that big city.  You will be fabulous.  There’s no other option.  It’s just who you are.  Warm, witty, resilient, charming and full of Southern spark.   Dear NYC, I’m jealous that you will have Miss Davis soon to make your world a little brighter.   W.E.D (best initials ever!), thank you, to the moon an back, for four years of your very best.  The best is yet to come…  xo Lara

A little love from all of us…

My dear Whitney,  I can still remember seeing your face for the first time in an SW blog post (before I came to work here!)… and thinking you were 25.  Though it turned out I was WAY off on your age, it seems appropriate – you have always possessed a maturity, strength, and graciousness beyond your years.  In the almost three years that we’ve known each other, you have only grown into a more wonderful person.  You have a knack for making everyone feel at ease and welcome, you’re quite stylish, and you’re an extremely hard worker.  I have been so lucky to call you a colleague, and I know that your future co-workers will feel the same way — and that they, too, will quickly call you a friend.  I can’t wait to hear all about your Big Apple adventures!!  Much love, Emily

Dear Whitney, I am so sad to be writing this goodbye to you, but SO incredibly excited for you at the same time! I know that you will be amazing, and brighten everyone’s day that you meet! I will: however, miss a long list of things about you. Not limited to: laughing until my stomach hurts while making (ripping) tissue poms, sending thousands of emails back and forth, getting dressed in lobby bathrooms, riding in cabs with crazy drivers, gushing over gorgeous wedding gowns (and trying them on!), Pinkberry at midnight, you rocking red lipstick at the Ace Hotel, and most importantly my PIC! And I had to narrow this list down!  I am so grateful to call you my friend, and I cannot wait to come visit you in New York! I officially call dibs on your couch!  SO much love,   Marissa

Whitney dearest, there are so many things I want to say to you! Before I even met you, I knew you had some fierce drive and ambition. Seeing you move to New York and making your dreams come true (cheesiness not intended) was like the cherry on top of all the wonderful things I already think of you. I admire you so much for not only being passionate about every task and project you undertake, but for being a lovely person and a great friend. When I finally met you two years ago while we were both working at a wedding, I was so happy to have met another person who was sweet, smart and funny! You are incredibly easy to talk to, and I’m forever grateful for the endless advice and encouragement you’ve given me. I refuse to let our bonding over coffee and baked goods and jokes in the office end! Expect texts, tweets, emails, Skype calls and smoke signals coming from the SW office as I update you on the funny proposal stories we get, wedding madness and of course, if I ever meet a boy from the J-School. I know for a fact that whatever the next few months and years bring to you, you will knock everyone out of the water, take on the world with a smile on your face and still be that wonderful, down-to-earth girl I met two years ago.  Also, let’s please meet again soon so we can bake macaroons! You do know I’m coming to visit you in New York, right?  So much love and coffee and Kate Spade,  Nic

Needless to say, you will be missed Miss Davis.  Don’t forget to always over-sweeten your tea and teach every cabbie you meet that very important word… y’all.  We love you!!!!!  And now, a little trip down memory lane…. (break out the tissues, y’all!!!)

Written with love by Lara Casey