Southern Weddings

My first thought when I saw Meg Sutton’s home was, “Good golly, this is ridiculously adorable.” My second thought was, “It’s like her products came to life!” As some of y’all might know, Meg is the amazingly talented Southerner behind Belle & Union Co., a staple of the Southern Weddings Shop. Since her product collection is impeccably curated, it’s no surprise to me that her home is, too, with not one of the 800 square feet marred by unnecessary clutter. It is, however, filled with plenty of meaningful mementos from their life together. Please enjoy this peek into the lovely Texas home and studio of Meg and Josh Sutton!

Big hugs to Amanda Marie for these lovely photos! And P.S.: scroll down to the bottom of the post for an exclusive Belle & Union discount!

Introducing: Joshua and Meg Sutton
Years married: 5
Where you live: College Station, Texas (whoop!)
Tell us your love story in one sentence. The art student and soldier fall in love along the sandy beaches of Tybee Island and beneath the mossy oaks of Savannah, Georgia. There was exactly one year between our first date and our wedding day. (Crazy kids!)

Do you rent or own? Currently, we rent our little carriage house–800 square feet of living space above the garage, which acts as studio space for Belle & Union. We know we most likely will not stay in College Station forever, as we are here while Josh is in school. We previously owned our home in Savannah, and can’t wait until the day that we buy again. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a fixer upper! Someday, we hope to own a little store with a studio in the back for me, and maybe a café next door for him, on a quaint little main street in smalltown USA.
Tell us about the process of moving in together. When we bought our first home, Josh was actually on the other side of the world, quite literally, serving a tour in Afghanistan. The house-picking process was one for the books, and I had to move everything from our little rental into the house myself. I then had three months before he came home to get everything all set up. I frustrated him quite a bit because I refused to share photos that entire time! I think it was all worth it for both of us when he walked in and said immediately that it just felt like home.

Which items from your wedding registry do you use the most often? I have to admit, the registry was more for Josh than it was for me! That being said, I asked him this question and he was quick to answer his knife set and the pots and pans. Safe to say, he is the chef around here.
What different decisions, if any, would you make for your registry if you knew then what you knew now? White! I wish we had registered for white stoneware from the beginning. We picked red stoneware, which was fun, but we got tired of it very quickly. I would suggest sticking with classic pieces, and adding the fun into your linens and other accessories that can be easily changed without a lot of expense.
Who cooks dinner? Josh is the chef. He loves to experiment in the kitchen, and is currently studying food science at Texas A&M. He cooks, I clean, and everyone is happy.
What is your go-to weeknight meal? Weekend meal? I don’t think we have a regular meal… Josh loves to experiment in the kitchen! But we do probably have Tex Mex at least once a week.
What’s your favorite place to find recipes? My creativity is all on paper, but for Josh, it is with food. We have a stack of cookbooks in the kitchen, but for the most part, he just starts creating. Sometimes, it’s like an episode of Chopped in our kitchen. I’ll pull out a few random ingredients and let him go to town. I haven’t had a bad meal yet!

Which room in your home is your favorite, and why? This is a trick question, since our house is basically one big room! All of the natural light makes it a wonderful spot to just sit and enjoy each other’s company. We were worried that moving from a 1500 square foot house to essentially an 800 square foot studio apartment would make us feel cramped and on top of each other. But honestly, I think we’ve loved living with less. You definitely learn what is more important to you in a smaller space.
Where do you splurge and where do you save when decorating? My best source has to be my husband. If I can’t seem to find just the right piece, I ask him to build it. Usually, it turns out better than I could have ever dreamed or imagined, and it costs a lot less money! He has built furniture, tiled a kitchen backsplash, and has even sewn roman shades for our kitchen! On the other hand, I do love a good day of junkin’! I currently have a weakness for all things typewriters, oil cans, and windmills.

How do you remember your wedding in your home? We have a few of our favorite wedding photos scattered around the house, but my favorite memento is our cake topper. It’s one of the first things I see every morning when I wake up, and it always brings a smile to my face.
What is your favorite memory from your wedding? My favorite memory is walking back up the aisle arm in arm after we were pronounced husband and wife. There was a bugler playing in the background (a surprise to my husband), and I remember turning and looking at him as we exited the chapel and feeling as if the world stopped spinning for just a moment.

Do you have a favorite date night idea to share? We tend to be homebodies, so there’s nothing either of us quite enjoys more than just cuddling on the couch while watching a movie. During football season though, we love to hang out with 80,000 of our closest friends and watch the Aggies BTHO whatever team we’re playing that week.
What has been the most surprising thing about marriage? I think a lot of brides (and grooms) expect any problems before the wedding to magically disappear after. Marriage doesn’t solve your problems–you have to do that yourselves, together!

What’s your best tip for balancing your relationship and other life priorities? With Josh in school and me working what feels like 24/7, it helps to be able to share what we do. He certainly helps me more with the business than I help him with homework (organic chemistry? No, thank you), but having a support system is invaluable. Knowing when the other person is stressed out and being able to step in, even if it’s something as simple as me giving him a ride to class, or him packaging cards for an order, helps us show love to one another, and thus grow closer together. But, probably the most important thing I can share is communication. Despite popular belief and expectations, we can’t read each other’s minds! Open and honest communication keeps us on the same page.

Do you have children? Currently, we just have one fur baby, our rescue dog, Ellie. The business is a baby all on its own, and combined with Josh in school, there’s a lot on our plates. We’d like to have children someday, once we are settled after Josh has completed school.

What is one small way you love or serve your spouse? When we were first married, it was common for us to leave little love notes around the house for each other to find. We both found our love languages to be words of affirmation (side note: read The Five Love Languages–it rocks). Being able to find a surprise full of kind words was always an instant day-brightener, and the notes were something that could be kept and treasured. For us, it all ties back to the importance of communication. That’s one reason I love what I do so much. For me, the Belle & Union line is not about the greeting card itself–it’s about the message it shares. It’s the opportunity to build, strengthen, and sometimes mend a relationship, connecting people in a thoughtful and tangible way. That’s what we try to do for each other in our marriage through those kind words and acts of love.

Before getting married, I wish someone had told me… love is a choice, a choice that you each have to make every single day. Josh and I have been through our fair shares of ups and downs, many we have put on ourselves, and others, such as hardships like physical separation while he was in the Army. We’ve had to grow up a lot, as individuals, and as a couple, in a very short amount of time. I think it’s key to know those are two very different things! The other person is not responsible for your happiness. They can certainly add to it, but you have to choose to be who you are, and whom you are with.
What is your favorite part of being married? I love knowing without a doubt that he is the man God intended me to be with. Even on days when I may not like him very much, I’m always reminded that he is exactly who I need.

We’re so grateful to Meg and Josh for sharing their hearts and home with us! Be sure to follow along with Meg at @belleandunionco and the Belle & Union site. We’re also offering 15% off all Belle & Union products in the Southern Weddings Shop, including tea towels, cards, recipe cards, and magnets! Enter code ILOVEBELLE&UNION at checkout until August 15.

P.S. We’d love to hear from you! Our hope is to feature REAL couples in the South – your inspiring friend, super talented cousin, or neighbor with the cutest house – the kind of person everyone would love to “e-meet.” If that sounds like you or someone you know, take a peek at our Southern Newlywed submission page and shoot us an email!

Written with love by Emily