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I’m sure you all know the feeling of following the Instagram rabbit hole… you click through an ever-lengthening chain of photos and profiles until suddenly you land on something that makes you stop and say aaaaah, this must have been what I was looking for. That’s how I felt when I stumbled upon Emma’s profile. As one half of a couple who loves to travel, I was immediately impressed by the adventures Emma and her husband Wesley had under their belts while still in their twenties. Today, they’re stopping by Southern Newlywed to share a few of their best tips for couples traveling together!

Husband and wife: Wesley Teague, 29, and Emma Teague, 27
Years married: 5
Where you live: Birmingham, AL
Tell us a little bit about yourselves. Wesley is enough extrovert for the both of us. He enjoys being active outdoors and is always making new friends. Emma likes reading blogs and books, amateur gardening, and cuddling with our cat. We love binge watching TV shows, spending time with our church community and our families and, of course, traveling.

Tell us your love story in one sentence. (Wesley) While sitting next to one another in a Spanish class, Emma’s first compliment to me was, “Hey, you have nice teeth.” (What she really meant was “I love you!”), and the rest is history ;)
What is your favorite part of being married? We don’t take ourselves too seriously; we’re constantly laughing and being goofy together. Finding humor in the day to day is just one small thing we enjoy about doing life together.
What is your favorite memory from your wedding? (Wesley) It was late August in Alabama; the heat was like a fog sitting over the property. Twenty minutes before the ceremony, it started to rain. We were minutes from moving everything inside a covered barn, but the rain retreated and gave us a beautiful background on which we could start our life together. During our ceremony, we planned to remove each other’s shoes as a symbol of the sacred covenant we were making with the Lord (and we were married on a farm, so it was quite fitting). As previously stated, it was warm outside and when Emma tried to delicately remove my shoes, they were stuck to my feet because sweat and leather don’t mix well. Haha! I eventually had to help out and it was just a beautiful and funny reminder that we’d always be working and fumbling through this adventure together.

Before getting married, I wish someone had told me… how it feels like we’re constantly doing laundry. We’re always cleaning out our closet in hopes that it will lighten the load.
Tell us about your favorite vacation you’ve ever been on. That’s such a tough question. The experiences are always different and we like certain places for certain reasons. We lived in Spain for our first year of marriage and that was like an extended honeymoon. It’s our favorite for sentimental reasons. Last year, we took a road trip down Hwy 1 and the scenery was amazing – something beautiful around every corner. We ended up in Palm Springs/Joshua Tree where we traded in our sweaters for swimsuits and fruity drinks. It was the perfect end to such an amazing road trip. It’s hard to beat that West Coast. We’re headed to Iceland in a few weeks and I’m pretty sure it’s going to give our other trips a run for their money.

Favorite city: Amsterdam
Favorite way to travel: By train
Do you have any tips for saving money while planning travel or while traveling? We usually have a budget in mind before we go anywhere. We pick a place and then make that trip fit the budget. We use AirBnB and Priceline a lot! We’ve bid and won so many great deals when we travel. Sometimes we stay in “cheaper” accommodations so we can splurge one or two nights of our trip. Also, we make our own food a good bit. That will save you $10-$20 per meal. Road trips usually consist of a lot of PB&J. Also, we don’t pay for tours very often. A friend of ours recommended we use Rick Steve’s FREE audio guides. It’s just one of the many great resources you can use as a self-guide when seeing a city.

How does travel fit into your life? Do you have to make any sacrifices to travel like you do? If so, what? We’re so thankful that we get to travel for work. We often tag on an extra day or two if we’re shooting in a place we’ve never been before. As far as sacrifices are concerned, we’re pretty frugal and we’re always saving for our next trip. We prefer experiences to material things most of the time.

The close proximity and unknowns of long trips can sometimes be stressful. Do you have any tips for a husband and wife traveling together? We’ll preface this question with the fact that we spend 98% of our time together because we both work (and live) at home. We like to think our communication has a slight advantage on the average relationship simply because we have a lot of practice. Haha!

We love this question because anything can happen on a trip. Wrong turns, missed flights, layovers, language barriers, other humans, appendicitis (on our honeymoon) and my pride… the list goes on. One time Emma and I lost each other for 20 minutes in a crowded train station in Belgium. We had no cell phones and our train was leaving. I had NO IDEA what happened to her. I freaked out – running back and forth, calling her name… it was like a scene from the movie Taken except I didn’t have to kill anyone. Turns out, she went to the restroom. Just like with marriage as a whole, forgiveness and communication is key. Don’t leave anything implied. You should apologize with no strings attached and if you need some alone time, you can do it on the plane, train, or car ride to your next awesome destination.

Any tips for those planning a honeymoon? We always say go big or go home. Do something or go somewhere neither person has experienced. If you are on the fence about anything, just do it! We promise you won’t regret it. You have this one honeymoon and the rest of your life to be frugal and save.
Why do you love to travel? To travel together? We’ve been traveling together since the beginning of our relationship. We studied abroad together in Spain and that’s where our wanderlust really began. It’s been an ongoing part of our relationship and something we truly enjoy doing together. We feel so alive when we’re out experiencing cultures and taking in new landscapes.

Favorite memory or experience while traveling: (Wesley) The last evening of a road trip through the South of France with Emma and my brother, we drove into the medieval town of Collioure. We ate crepes at 1am, roamed the city under the glow of “super moon,” tried to sleep in the car, and watched the sunrise over the water while sitting on the walls of a 1500-year-old church. Pretty surreal. (Emma) My visit to a public Hamman (bathhouse) in Marrakech is one I’ll never forget. I was invited by a middle-aged Scottish woman who happened to be staying in our hostel. After being told to strip down and wait, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into. I have an eye-opening memory of being scrubbed head to toe by a gray-haired Moroccan woman. A cultural experience that I’ll always cherish!

As photographers, we take a lot of photos and carry around a pretty big arsenal of camera gear when we travel. It’s ingrained in us to want to document each and every moment and subsequently share it with the world, but on the contrary we love the line from the movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, where the photographer, Sean O’Connell shares, “If I like a moment, for me, personally, I don’t like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it.” We don’t have many images from the two experiences above, but they’ve changed us all the same.

Thanks so much to Emma + Wesley for coming to chat with us today! In addition to being travel bugs these two are talented wedding photographers, and all of these photos are theirs. Follow their adventures on instagram (@emmateague, @woonteague, and #travelingteagues).

emily Written with love by Emily
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Summer, for the longest time, has always meant “summer vacation” to me. Sure, when you were in school as a kid, those last few weeks of May and June were filled with thoughts of summer break instead of finals. But as adults, those thoughts are now turning into daydreams of wonderful weekend getaways to places you would otherwise not take the time out to explore. “Summer vacation” means time unplugged from work. It means rocking chairs, swimming, big breakfasts, bike rides, new towns and souvenirs.

When we thought of which Southern getaway spots to highlight in this post, we immediately thought of Meredith Perdue and her boyfriend, Michael of Map & Menu. Their trips all over the East Coast have made them experts at the art of the getaway. We couldn’t resist asking Katie Frederick of Ever After Honeymoons to chime in with her picks for some truly special escapes, too, since she’s a pro at creating wonderful vacations.

Image Credits: All by Meredith Perdue for Map & Menu.

The Fearrington House – Chapel Hill holds a special place in Meredith + Michael. It’s where they went to school and first met and is a fantastic area to eat some great food and walk one of the most gorgeous college campuses in the country (not that we’re biased or anything). “When we were students, the two of us would drive to Fearrington Village to check out the Belties, peruse the books at McIntyre’s, and have some ice cream at The Belted Goat. After school, we came back and spent a wonderful evening at The Fearrington House. It’s a short drive back to Chapel Hill, where all of the shops, restaurants, and general atmosphere of the campus town await you, but The Fearrington House offers a way to experience it without being completely immersed in it. When you’ve had your fill of Chapel Hill, check out the ever-growing towns of Carrboro and Pittsboro, or just relax on the grounds on Fearrington Village. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that the breakfast at The Fearrington House is one of the best we’ve ever had — you should definitely try it for yourself.”

Image Credits: All by Joey + Jessica via Style Me Pretty except bottom right by Kate Headley via Snippet and Ink.

Bald Head Island – “Of the many places we’ve traveled together, Bald Head Island remains one of the most special. My family has been vacationing on the island since I was a child, and I was eager to share the experience with Michael when we began dating back in college,” says Meredith. “The island is only accessible by boat, giving it a wonderful private getaway feel. Large sandy beaches, marshes for paddling, miles of car-less roads for biking, and a growing set of hiking trails are just a few of the natural offerings of the island. There are two country clubs that many visitors have access to, the adorable Harbor Village, a well-stocked market and a few shops, and let’s not forget Old Baldy – the picturesque, century-old lighthouse that visitors can climb.”

Image Credits: All by Meredith Perdue for Map & Menu.

Clifton Inn – “Charlottesville is a delightful Southern escape – the area is rich with history, the downtown is charming and filled with great shops & restaurants, and its setting among the Blue Ridge Mountains couldn’t be more picturesque! When you’re not exploring historic attractions like Monticello or hiking in the nearby Shenandoah National Park, we highly recommend relaxing at the lovely Clifton Inn, just outside of town. I first discovered Clifton earlier this summer and found myself inquiring about dates for future trips before I’d even checked out! The inn offers one of the most soothing, tranquil settings I’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying firsthand.”

Images from The Sonnet House

Soniat House – According to Katie, this boutique hotel is located in the French Quarter and is comprised of three historic creole townhouses. Just as you would expect, the rooms are furnished with balconies that overlook courtyards. It offers the New Orleans experience with class and luxury. If you’re just in town for a bit or if the Soniat House is out of your price range, you’ll still find that just walking by this beauty is an experience in itself. Luckily, you can do that on the way to some of NOLA’s other attractions including the Aquarium of the Americas, the St. Louis Cathedral, The Cabildo, Riverwalk, dozens of restaurants, antique shops and art galleries, and the Frenchmen Street Music District.

Images from Blackberry Farms

Blackberry Farms – Katie must have read our minds with this pick — the Southern Weddings gals have been dying to go here, too! This 4,200 acre hideaway offers everything from yoga to canoeing, carriage rides and whiskey tasting. You might choose to relax at their spa and enjoy their incredible farm fresh restaurant, then stay in their cottages with a covered porch, rocking chairs, and large whirlpool tubs. Of course, we love that you can also partake in their farm activities, go kayaking or just plain relax on the property.

Where are some summer getaways that you’ve loved? Would you go to any of these places?

Want more Summer in the South? Check out our past posts!
Blue Eyed Yonder
A Weekend Barbecue
Summer Essentials from A Southern Lady
Beach Getaway Essentials

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
5 Comments
  1. avatar Stefanie R. reply

    The font for the city/state is a bit difficult to read.

  2. avatar Sarah U reply

    Love seeing photos from Meredith and Michael’s great website! I think she is the best southern photographer out there! ..But I’m biased, she’s shooting my August wedding in NC :-)!

  3. avatar Meredith @ Map & Menu reply

    Thank you so much for sharing a few of our favorite Southern escapes! We, too, are looking forward to a visit at Blackberry Farms someday – it looks so dreamy there!

  4. avatar MacKenzie reply

    Ahh! Love seeing Map & Menu and Katie giving such fun suggestions for southern getaways! I just added a new one to my list! Thanks for sharing this fun post, SW!

  5. avatar Caitlin reply

    What a great post! I have never heard of any of these places…esp the one in TN (where I lived for a few years while I was in college)! Thanks!

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One thing we haven’t discussed yet in the “Emily Plans a Wedding” series is our honeymoon! That’s kind of surprising, actually, because as travel bugs, John and I love to discuss our next trip, and our honeymoon is kind of an exciting one :)

We’re actually going to be taking a minimoon directly following our wedding – we’ll drive back down South from Connecticut, stopping in Washington, DC, Charlottesville, VA, and Lynchburg, VA along the way. For our big adventure, we’re thinking a longer stay in France in June of next year. Oh la la!

Of course, just because we’ve already mapped out our trips doesn’t mean we’ve stopped daydreaming, and today’s sponsor, Wanderable, is the perfect accomplice. I love that Wanderable, a honeymoon registry, is also an online community where you can discover new places and experiences, and be inspired by the trips other members are planning (or dreaming about!).

If you have all the household goods you could ever want, registering for experiences instead of just accumulating more stuff is a fantastic option. A honeymoon registry works just like a traditional registry, except guests can gift you a horseback ride in the Texas backcountry, a fly fishing lesson in Montana, or breakfast in bed at a boutique hotel in Paris… instead of more plates. Yes, please!

If you’re ready to sign up, you can go with the free registry option (ad-free, too!), or you can upgrade and choose one of 28 designer themes with customizable colors. Whichever you choose, rest assured that the design will be simple and beautiful.

Tell me: If you were registering for a honeymoon on Wanderable, what would you register for? I’m dying to stay at Blackberry Farm or Paws Up, so one of those would be at the top of my list :)

emily Written with love by Emily
5 Comments
  1. avatar Erin reply

    I love the idea of a honeymoon registry! I made one recently (after I felt exhausted by my Amazon.com wedding registry and me and the groom finally picked a honeymoon spot!) and I’m really excited. It gave me insight into what we’re getting ourselves into down there (Key West!), ideas about the local area, and my mom assured me the older guests would probably love to buy us “experiences” rather than just items. Can you say couples massage or yoga on the beach??

    • avatar Emily reply

      Love it, Erin! I actually just bought a gift for my good friends off of their honeymoon registry, and I loved the experience! It was so fun to picture them enjoying their present :)

  2. avatar Lauren reply

    Thanks for sharing this! My fiance and I are definitely doing a honeymoon registry (we’ve been living together for a year so we don’t need to register for much) but I wasn’t sure who to use! We love the idea that our friends can feel like they’re a part of our trip, and that we can send photos of those activities with our thank yous!

  3. avatar Meredith reply

    YAY Charlottesville! That’s where I live! Here are a few suggestions for enjoying Cville to the max :-) Awesome restaurants: Zocalo, Commonwealth Restaurant and Skybar, Maya, The Local, MAS Tapas, and Duner’s. This is a foodie town and you will not be disappointed at any of those. Things to do: Visit Monticello and nearby vineyards; Jefferson, Blenheim, Castle Hill Cider, and Keswick. Check out a show at the Paramount Theater or Jefferson Theater on the Downtown mall. Go hiking to Humpback Rock on the Blue Ridge Parkway and visit nearby vineyards; King Family, Pollak, and Veritas (there are also a few breweries out that way). Stop by Greenwood Gourmet Grocery on your way to Humpback and pick up a fantastic sandwich or bread and cheese for a picnic. On your way to Lynchburg stop by Pippin Hill Vineyards and enjoy their breathtaking views. Sorry for writing a book… what can I say, I LOVE this town!

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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