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Sharing our Home Town Celebration editorial from our tenth anniversary issue, inspired by Laurel, Mississippi!

We have the privilege of traveling all across the Southeast while making Southern Weddings, exploring pockets of the Southeast and dreaming up beautiful love stories along the way! It’s no secret that this particular story is inspired by our own hometown heroes, Erin and Ben Napier. After featuring their home tour back in 2014, it’s been our joy to see their love story and small town make it big on HGTV. Their love for each other and their passion for Laurel’s revitalization was a huge inspiration for this editorial, and we’re grateful for all the ways they made it possible for us to shoot in their sweet Mississippi town!

When we thought about the heart of hospitality behind this shoot, we knew there would be no better photographer than our dear friend and Blue Ribbon Vendor Davy Whitener. This editorial holds a special place in my heart, because Davy is shooting my wedding this April! After our V9 Cover Editorial, one of our former editors came back to the office and said to me, “I know you’re not getting married right now, but I’m pretty positive Davy Whitener is the perfect person to shoot your wedding when it comes time.” And she was right!

After working with Davy on this shoot, and getting engaged a few months later, he was one of the first people I emailed. His heart for hospitality, love for people, and ability to capture the often-unseen moments gave us the beautiful images you see here!

After arriving in Laurel, Emily and I headed straight to Laurel Mercantile Co. to pick up some of the goodies you see above in the welcome crates, including the darling City Beautiful Pennant you see tucked above!

While we ran errands, Lauren Soley of Lovegood Wedding & Event Rentals and her team were unloading and prepping the Rogers-Green House for the shoot. We couldn’t have pulled off our Home Town Celebration editorial without her!

I’m not at all embarrassed to tell you how often I think about the flowers Josie and Christine of The Petaler Co. created for us! The sunny pop of yellow in the Sally Homes roses, peonies, and white lilacs mixed with the sprigs of mint and oregano were such a unique combination that I still ooh and ahh over!

There are few things more Southern than a porch swing for bridal portraits! Our HGTV Home Town fans might recognize Bill and Jody’s porch swing from an episode in Season One. Not only did they open their home to us for shooting, but they graciously gave us a tour that evening and joined us for dinner. Trust me when I tell you there is no shortage of Southern hospitality in Laurel, MS!

Gingham dresses that can be worn again paired with embroidered monogram hankies are a sweet way to honor your special ladies!

Isn’t this the most darling lemonade stand you’ve ever seen? Our flower girls and ring bearers were the perfect lemonade hosts, making sure our entire team stayed refreshed all day long.

Keeping with the heart of the shoot and home town feel, two of Davy’s children suited up for the big day and Lauren’s cousins sported their biggest bows as flower girls.

Can you imagine the emotions going through our bride’s head as the doors to her childhood church are about to open? Knowing she’ll see her groom for the very first time in the same church she grew up in admittedly gives me some watery eyes!

Ask your caterer to prepare a private picnic basket or meal for you and your groom to enjoy together post-ceremony before heading into your reception. Bonus points if you’re able to cozy up in the back of a pick-up truck!

Is there anything more Southern than fried chicken, tomato pies, and pancakes? I think not! Lola Fleur outdid themselves with all the delicious food! I can say that because I was able to sneak a few bites in :)

These were genuine smiles from our tiniest models when we told them they could snack on our strawberry shortcake desserts.

Finally, a special treat for you: the crew from Bride Film was on-hand to capture a behind-the-scenes glimpse of this special day! Here’s a look, in two parts:

BTS Part 1: Southern Weddings Home Town Celebration from BRIDE FILM on Vimeo.

BTS Part 2: Southern Weddings Home Town Celebration from BRIDE FILM on Vimeo.

Laurel, you were a gem! Thank you for inviting us into your community with open arms!

See more of this feature in our tenth anniversary issue, on newsstands now and in our shop!

Planner and Vintage Rentals: Lovegood Wedding & Event Rentals | Photographer: Davy Whitener | Film Processing: Richard Photo Lab | Videography: Bride Film | Ceremony Venue: Laurel First United Methodist Church | Reception Venue: The Rogers-Green House | Florals: The Petaler Co. | Hair and Makeup: Blush Salon | Catering: Lola Fleur | Lighting: Celebrations | Paper Goods and “Just Married” Banner: Southern Fried Paper | Strawberry Shortcake Boats: Shop Sweet Lulu | Escort Card Board: Minted | Linens: La Tavola Linen | Hanky Embroidery: Needleworks | Bride’s Gown: “Heloise” by Leanne Marshall via The Sentimentalist | Veil: “Phoenix” by Sara Gabriel | Jewelry: ExVoto Vintage | Ring: Trumpet & Horn | Ring Box: The Mrs. Box | Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropologie | Groom’s Blue Blazer: Bonobos | Ties: Macy’s | Flower Girl Dresses: Rachel Riley | Hair Bows: Wee Ones | Welcome Box and Napkins: Laurel Mercantile

Lovegood Wedding & Event Rentals and Southern Fried Paper are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Jess Metcalf
1 Comment
  1. avatar Lauren at Lovegood Wedding & Event Rentals reply

    This was such a fun day in Laurel, Mississippi with so many talented vendors from around MS and the Southeast. Thank you for including us!

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Have y’all been following along with Erin and Ben Napier’s story? It’s a really good one, and we’re tickled to be a small part of it! You see, three years ago we published a tour of their home – one of the first in our Southern Newlywed column! – as well as the sweetest interview with Erin. (Seriously, go read it – it makes me smile so big every time!) An HGTV producer happened to see it on our Instagram, and got in touch with Erin and Ben to see if they’d possibly be interested in making a TV show (!) about small town Southern life in their sweet hometown of Laurel, MS.

Things snowballed from there – shooting a pilot, opening a store, the pilot airing and then being picked up for a full season – and now, we’re all eagerly anticipating the premiere of season one of Home Town! If you’re as excited as we are, you’ll love taking a peek at the home of these HGTV stars-in-the-making. Hopefully it’s enough to hold you over until March 21 at 10pm!

We’re so proud of Erin and Ben and hope you’ll join us in cheering on these two sweet Southerners as they step out on their great adventure!!

Thank you to Jean Allsopp for these wonderful photos!

For more from Erin and Ben, check out Erin’s full Southern Newlywed interview, including her thoughts on cooking, decorating, date nights, and budgeting!

emily Written with love by Emily
3 Comments

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As you’re planning your wedding, be sure to set aside some of that brainstorming time and a few of those clever ideas not for the day you say “I do,” but for the days around it! When I was planning my wedding, one of the sweetest parts was all of the opportunities my engagement gave me to celebrate the ladies I loved most, through bridal shower hostess thank you gifts, the lunch I ordered in for everyone on the wedding day, and my bridesmaid gifts. If my gals had been local, I would have LOVED to do a get-together like this one from Lauren Liddell Photography and Lovegood Wedding & Event Rentals, too! Those who do have local ‘maids, I’ll live vicariously through you :)

Thank you to this talented team for sharing these sweet ideas!

Photographer: Lauren Liddell Photography | Planner and stylist: Lovegood Wedding & Event Rentals | Venue: Wisteria Bed & Breakfast | Rentals, decor, and ring box: Lovegood Wedding & Event Rentals | Florist: Maidenhair Floral and Event Design | Cake: The Twelve Five Cakery | Cookies: Candi’s Cookies | Catering: Elements Catering and Floral Design | Paper products and pillows: Adam Trest Home | Fashion: BHLDN | Hair and makeup: Molly Gee Designs | Gift boxes and jewelry: Simple Joys by Ginny | Ribbon and runner: Nettle Textiles | Stamps: Lovegood Market

Lovegood Wedding & Event Rentals and Elements Catering are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory, and BHLDN is a wonderful SW sponsor!

emily Written with love by Emily
2 Comments
  1. avatar Pixel Weddings reply

    Such a beautiful wedding! stunning!

  2. avatar Sheffield Wedding Photographer reply

    we love the wedding photos! wow!

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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