Friends, it is with unbelievable delight that I introduce you to… the Southern Weddings V6 cover!!!
Oh my stars, indeed!! We are so, SO, so, SO, so, SO very proud of this beauty. Not only because she is quite obviously beautiful, but because of all of the stories between the pages that she represents. Ready for a little bit of her own backstory? Here we go!
Last spring we started working on an editorial shoot with our friends Ryan Ray and Stefanie Miles. (You may remember them from last year’s Yellow Rose editorial.) The shoot went off just as planned, and Ryan sent us the finished images a few months later. They were GORGEOUS, and we were so happy! I had mentioned to him before the shoot that we did not have a cover for V6 planned, and that we’d love for him to keep that in mind when cropping and posing portraits.
We didn’t immediately spot a cover, so we went busily about the business of finishing our shoot season. We selected a lovely image from one of our other editorials for the cover, and even sent it to the printer for proofing! From the beginning, though, we had been tweaking and adjusting to try and get the image to really shine, but when we saw the printer proofs, we just knew it wasn’t going to “sing.”
So, with just days (hours?) left before our final, final, FINAL version was due to be printed, we made the HUGE decision to scrap all of our cover plans (and launch party color scheme!) and choose an entirely new image — Ryan’s. Talk about a leap of faith — we never even saw a printed proof of the cover until the finished magazines arrived at our office!! I have to say, I was very resistant to the idea at first — as much as I love Ryan, I was looking forward to having a new talent grace our cover, and we were so far into the process at that point. But when we saw the new version mocked up, it was simply undeniable — this was our cover.
Perhaps the very BEST part? The couple on the cover is married in real life!! The bride is Christina Frederick, a wedding planner in Tulsa and Houston (one of our Blue Ribbon Vendors!) and one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. We actually had the chance to surprise her IN PERSON with the news that she was going to be our cover girl! She attended Lara’s Making Things Happen Conference in October, and was totally bowled over when we flashed the cover on the screen. Thankfully, we had a photographer there to capture the moment:
So many emotions in such a short span of time! THANK YOU to Robyn Van Dyke (also a Blue Ribbon Vendor!) for capturing them all!! Of course, Christina knew that we’d be publishing the shoot, but at that point she hadn’t seen ANY photos from the day, and she most certainly didn’t know that she was going to be on the cover! She and her husband Blair are such a perfect example of why we love weddings and marriage, and we are so proud and blessed to have them grace our pages.
Though our official release day is Tuesday, we’ve heard that copies have already popped up on newsstands around the South! Yeehaw!! Be sure to snap a pic of yourself with your copy and tag #SWV6 on instagram or Twitter! If you live outside the South, you can always find a copy in our store. (And speaking of our store — be sure to stop by on Monday, when we’ll be sharing a look at the famous SWPS!)
THANK YOU, RYAN AND STEFANIE!!!
In the meantime, we’re DYING to know: What do y’all think??? Did we make the right decision? Are you as much in love with V6’s cover as we are?
P.P.S. Check back on Tuesday to see more from this gorgeous editorial!
You guys made a great choice in choosing this cover and it’s especially sweet that it’s a real couple.
Thank you so much, Harmony!! Glad you love it!
[…] a marriage more beautiful than your wedding. If you have found the new issue, or if you have seen their post today you know where this post is headed. This post comes from a beyond blessed and completely honored […]
Oh My Stars! Emotions have come rushing back! What an honor it is to be a part of V6 in such a special way. Blair and I could not be more blessed to not only be part of the SW family, but to have worked with such an amazing team that had the vision for the shoot, and to grace the pages with true love that resonates marriage! Thank you all for luring your heart into another fabulous issue!
Here’s a peek at my take on this amazing issue. :)
http://christinaleighevents.com/blog/blessed-completely-honored/
xo Christina
LOVE your post, Christina! So happy to have you!!!
awwwwww what a SWEET post! I cant wait to get a copy of mine in the UK!
Whee! So fun, Rebecca! We love going overseas :)
My heart is just bursting with happiness for Christina and Blair! Could not be more proud. Y’all, it’s just beautiful.
This is gorgeous! Y’all have done it again! :)
Ladies, I LOVE the cover & can’t wait to get my hands on my preordered copy!!!! It’s simply stunning – I love her dress, that gorgeous bouquet & the fact that they are ACTUALLY married really emphasizes what Southern Weddings is all about! I can’t wait to spend an entire day taking in every page :) SO HAPPY for you!!!!
It’s beautiful! And you can definitely see the real-life love between the couple.
oh my stars, that story makes me so happy! The cover is beautiful beyond words! congratulations ladies, I can’t wait to snag my copy :)
SO happy I was able to capture Christina’s priceless, tearful reaction!!! Can’t WAIT to get my hands on this gorgeous issue!! :D
You did a fabulous job, Robyn! Thank YOU!!
I am totally TEARING UP as I see these images! Y’all never cease to amaze me with your dedication to this publication, the brand and the core of what it’s all about. I am so proud of each of y’all and what you’ve brought to the wedding industry…The focus on what matter’s most. I’m always cheering you on in every endeavor! Sending big southern hugs. AND Christina—YOU LOOK STUNNING!
Love it all!
-Madi
[…] teared up over this incredible post on Southern Weddings. Man, oh man, these ladies are […]
SO IN LOVE with every square inch! Cannot wait to get my hands on a copy to see the rest of the amazingness. Y’all are simply wonderful, so happy for each of you! Big hugs from Oklahoma, xoxox
LOVE IT!!!! You definitely made the right choice!! Congrats Christina!!! That is so amazing!!!! :) Makes me tear up watching her face!
The cover is absolutely stunning! I grew up with Christina- she is truly an amazing, loving, caring woman inside and out who works hard to make others’ special day the most beautiful it can be! She is so incredibly talented and loves sharing her talent with everyone else to make their dreams a reality! Couldn’t have picked a more deserving person to be on the cover!
In a society where marriages are breaking up all around us, it is so refreshing to see Southern Weddings taking a stand for the goodness of marriage. Love the cover and what it represents. Real love between real people. Love your hearts. Love your vision. Keep up the fantastic work. Can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!
It’s gorgeous!!!! Im one of the lucky few that was in the room when the cover was revealed. I welled up seeing Christina’s reaction and can not wait to see all of the delcious pages in person. Amazing work ladies :)
XOXO
Nancy
what a gorgeous cover and i’m so happy for christina! she truly is one of the sweetest gals!! what a special moment for her :)
YES! YES YOU DID!!! What a GORGEOUS couple!!! I love seeing her reaction too, SO adorable. I got a little misty seeing this! Cannot wait to get mine!
Undeniably the right choice. And watching Christina’s face when you revealed it was priceless. Can’t wait for the celebration next Thursday!
My SW copy is on its way to my mailbox…and I cannot wait, in fact, I won’t…I’ll be buying another copy or two at the store. The cover is timeless and the cover couple, well, simply PERFECT! Thank you SW for your leap of faith; you did good!
Love hearing the sweet story behind this cover. Her face is priceless. What special way to remember your special day! Am I the only one wondering what the second choice cover looked like?
First of all, Thank you all so much for capturing this moment of my gorgeous wifey! Secondly, I have to commend you gals for pulling off such an awesome surprise, Great job!
We are both truly grateful and honored to be part of such a prestigious publication, and look forward to see you all at the launch party!
Take care and see ya’ll then!
Just fabulous. What a sweet sweet story and a happy ending to all of it! I cannot wait to go get my issue this week!
[…] Oh happy day!! Many of y’all already have V6 in your hands (if you pre-ordered, your order is on its way!), and even though our official launch isn’t till Tuesday, we couldn’t be more excited about our new issue popping up a little early. We can hardly wait to hear what y’all think–don’t forget to use #SWV6 and tag us on social media if you take pictures with your magazines! Just in case you missed it this morning, we debuted our gorgeous new cover! Don’t miss the sweet story behind our decision, as well as pictures from the unique opportunity we had to reveal it to our gorgeous cover girl, here! […]
[…] garage and we had opened a few boxes to get our first look at the V6 cover (read more about that here), we got to […]
[…] garage and we had opened a few boxes to get our first look at the V6 cover (read more about that here), we got to […]