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With holiday shopping season in full swing, we thought there was no better time to share this year’s Surcees feature! In case you’re not familiar, “surcee” is a Southern term for a little gift given unexpectedly, and we have so much fun rounding up products from across the South and beyond to include in each issue. Our V7 surcees, photographed by Brett & Jessica, are made up of our favorite things for people in four different categories: newlyweds, brides and grooms, ladies (such as bridesmaids, moms, and hostesses), and foodies. We hope they help you check the last few people off of your list for the holidays, as well as get your wheels turning for gifting ideas throughout your engagement. Be sure to enter the giveaway below for a chance to win one of these goodies for yourself, too!

First up, a few sunny finds for newlyweds! We love these as housewarming gifts, wedding presents, or a special little something you treat yourself to post-honeymoon.

Clockwise from top left: Mr. & Mrs. Mug Set ($38, Lindsay Letters), custom canning labels ($25 for 20, Felix Doolittle), custom family crest ($175, Juliet Grace Design), camellia napkin ring ($19, Oxford Exchange), 9 oz. “tomato” soy candle ($24, Produce Candles), embroidered pineapple cocktail napkins ($42 for set of 4, Lettermade), North Carolina state plate ($78, Corbe Company), hostess square soap set ($39, Mark and Graham), “how to pray for your husband” bookmark ($3, Gather and Dwell)

From bouquet ribbons to bow ties, we loved rounding up these special details for your big day!

Clockwise from top left: pink and navy plaid bow tie ($38, The Belle and the Beau), lace plates ($25-48, Food52), state ring bearer pillow ($25, Emily Steffen), polka dot bow tie ($55, Collared Greens), Diamond Monogrammed Sandal ($168, Jack Rogers), velvet ring boxes ($75, The Mrs. Box), sixpence necklace ($49, Crow Steals Fire), linen stripe bow tie ($60, Southern Proper), hand-dyed silk ribbon ($24-33 for 6 yards, Froufrou Chic), pink seersucker bow tie ($50, High Cotton Ties), velvet ribbon ($30, Sara Kate Studios), ceremonial marriage certificate ($45, Southern Weddings Shop)

A whole wagon full of gifts wouldn’t be quite enough to thank the special ladies who help us to the aisle, from our mamas to our house parties. Along with a gracious handwritten note, we think these sweet surcees are a pretty good start, though!

Clockwise from top left: 14 oz. “gardenia” soy candle ($30, Sydney Hale Co.), Sweet Tea Sugah scrub ($20, The Charleston Soap Chef), lavender and lemongrass bar soap ($7, Seychelles Soap Co.), rose daily body serum ($39, One Love Organics), monogrammed pashmina scarf ($28, Dixieland Monogram), cotton pearl initial bracelet ($98, John Wind Maximal Art), navy gingham clutch ($129, Ila Handbags), Greek charms in antique gold ($67 each, Diana Warner Studio), Southern sayin’ pencil set ($15 for set of 6, Stephanie Creekmur), 15-piece New Orleans chocolate collection ($31, Sucre), Sweet Tea print ($20, Southern Weddings Shop)

A delectable food or heirloom-worthy kitchen accessory makes a welcome gift for any occasion. We love these ideas as gifts for hostesses, neighbors, or anyone who could use a little something special!

Clockwise from top left: spiced watermelon pickles ($9.99, Pickled Pink Foods), cast iron drop biscuit pan ($45, Food52), fried chicken rub ($14, Blackberry Farm), sweet tea concentrate ($7-12, Moonshine Sweet Tea), Wellfleet oyster, littleneck clam, and crab knives with leather wrap ($150, Food52), red velvet cake mix ($5.99, Old School)

We are so excited to give away some of the beautiful things from this feature! Just leave us a comment on this post letting us know which surcee you’d like to win (please note, the products that are up for grabs are in bold above and listed in the graphic below)!

Winners for all nine surcees will be chosen and emailed on December 15!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
80 Comments
  1. avatar Cindy Young reply

    How precious are these surcees! And what wonderful gift ideas!

  2. avatar Mollie reply

    That sweet tea scrub sounds to die for! :)

  3. avatar Erin reply

    Never heard that word before, but these all look so sweet!

  4. avatar Heather B. reply

    gardenia is one of my favorite scents and I am always burning candles at home!

  5. avatar Laura reply

    Such a fun giveaway! I would LOVE to win something!

  6. avatar Tanya reply

    I love the gingham clutch :)

  7. avatar Corinna reply

    I love them all… would love to showcase these products and more in our wedding packages!

  8. avatar Meredith reply

    I learn something Southern from you guys almost every post, love the term “surcee”! I have my eye on that gingham clutch :-)

  9. avatar Shannon Melrose reply

    I would love to win the charleston soap chef bar soap and sugah scrub in sweet tea! What a fun prize to use before my 12/31/14 wedding!

  10. avatar Lindy reply

    great ideas!! I’m going to a girls night gift exchange soon and these have given me great ideas! I’d love to be entered into the giveaway for the candle. Thank you!!

  11. avatar Elizabeth DiStanislao reply

    the gardenia candle would remind me of my wedding day everyday at home!

  12. avatar Kathryn reply

    I would love the “how to pray for your husband” bookmark or the Gardenia candle!!!

  13. avatar Elisabeth reply

    Such good ideas!

  14. avatar Lauren Baker reply

    Absolutely love all of your picks! Pray for your husband bookmark and gingham clutch!

  15. avatar Caitlin reply

    I’d love the Pi Beta Phi charm for one of my (yet-to-be-asked) bridesmaids!

  16. avatar Ty reply

    The Diane Warner charm in Pi Beta Phi to tie around my bouquet!

  17. avatar Kate R. reply

    I love all of these things! Super cute!

  18. avatar Julie Mayo reply

    That sweet tea scrub! Swoon.

  19. avatar nicki reply

    I would love the Charleston soap!

  20. avatar Kyla Fetzner reply

    I really loved this feature. Y’all put together a wonderful collection of items and it’s so thoughtful of you to share the goodness! As a clutch girl through and through, I would like to win the navy gingham clutch from Ila handbags. :)

  21. avatar Jacquelyn Chambers reply

    Crow steals fire Sixpence necklace! pretty :)

  22. avatar Nicole reply

    I would LOVE to win the gingham clutch. That has my name written all over it!

  23. avatar Whitley Gaffney reply

    Ooooh that gingham clutch or the KKG charm! :)

  24. avatar Liz reply

    What wonderful ideas!!! I love all of these!

  25. avatar Lauren reply

    Oh my gosh, what fabulous gifts! Love those Mr & Mrs mugs and the how to pray for your husband bookmark. How special!

  26. avatar Sylvia reply

    The Bar Soap and Sugah Scrub sound delightful!

  27. avatar Ashley Hirst reply

    Love the gingham clutch! The “How to Pray for Your Husband” bookmark is super sweet :)

  28. avatar Gerri reply

    Such beautiful gift ideas!

  29. avatar Bianca Andrea reply

    I love these ideas, I saw them in your beautiful magazine.

  30. avatar Ariana M. reply

    Oh My Goodness! All these are to die for! #letswinthis!

  31. avatar Lauren reply

    Gardenia is my favorite smell in the world. It reminds me of everything good in this world.

  32. avatar Cassidy reply

    I love the combination of lemon + lavender. So refreshing!

  33. avatar Bethany H. reply

    The Sydney Hale Co. Gardenia candle would be lovely to receive – and right before my birthday on the 16th, too! :)

  34. avatar Abby reply

    yes please!!

  35. avatar Sarah reply

    Love the term surcee! And I most definitely run on sweet tea :-)

  36. avatar Jennifer reply

    The Charleston Soap Shop soap and scrub are precious! I would love to win them! They would make me think of summertime even in this chilly weather :)

  37. avatar Julie reply

    As a librarian, avid reader and wife to be in 10 days, I would love the “how to pray for your husband” bookmark!

  38. avatar Hannah Rogers reply

    The Sydney Hale Co. gardenia candle would be a wonderful addition to our newlywed home! xo

  39. avatar Laura reply

    Love that clutch!

  40. avatar abby r reply

    the candle or the clutch sound amazing! you can never have too many of either one!

  41. avatar Liz reply

    I would love to win the gardenia candle!!

  42. avatar Sarah reply

    Oh mercy, a surcee! Love that clutch!

  43. avatar Jessica K reply

    I would love the sixpence necklace!

  44. avatar Kristy reply

    Soooooo cute! Would love the lavender soap!

  45. avatar Anna Crady reply

    This giveaway is amazing! I would love any of these!

  46. avatar Lisa reply

    As someone prayerfully preparing to become a wife soon, I would love to win the ‘How to Pray for Your Husband” bookmark! Love all of these gorgeous surcees (and love having a new word to add to my vocabulary!)

  47. avatar Emilee Renwick reply

    I’ve been a surcee queen and I didn’t even know it! The unexpected gifts are the most thoughful. :)

  48. avatar Lindsay Bishop reply

    I’m dying over that gingham clutch! So gorgeous!

  49. avatar Brianna reply

    That clutch is just darling, and I love the bookmark! What a great reminder to pray for my sweet husband!

  50. avatar Tiffany Ha reply

    I’d love to win the Texas ring bearer pillow!

  51. avatar jen reply

    Hello
    I’d love to win the Texas ring bearer pillow!
    Thanks !

  52. avatar Kelly reply

    Oh I love that blue pashmina! I’m a Tarheel fan come basketball season and that pashmina would be just perfect!

  53. avatar Rachel reply

    Hello! I would love to win any of these!! So cute!

  54. avatar Kirsti reply

    The Charleston Soap Chief bar soap and sugar scrub in sweet tea, please! I would love to test this out before I give as gifts!

  55. avatar Haley reply

    Love all of these wonderful sweet things! If i had to pick on it would be the dainty sixpence necklace!

  56. avatar Erin B reply

    The navy gingham clutch! All of these items are lovely!

  57. avatar Christie Barker reply

    I just ordered a gift off of these recommendations! Thank you!

  58. avatar madelynne moulton reply

    I love the gingham clutch! so cute!

  59. avatar Amanda T reply

    Those surcees are so sweet! They will make people’s holidays very happy indeed :)

  60. avatar Amanda T reply

    What sweet surcees! Sure to make anyone’s holidays happy :)

  61. avatar Jodi S reply

    lemon grass soap!1

  62. avatar Alex Stockton reply

    The gingham clutch! Its a perfect little gift for my friend to use for her BBQ rehearsal dinner!

  63. avatar Katie H reply

    How lovely. The Mrs. Box is on my Christmas wish list :)

  64. avatar Stephanie reply

    I would love to win the Gingham Clutch! It is adorable!

  65. avatar Mandy Campbell reply

    I love the cast iron drop biscuit pan!

  66. avatar Jessica Widick reply

    I would love the sixpence necklace!:)

  67. avatar Kelly E. reply

    December 15th is my birthday! I’d love to win the sweet tea sugah scrub or the gardenia candle (the best scent ever). Thank you so much for the chance to win. :)

  68. avatar Devin E reply

    love love love! Southern Weddings always comes up with the cutest things!

  69. avatar Samantha Caldwell reply

    I sure would love any of these adorable items!

  70. avatar Ashley M. reply

    All of these are lovely! I loved this post! :)

  71. avatar Amy M. reply

    I love this blog!

  72. avatar Matt reply

    I would like to win the sweet tea sugar scrub.

  73. avatar Stephanie P reply

    These are all so cute! I absolutely adore that gingham clutch!!!

  74. avatar Susan reply

    The Pi Beta Phi charm for my sister who is her chapter’s newly elected president!

  75. avatar Julie reply

    the gardenia candle!

  76. avatar Taylor reply

    I LOVE the Crow Steals Fire Sixpence necklace and want to include it in my June 2015 wedding!

  77. avatar Jill reply

    What a great selection of surcees! I would love the scrub or Kappa Charm to gift to one of my sweet bridesmaids<3

  78. avatar Madeleine B reply

    Absolutely love all of your surcee ideas! The Greek charms are perfect for bridesmaids!

  79. avatar A Look Back on 2014 » Blog | Brett & Jessica – Artistic, Honest + Sincere Wedding Photography reply

    […] Featured on: weddings on Ruffled, Bridal Musings (1, 2), The Lovely Find, an elopement featured on Ever Ours, a family shoot on Little Bellows and lifestyle shoots on The Fresh Exchange, Camille Styles. Had a big feature in print in Southern Weddings Magazine. […]

  80. avatar Kelsey reply

    I love your site. It’s been a great source for my wedding. I love the first set with How to pray for your husband.

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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Although the word “surcees” tends to baffle our Northern friends (as well as a good handful of Southerners!), we’re sure y’all aren’t strangers to the concept: a gift given unexpectedly or for no reason. In the land of hospitality, we hate showing up to events empty handed and relish the opportunity to give someone the perfect present. From sweet wedding favors to darling newlywed gifts, our V6 surcees include something from everyone!

Chalkboards: Rowan’s Room

With Christmas right around the corner, we think these options would be perfect for newlyweds! We also suggest flipping through the surcees section of V6 for wedding favor and gift bag ideas–I think guests would love receiving a state-inspired candle in a welcome bag. P.S. You can win your own monogrammed wreath in one of our 12 Days of Christmas giveaways here!

Row 1: Horseshoe: Sycamore Hill , Horseshoe frame: Two’s Company; Row 2: Seed packets: Visualingual; Row 3: Candles: Archipelago, Monogrammed wreath: Laurel Creek Wreaths

We love these gifts for your gals! From bridesmaid bouquet ribbons to necklaces engraved with a loved one’s handwriting, these options couldn’t be sweeter.

Row 1: Monogrammed bouquet ribbons: Oatmeal Lace, Monogrammed hair bows: E. Olsen Designs; Row 2: Handwriting necklace: Surfing Silver, Louisiana necklace: Love & Gold, Monogrammed charm necklace: Mark & Graham, Austin necklace: Brevity, Monogrammed boot socks: Memento

Men can be notoriously tricky to shop for, but we think any Southern gent, from your groom to your dad, would appreciate these dapper accessories.

Row 1: Father handkerchief: Forage, Initial handkerchief: Mark & Graham; Row 2: Bullet shell cuff links: Oruaka, Cotton pod boutonnieres: Which Goose

It’s probably no surprise that the most fun surcees to receive and photograph are the edible ones! We loved getting these tasty treats in our office, and of course, sampling them afterwards.

Pound cakes, clockwise from top left: Savannah’s Candy Kitchen, Three Brothers Bakery, Two Belles Southern Pound Cakes, Nonnie Wallers Traditional Southern, Two Belles Southern Pound Cakes, Janie’s Cakes, Three Brothers Bakery, Savannah’s Candy Kitchen; Lollipops: Gourmet flavors from Boss Girls Inc., Farm animals and Texas shapes from Melville Candy Company; Big Spoon Roasters Peanut Pecan butter and Emily G’s Jam of Love: Bourbon and Boots; Chocolate: Olive and Sinclair; Cookies: State flowers: Maggie Austin Cake, Farm animals: Southern Sugar Bakery, States: Snickety Snacks, Monograms: Sweet Goosie Girl

Goodies for the home and kitchen are always wonderful gifts, and we love these choices for their Southern flair and overall prettiness. That sums up how we choose all of our surcees quite well, as a matter of fact!

Row 1: Monogrammed apron: Ice Milk Aprons, Spoons: Jessica N Designs; Row 2: Cake server and forks: Jessica N Designs, Monogrammed koozies: Southern Hands, State koozies: Pink House Press; Row 3: Mugs: Grey Skies Blue, Mint julep cups: Mark & Graham; Row 4: Cake plate decal: WH Hostess, Cake topper: First Snowfall

Gorgeous paper makes our hearts skip a beat, which is why we love the prints and notepads in the Southern Weddings Shop. Here are a few of our top picks, as well some favorites from other amazing paper sources. We know y’all will love them as much as we do!

Row 1: Love Note notepads: Southern Weddings Shop, Letterpress measuring guide: 9th Letter Press; Row 2: Mississippi wax seal: Back to Zero, Love Never Fails print: Southern Weddings Shop; Row 3: South print and Vows print: Southern Weddings Shop; Row 4: Farm animal cards (chicken, pig, bumblebees), mason jar cards (strawberries, lemons), “We Make a Great Pair” card and “You’re the Pickin’ to My Grinnin'” card: One Canoe Two, “Written in the Stars” and “I Love You a Bushel and a Peck” cards: Southern Weddings Shop, “Oh Honey” card: Poppy Pedals

We’re tickled pink to share some of our favorite Southern surcees with you! We’re giving away a whole bunch of them to make way for V7 surcees (it is so strange to type V7!), so see if anything strikes your fancy below! (Listed as shown in this post from top to bottom)

1. The chalkboard sign with a pink ribbon from Rowan’s Room
2. Arcipelago Botanicals mini tin candles in Savannah and Charleston
3. The Louisiana state outline necklace from Love & Gold
4. The seersucker Father handkerchief from Forage
5. A set of three cotton pod boutonnieres from Which Goose
6. The “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” and “Morning Sunshine” spoons from Jessica N Designs
7. The “Life is Sweet in the South” cake server and “Mr” and “Mrs” forks from Jessica N Designs
8. The letterpress measuring guide from 9th Letter Press
9. The Mississippi wax seal from Back to Zero
10. The farm animal card set from One Canoe Two
11. The mason jar card set from One Canoe Two
12. The “We Make a Great Pair” and “You’re the Pickin’ to my Grinnin'” cards from 1 Canoe 2
12. A thank you note set from Poppy Pedals


To enter, leave a comment letting us know which surcee you’d love to win! Be sure to enter by December 17.

Photography: Nancy Ray Photography / Liberty Fabrics: Alice Caroline / Miscellaneous Fabrics: Chit Chat Fabrics

lisa Written with love by Lisa
51 Comments
  1. avatar Anna reply

    Love the measuring guide!

  2. avatar Emily reply

    Would love the cake server + forks!

  3. avatar Heather B. reply

    love the Arcipelago Botanicals mini tin candles in Savannah and Charleston and the thank you note set from Poppy Pedals! the wax seal is such a unique gift and I might need to snatch up one with my new monogram for sweet handwritten letters :)

  4. avatar Kelly E. reply

    I love when y’all do this! V7 had some great items. I would love Arcipelago Botanicals mini tin candles in Savannah and Charleston or the mason jar card set from One Canoe Two. Of course, anything off this least would be a special treasure. Thank you so much for the chance to win!

  5. avatar Kelly E. reply

    Oops, I think my email address had a typo in that first comment. It’s fixed now!

  6. avatar Marilisa reply

    I would love to win the “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” and “Morning Sunshine” spoons from Jessica N Designs! That would make morning coffees made by my sweetie even sweeter :)

  7. avatar c.h. reply

    I love the “life is sweet in the south” cake server!

  8. avatar Shannon reply

    Arcipelago Botanicals mini tin candles in Savannah and Charleston

  9. avatar Jessica K. reply

    The cards from 1 Canoe 2 would look great in a big frame in my house!

  10. avatar Alli reply

    Love love the The “Life is Sweet in the South” cake server and “Mr” and “Mrs” forks from Jessica N Designs!

  11. avatar Kat reply

    Y’all the cake server & forks are just darling!! I’m officially in love with them:)

  12. avatar Shannon Lea reply

    The seersucker Father handkerchief from Forage is so perfect for my dad!

  13. avatar Laura H reply

    I’d love the letterpress measuring guide or the chalkboard sign. All of it is adorable!

  14. avatar Chloe reply

    I would love the seersucker Father handkerchief. My daddy still uses handkerchiefs and it would be a great addition to his collection!

  15. avatar Taylor J reply

    Ohhh!!!! I LOVE the cake server!! & Mr. & Mrs. Forks!

  16. avatar Julie reply

    Love the mini tin candles!

  17. avatar Kelsey B reply

    I would love to win the cake server and forks! We currently don’t have serving utensils for our wedding cake and these are just so sweet! They are classic and elegant with a cute personal touch!

  18. avatar Madelynne Moulton reply

    2. Arcipelago Botanicals mini tin candles in Savannah and Charleston

  19. avatar Ashleigh from Marry Me Metro reply

    I’m not submitting a comment for entry, I just wanted to say that I adore receiving ANYTHING monogrammed as a gift so these surcee ideas are fantastic! If you’re searching for a gift for your girlfriends this Christmas, I highly recommend something custom monogrammed :)

  20. avatar Courtney VanMinsel reply

    Everything is absolutely gorgeous and I’d love anything!! But, I am in love with the Poppy Pedals thank you set!! I have a slight obsession with thank you cards/stationary! HA! I also the adore the Chalkboard sign from Rowan’s Room!! It would look perfect in my kitchen!

  21. avatar Callie Pitts reply

    I would love to use the Jessica N Design cake server and forks in my wedding this May!

  22. avatar Brooke reply

    Can I choose two? ha LOVE the letterpress measuring guide from 9th Letter Press and the
    “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” and “Morning Sunshine” spoons from Jessica N Designs. I’m always in my kitchen so those two are perfect :)

  23. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] Happy Friday, belles! Can y’all believe Christmas is less than two weeks away? In the hustle and bustle of the season, we hope you’re also spending lots of time with family and friends, and enjoying all of your favorite holiday traditions. Anyone have any fun Southern holiday traditions? We’d love to hear them! If you’re looking for last minute gift inspiration, look no further than the V6 Southern Surcees feature we shared this week! We loved finding so many fun products, and we’re giving away twelve of them, so don’t miss the post here! […]

  24. avatar Allyson W. reply

    I love the “Life is Sweet in the South” cake server and “Mr” and “Mrs” forks!

  25. avatar Tori reply

    I would love to win the “Life is Sweet in the South” cake server and “Mr” and “Mrs” forks. So adorable!

  26. avatar lena reply

    What a wonderful word-can’t wait to use it (and give one!) this holiday season!

  27. avatar Katie Minnick reply

    I’d love any of the prints! Especially the “love never fails”

  28. avatar Hannah Mallalieu reply

    I would love the farm animal card set!!

  29. avatar Hollis Harmon reply

    I absolutely love the “Life is Sweet in the South” cake server and “Mr” and “Mrs” forks from Jessica N Designs!

    It’s all absolutely adorable though!

  30. avatar Kathryn reply

    I would love to win #12 the thank you notes or #2 the candles!

  31. avatar Southern Surcees • V6 | Nancy Ray Photography reply

    […] Now it's your time to decide. What's your favorite Surcee? Or maybe your top 3, if you're like us and you can't decide!? Be sure to also stop by the Southern Weddings Blog today to leave a comment and read their post on the V6 Surcees! […]

  32. avatar Carly reply

    The Carolina Koozie!!!! Go heels!!!

    I loved this feature in your magazine actually because ALL these items are precious! The monogrammed ribbons would be high on my wish list as well.

  33. avatar jenn reply

    I’d love the wax seal. They would be so great for our thank you cards!

  34. avatar Kristy reply

    I looove the spoons!!!

  35. avatar Samantha Spivey reply

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE The “Life is Sweet in the South” cake server and “Mr” and “Mrs” forks from Jessica N Designs

  36. avatar Samantha Spivey reply

    It looks like that cake server and forks are very popular :) for good reason! So I would like to change mine to #8 The letterpress measuring guide from 9th Letter Press

  37. avatar Susan reply

    I LOVE the Mason Jar card set!

  38. avatar Hannah M reply

    I’d love to win the monogrammed wreath for our new place after we get married! With hPb, our married monogram, of course ;)

  39. avatar Laura reply

    My favorite is #11. The mason jar card set from One Canoe Two
    They would look so cute framed in my kitchen!

  40. avatar Michelle Elwell reply

    The measuring guide from 9th Letter Press is perfection for this baker!

  41. avatar Beth reply

    I would LOVE to win the cake server & forks (#7) or the chalkboard sign (#1). They are both so cute!

  42. avatar Mariel C. reply

    I simply SWOON over those Spoons!!

  43. avatar Jessa R. reply

    I adore the chalkboard with pink ribbon! All the surcees are sweet as honey bees and I would love to win any of them, really!

  44. avatar Anne Plummer reply

    I love, love the prints! The letterpress measuring guide is just swoon-worthy!

  45. avatar Kelly C reply

    The chalkboard with the pink ribbon is just the most fabulous little thing ever! It’s the perfect amount of practical and girly chic. Fingers crossed!

  46. avatar Catherine Marsh reply

    What a sweet giveaway, we’ll let me see if I so happen to win I think it would be darlin’ to receive the thank you notes set from poppy petals :)

  47. avatar Kim Murphy reply

    The mason jar card set would be so sweet!

  48. avatar Kelly reply

    I love the cake server and fork set, perfect for our wedding next summer

  49. avatar Kelly R. reply

    I love that chalkboard with the bow, I could find so many uses for it in our wedding (one of our colors is pink)! I also love those thank you cards!

  50. avatar Stewart reply

    I could certainly put that Jessica N Designs cake server to use right away…and someday…the forks too!

  51. avatar Heather Brubaker reply

    I would just dieeeee if I won the gorgeous “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” and “Morning Sunshine” spoons from Jessica N Designs!!!!!!!! I am absolutely in love with her work!!!!!!!!!

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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Southern Delicacy: Grits

by in Main, Southern Food on

My husband BDK and I are completely obsessed with Scott Cochran. If you’ve ever been to an Alabama game, you’ve seen this fellow on the sidelines yelling and bouncing, or up on the jumbotron with his famous “yeah yeah yeah yeah!” Last night, we spent a good hour watching YouTube videos of him and his motivational speeches. Seriously, this guy wakes up on fire and never stops! Y’all, I promise I’m going somewhere with this…

Like college football and saying yes and no ma’am, FOOD is crazy important in the South! So much so that it inspired us to begin a new Southern Weddings mini series: Southern Delicacy. Beginning today, we’ll all learn a little more about the yummiest (and yes, sometimes the wackiest!) grub in the country!

Image credit: Luster Studios

What better Southern food to start with than grits? Originating from the American Indian culture, grits are now most commonly found in the Southern United States. They are mainly eaten at breakfast, and made from coarsely ground corn. Grits are often seasoned with salt or sugar, but true Southerners serve them with cheese, butter, country ham red-eye gravy, or – my personal favorite – shrimp! Grits are one of those foods that you either love or hate – there really isn’t an in-between. A cousin of mine thinks they taste like “dirt”! I tend to disagree with her. I do agree that the texture is a bit grainy, and plain they can be a bit bland, but with the right amount of butter and cheese mixed in, they’re rather yummy. Think more ground popcorn than dirt!

Image credit: First two images from Martha Stewart Weddings (here + here); grits sign photo by Melissa Schollaert via Southern Weddings; next two images by Veil & Bow via Style Me Pretty (bag design by Sarah Jane Winter); grits favors by Calder Clark (photo by A Bryan Photo)

Grits make a great Southern addition to any wedding menu, but don’t stop there! We love the idea of a mix your own grits bar, and a shrimp and grits appetizer station would be perfect to start your reception off on a Southern note. I also adore the idea of adding a personal touch to favors by tucking a bag of grits and a copy of your grandmama’s best recipe into some pretty packaging for guests to enjoy at home.

What’s your favorite Southern food? Let me know in the comments below, and you might see your name and favorite food up in lights! (Okay, in my next feature. Who needs lights anyway?)

Melissa Schollaert is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
20 Comments
  1. avatar Perryn reply

    LOVE It! We had a Grits Bar at our wedding and it was amazing! (of course some of our northern friends weren’t fans…) But it is such a wonderful Southern touch..and Very yummy! P

  2. avatar Liz reply

    I have been on the hunt for small bags of grits for wedding favors— any suggestions???

    • avatar Marissa reply

      Hi Liz! Any small muslin bags with a drawstring will be great, but I’m a BIG fan of these adorable muslin bags with mason jar thank you’s printed on them. http://www.etsy.com/listing/76709425/muslin-favor-bags-muslin-3×5-set-of-25 Good luck! xo, Marissa

  3. avatar Annie reply

    Grits are so good! My husband and I got married in VA, and we had grits at our rehearsal dinner (a fun Southern-style dinner) and at the brunch the next day.

  4. avatar Katie reply

    One of the best memories of my wedding has to do with grits! Seeing this post, I have to share. There is a grist mill in my hometown that still makes grits the old fashioned way – fresh ground with a stone and no preservatives. I was going to do them as favors in little muslim bags with our new initials handstamped on them. I picked up my order of freshly ground grits 2 days before the wedding and stayed up all night with my dad bagging away. The next morning, over breakfast no less, my mom and I noticed weevals in the grits! We both started crying, with a little laughter mixed in! I was terrified to send my guests home with bugs in their grits! (especially my in-laws to be from New England!)Turns out the mill had ground the grits a week to early! We fixed it though with a trip to the grocery store to pick up store-bought stone ground grits with perservatives!!

    • avatar Marissa reply

      Oh, Katie! That is horrible, but I do see why y’all laughed! I’m glad to hear that it ended up working out in the end! Thanks for sharing your story! xo, Marissa

  5. avatar Madelynne Miller reply

    I ABSOLUTELY must agree that grits are amahzing. Gouda grits? yes! Cheddar grits? yes! Mixing bacon and eggs into your grits? yes! stone ground grits? more please! Shrimp and grits is the BEST.

    • avatar Sierra reply

      We are definitely on the same page… I don’t eat grits unless I mix bacon, eggs and cheese in there (sort of like how I prefer a loaded baked potato)!

  6. avatar Kelly reply

    I love love love my Granny’s cheese grits! Favorite food ever. I do have an addition to your perfect-accompaniments-to-grits list, though: bacon! As much as I’m not one of those people who likes to put bacon on EVERYTHING, the salty crunch of bacon goes perfectly with stone-ground grits! Yum! :)

  7. avatar Laura reply

    Although I’m a born and raised Southerner, I never was much of a fan of grits, fortunately when I started dating my boyfriend, he opened my eyes to their wonders :)

    But I have to say that my favorite, quintessential, southern food has to be corn bread! I’m going to insist that corn bread and biscuits be served at my southern spread reception (family style of course!) with lots of fresh butter and preserves at the ready.

  8. avatar BrittanyElizabeth reply

    hmmm, I think by far one of my favorite southern foods is the Barbeque! :] It’s just so good! And no other place does it better than the south! :] But grits are pretty good too! My fiance likes his with syrup! :]

  9. avatar AmandaR reply

    FRIED GREEN TOMATOES!!! Man alive, they’re good and fancy people even eat em and add special “coulis” and what-not to em. We are having them as an appetizer during the cocktail hour at our wedding in June. Oh ya, mac n’ cheese too! I love food.

  10. avatar Vanessa reply

    I love this idea! I’m from PA but my father is from the south so I’ve grown up eating grits and obviously love them! :)

  11. avatar Jackie Briggs reply

    My daughter is planning a Charlston wedding within the next year. Since we are true “grits lovers,” we’d love to send guests home with a favor of grits. Any suggestions on where to purchase, how to package, etc. small samples of grits? Thank you!

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