Along with the many wedding pros and vendor friends we asked to share their favorite thing about marriage for V7, we also asked someone else who is very special: you! We loved opening up this question to our dear readers on social media, and are excited to share some of the sweet responses we received!
Tag: southern wedding blog
Hi belles! Every season we like to find a way to get to know you more, and to share our hearts. To dovetail with our current Cozy Fall focus, each of the Southern Weddings gals will be sharing our favorite ways to simplify and get cozy in our home lives over the next few months. We hope our ideas are helpful as you work to streamline and simplify your own lives for what matters most!
Photo by Blue Ribbon Vendor Katelyn James
Say howdy to: Emily Thomas, our Creative Director
Favorite simple beauty routine or product: I’ve recently started using Clinique’s CC cream, and I love it! It’s not quite moisturizing enough on its own for my skin, so I layer it over One Love Organics’ Skin Savior, and then top everything off with a swipe of Bare Minerals’ Ready foundation. (On more casual days, I sometimes leave off the CC cream and just do the powder, but I like that the cream gives me my SPF!)
Favorite simple fall activity: In terms of simple and fall, it doesn’t get much easier than my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Here is the “recipe:” 1) Take a Betty Crocker chocolate chip muffin mix (the one in a bag) and dump it in a bowl. 2) Add 4 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree (like Libby’s), a 1/2 cup water with 4 tablespoons removed, and a few healthy shakes of cinnamon. Stir together. 3) Bake for 16 minutes in a 400 degree oven.
Favorite tech device/app/strategy that simplifies your life: It sounds obvious, but my iPhone’s native Notes app is my go-to! This incredibly simple and incredibly handy app helps me seem more together than I am and be a more thoughtful person than I would be otherwise. I keep so many lists on it, including gift ideas for my husband, restaurants I want to try, books I want to read, things I’m looking for at the flea market, measurements of crucial areas in my house, and the food preferences of my friends and family members (which makes buying treats for them easier!).
Favorite morning routine that simplifies your life: Hrmm. I would not really say I have a morning routine… I’m more the roll-out-of-bed-and-out-the-door-in-twenty-minutes type. (Really. 20 minutes.) However, I have been making smoothies for breakfast recently, and I love that they give me a nutritional “win” to start my day. I’m not picky about the makeup, but right now my go-to combination is half a banana + frozen blueberries + plain Greek yogurt + chocolate protein powder + whole milk + a splash of OJ + spinach.
Favorite evening routine that simplifies your life: A walk around our neighborhood, pre- or post-dinner. Unspooling my day through conversation with John is the best way I know to settle my thoughts and get clarity.
Favorite trick for simplifying your schedule: I have finally admitted to myself that I can ONLY use a monthly view calendar, and it has to be paper (see mine here). So much of what I’m scheduling needs to happen in relation to other things, and I hate having to click back and forth between days or switch between the day view and the month view so I can see every event happening on a certain day. Seeing everything at once helps me to keep my schedule simple and balanced, and not overload any one week or day.
Favorite simple weeknight recipe: When the most important factor is getting dinner on the table fast, these are three of our go-tos: Vegan Chana Masala, Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas, and Lemon Parmesan Pasta with Grilled Chicken.
Favorite simple date: I am continually inspired by all of the couples who share their date ideas in our Southern Newlywed series, because the Thomas household is the worst at date nights. Honestly, just not making dinner ourselves is a treat since we usually cook seven nights a week! So, grabbing dinner from Chick-fil-a or Noodles & Company feels indulgent and fun on a weeknight, and gives us extra time to just be together and talk instead of rushing around getting dinner on the table.
Favorite simple way you love on your beau: Listening to him. It’s embarrassing to admit, but too often I think I can write an email or sort mail or read a blog post at the same time. News flash: I can’t. Listening to him with both ears and both eyes is a great way to show him how much I appreciate him and the fact that he wants to talk to ME! That is a privilege I try not to forget!
Next up in this series: Kristin!
P.S. Looking for more ways inspiring gals simplify their lives? We love our friend Emily Ley’s Simplicity series!
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Oh my goodness…I have a feeling I’m going to LOVE this series! Simplifying is just my favorite, and so is autumn! Emily, your pumpkin muffin recipe sounds like the perfect way to slow down and enjoy a simple Saturday afternoon with my husband! Cannot WAIT to read more from you lovely ladies!
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I just love reading about your team! It’s so nice to have such a personal connection to you even though we’ve never met. It feels like we have. Thanks for taking the time to make sure readers really know you. :)
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I feel like Emily and I would get along quite well – I am a fan of pumpkin (anything), monthly calendars AND breakfast smoothies! Really enjoy this series so far.
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I am sure we would, Meg!!
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I 100% agree on the monthly PAPER calendar. I added the Simplified Planner to my birthday wish list a few months ago. Fingers crossed I get it!
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So excited for this series! I am definitely going to be trying out your pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe :)
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!
Just like a wedding means the coming together of two families, planning a wedding can mean bringing together two, or more, different sets of opinions and priorities. It can certainly be a challenge, but with a focus on the true meaning of the day, a little bit of grace, and a willingness to compromise, everyone involved can pitch in to create something magical and memorable. Bolling and Moultrie worked together with Bolling’s sweet mama and the talented folks at Ooh! Events for their Charleston wedding, and from the custom invites designed by Moultrie’s cousin, to the sweetgrass-esque cake inspired by the wedding’s locale, everyone’s vision for the day came together beautifully!
Thanks so much to Britt Croft for sharing this Bolling and Moultrie’s special day with us!
Moultrie and I have actually known each other since we were little. He has a HUGE family and one of his cousins has always been a best friend of mine. Growing up, she would invite me to places with her family, like summers at the beach, and Moultrie would be there too.I developed a huge crush on him in middle school and let him know one bold afternoon over AOL Instant Messenger. He let me down gently, admitting later that he couldn’t imagine getting teased for dating “Bolling Ball!” Through the years, our circle of friends always tended to overlap somewhat, so we kept in touch. It wasn’t until the summer before senior year of college that we finally connected. I am a very private person, and my most favorite person in the world (my dad) passed away that summer. I didn’t tell a soul about what had happened, not even my closest friends. We had just pulled up to the church and stepped out of the car for the funeral when I saw Moultrie pulling up in his car. That’s absolutely the moment I fell head over heels for him, and I’ve loved him every minute ever since!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! After hearing that I wasn’t quite sure about wearing a veil, my godmother generously gave me her veil to use as my something borrowed. For my something blue, I used the same garter my mom and my aunt used in their weddings. For my something new, Moultrie surprised me with a beautiful gold necklace that he asked I wear on our big day.
Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? We very much debated over this. We had been in friends’ weddings when they did a first look, amd not only did the pictures turn out great, it freed up a ton of time for them to enjoy more of the reception. But, Moultrie was pretty adamant on the fact that he wanted to be completely surprised when I walked down the aisle. In the end, seeing his reaction was priceless and we loved that it was something we were able to share with all of our guests.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Thinking about everyone staring at us during the ceremony already gave me plenty of anxiety, so we decided to stick to the easy, repeat-after-me vows.
The venue fit our criteria perfectly. It was outside, by the water, and most importantly, it required the least number of decisions! So much was included, which made for a much less stressful planning season.
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? Choosing Dunes West as a venue really helped us out with this. Not having to rent a tent, linens, or chairs truly made the whole day more affordable. The price is VERY competitive for the space and the team is so kind and accommodating. I’d choose them again in a heartbeat!
Our first dance was a no-brainer. We had chosen a band for our reception and were worried they wouldn’t be able to play our song, but the Right to Party band nailed it with their rendition of Bob Marley’s “Is This Love.”
Tell us all about the proposal! Moultrie’s biggest wish was that I be surprised when the time came for him to propose. He figured out the perfect way for me to not suspect a thing: propose without any fluff or fancy stuff! Moultrie and a few of our friends were already out at the beach one Friday afternoon, and the plan was for me to meet up with them once I was off of work. When I got there, Moultrie was ready for me to head out with him to try and surf before the sunset. Not understanding why he was so eager to go RIGHT then, I followed him out to the water and bent down to get my leash on. It was really tangled and I asked Moultrie what the deal was. He headed on over and got down on one knee to help me out. I still didn’t’ think anything of it, but then he started telling me how much he loved me. I was still wondering what the heck was going on when he pulled out a ring! I didn’t snap back to reality until I heard one of our friends screaming in the background! Obviously, I said yes and here we are now!
When did y’all get married? April 11, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? Around 150
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our handmade invites from Moultrie’s cousin and the logo he made along with it. We tried to use the logo throughout the wedding to tie everything together.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Merging all parties’ opinions into one. My mom, Moultrie, and I are all VERY strong-willed individuals. My mom did a great job of dividing up the decisions equally. For instance, Moultrie very much wanted his cousin to design our wedding invitations, but my mom prefers traditional designs. They compromised and my mom to chose the wording, while Half & Half designed the suite. In the end, we really worked well together and consistently reminded each other that we were all on the same team, trying to create lasting memories through the wedding.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? BRITTANY CROFT! Oh my goodness there are not enough sweet words in the dictionary to describe our photographer. Not only is her maiden name “Bowling,” so I knew we were meant to be, but she just got us. Y’all this woman is talented, but she doesn’t let that go to her head. She is so grounded and family-oriented and just a great human being. She works so hard and got us our pictures back in record time. She helped make our wedding experience perfect!
Photographer: Britt Croft Photography / Planner and Florist: Ooh! Events / Venue and Catering: Dunes West Golf and River Club / Cake Baker: Ashley Bakery / Band: Right to Party of East Coast Entertainment / Invitations: The Half & Half / Bride’s Gown: Christos / Bride’s Earrings: Sara Gabriel / Bridesmaid Earrings: Currie Jewelry / Hair and Makeup: Paper Dolls / Bride’s Shoes: Michael Kors / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Bridgette,” “Lulu,” “Wren,” and “Harlow” by Jenny Yoo / Groom’s Attire: Ralph Lauren / Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A. Bank / Calligraphy: Giovanna Alvino Calligraphy / Transportation: Lowcountry Valet
East Coast Entertainment is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!
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!