Google+ Southern Weddings Archives - Page 12 of 906 - Southern Weddings

Southern Weddings

Tag: Southern Weddings

Spring has sprung in the Southern Weddings Shop! We have a bouquet of new products serving up our signature practical and pretty for y’all, and I’m excited to introduce them to you today. And don’t forget – in honor of our birthday, there’s free shipping all week with code HAPPYBIRTHDAY – hooray!!

Filed under the “pretty” banner is our Southern postcard set! At just $10 for a set of 10, you can afford to send one to each of your bridesmaids every month, if you want to!

As we were narrowing down the designs, we kept asking ourselves which ones we’d really send to our favorite ladies – and if we couldn’t picture ourselves sending one, even if it was cute, we nixed it. My favorite is obviously the fabulous pineapple :)

Next up is a short and sweet addition to our e-book library, How to Give a Wedding Toast. Instead of searching the internet for hours, just purchase this handy guide and pass it along to your dad, best man, or maid of honor! This product was partially inspired by the terror I felt when faced with the task of toasting my older sister; if I can help even one other person do a better job than I did, I’ll be satisfied! :)

Photo from my wedding day by Tanja Lippert

Finally, I know we’re not supposed to play favorites, but I’m just going to go ahead and say it: I LOVE our new Mother of the Bride Guide!! It’s the same way I feel about our wedding planner: SO proud to have created something SO valuable, especially for a population that isn’t often spoken to!

We have a deep love for our mamas around here, and we’re so thrilled to finally have a product just for you. It’s practical, it’s inspiring, and it’s disarmingly sweet (I cried several times just editing it!). Mamas, buy it for yourself, and brides, buy it for your mamas as a little gift! I guarantee it will be money well spent. You can pick yours up here.

emily Written with love by Emily
0 Comments

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!

Reply to:
close

Southern Weddings turned nine years old on Saturday! That’s an occasion worthy of celebrating, because we couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come since 2008, what we’re doing now, and who we’re doing it with – y’all!! It’s already been an exciting year for us, and with the tenth issue of our magazine debuting this fall, we’re confident there’s more excitement in store.

We’re all about stories here (we celebrate them every day through real weddings and our editorials!), so in honor of our birthday, we’d love to tell you a little more about ours!

Jake + Heather

In 2008, our founder’s husband was deployed to Iraq with the Navy. Lara was looking for something to distract her from worrying about Ari, so she bought a domain name, pulled together some friends for photo shoots, and mocked up a wedding magazine cover on her humble PC! She was working with some of the biggest names in the wedding planning world at the time, and her goal was to share the jaw-dropping things that were happening in California and New York with Southern gals. That’s how our first issue was born!

Over the next few years, many of our current team members came on board, and our heart began to shift. Instead of using our pages to tell Southerners about what was happening around the country, we became inspired by the sweet, evocative, soulful things that were happening in the South, and began to share those with the rest of the world – a world that seemed hungry for what we had to offer!

Our last big shift came around 2012, with our fifth anniversary issue. Beneath that pretty gold foil cover, we shared our renewed heart for celebrating and equipping strong, growing marriages, which coincided with Lara’s unfolding story of renewal in her own marriage (it’s a really good one, if you’d like to read it).

This year, we welcomed a new Editor-in-Chief and a simplified mission: in all that we do, whether you’re a single college gal, a dating twenty-something, newly engaged, or freshly married, we want to help you cultivate what matters, right where you are. At Southern Weddings, we’ll equip you with the practical and inspire you with the pretty so that you can create a meaningful wedding day that celebrates your story and serves as a beautiful touchstone to a life full of love.

We are more in love with our work than we were nine years ago, and so grateful to y’all for being a part of it. Thank you, friends, for cheering us on and spreading our mission alongside us. You truly are the best.

To say thank you, we’re hosting some fun birthday festivities this week! First, did you hear about our cupcake decorating contest? There’s still time to get in on the fun! And don’t forget to download and print your Southern Weddings birthday hat template if you need a little help getting into the spirit! We’re wearing ours in the office today.

Second, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Shop Sweet Lulu to offer a birthday prize pack to one lucky reader! Enter below to win a Joyful Wedding Planner, a Memories of Us journal, a box of Funfetti cake mix, a Liberty cupcake kit, pretty floral plates, birthday cake caramels, an assortment of balloons in SW-approved colors, gold glitter candles, custom felt confetti, darling favor bags, and the sweetest happy birthday garland. Whew!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finally, as a thank you to ALL y’all, we’re offering free shipping on everything in the Southern Weddings Shop from today through April 10 with code HAPPYBIRTHDAY. Maybe it’s the perfect time to pick up a Joyful Wedding Planner, a gorgeous guest book, or a ceremonial marriage certificate? I don’t know about y’all, but I prefer free shipping codes to almost any other kind of discount, so enjoy! :)

There’s lots more fun to be had on Instagram this week, so come on over and join us there! And here’s to nine more happy years!!

P.S. I was looking back through (really!) old posts for a certain photo, and came across this from Lara, written in 2009. It still rings true today! “I think the magic of Southern Weddings is the community that has formed around it. It’s not about weddings, it’s about inspiring and connecting with each other. I am so humbled by the love and overjoyed to see how people are supporting each other… not just us.”

emily Written with love by Emily
95 Comments
  1. avatar Bri A reply

    Nine years?! Goodness! Happy birthday to SW and the whole team! Celebrate with a big glass of sweet tea.

    Thank you for everything all of y’all do for SW and CWM!

  2. avatar Laura reply

    “I Got You” by James Brown!

  3. avatar Savannah reply

    Love this magazine!! Provides a lot of interesting and helpful insight!

  4. avatar Monique reply

    What an amazing way to celebrate SW’s Birthday!! My sweet husband and I’s first dance as husband and wife was to “Only One” by Yellowcard.

  5. avatar Kate reply

    Happy birthday! My birthday is Friday! It would be so super sweet to win this giveaway!!

  6. avatar Kate reply

    Oh and our first dance song was “Angel” by Jack Johnson.

  7. avatar Katherine reply

    I’m getting married June 24th and our first dance is going to be Unforgettable by Nat King Cole :)

  8. avatar Emily reply

    Happy Birthday Southern Weddings!!! So grateful for your love of meaningful relationships and beautiful marriages. Here’s to many more birthdays! Cheers!

  9. avatar Abby Rae Cohen reply

    My blog post comment assignment to receive another entry in the giveaway was, “Tell us what your first dance song will be or was.” Seems like the heavens opened up and shined down upon me for this one, as I just so happen to have a running list in the notes section of my phone for possible weddings songs! Haha! My first dance song will either be Have I Told You Lately That I Love You by Rod Stewart (I have strong memories of my grandfather crying and dancing to this song at my cousins wedding when I was very little) or My Girl by The Temptations, because one day my boyfriend and I were driving and it came on and he said “I’m going to marry you and we will dance to this song,” SO how could that not make me just melt? So many good choices! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity, and here’s to nine more years. XOXO.

  10. avatar Emily reply

    For the Birthday Prize Pack, I’m still single so I don’t have a first dance song yet but I’ll be watching the comments for a good one ;-)

  11. avatar Kirsten Barber reply

    Happy Birthday to all the “Southern Weddings” ladies! I’ve so enjoyed reading the magazine over the years and seeing the joy and love shared on every page. Thank you for all the inspiration you’ve sent out over the years. Looking forward to this year’s issue.

  12. avatar Alison reply

    Then by Brad Paisley

  13. avatar Meredith Peterman reply

    Happy Birthday Southern Weddings!!!

  14. avatar Jillian Chamberlain reply

    Happy Birthday! My fiancé and I get married next June, so we don’t have a song picked outyet! However, we both turn 30 in two weeks! How fun, all of these milestones in this season!

  15. avatar Kelly reply

    Happy Birthday!

  16. avatar Jessica Green reply

    My fiancé’s and my first dance song will be From the Ground Up by Dan and Shay!

  17. avatar Robin reply

    Celebrate Good Times

  18. avatar Alejandra Castillo reply

    Our first dance was a very fun one. THIS GIRL by THE KUNGS! Seriously so much fun!!!

  19. avatar Abi Proctor reply

    co covered by John Mayer!

  20. avatar Alejandra reply

    Our first dance was THIS GIRL by THE KUNGS!!! It has the perfect melody to dance slowly and do quick fun spins, it was the best!!

  21. avatar Andrea F reply

    Our first dance song was “I Get to Love You” by Ruelle :)

  22. avatar Summer reply

    Happy birthday SW!

  23. avatar Mary Beth reply

    Our first dance song was Dead Sea by the Lumineers! Not only do we love the band, but during our marriage counseling our pastor said one of us would be the Dead Sea and one of us would be the babbling brook when it came to expressing feelings, and I turned to my then fiance and said “see – I told you that you were my dead sea.” It was meant to be!

  24. avatar Nicole W reply

    I just LOVE this site & all of the great content you share. As someone who previously worked in the world of blogging & content marketing with some of the biggest brands out there, I know you guys are one of a kind and are sharing something special.

  25. avatar Sydney reply

    Our first dance song will be How Sweet It Is by James Taylor!

    • avatar Anne Courtney reply

      Another James Taylor over here! We are doing Whenever I see your smiling face (:

  26. avatar Gladys reply

    “The Way You Look Tonight” :)

  27. avatar Sara reply

    Our first dance song was to Keith Urban’s “Making Memories of Us.”

  28. avatar Suzanna reply

    All of the Stars by Ed Sheeran

  29. avatar Janna reply

    Not engaged…yet… :) but Yours by Russell Dickerson is our song! :)

  30. avatar Megan reply

    Perfect – Ed Sheeran

  31. avatar Hope reply

    Happy happy birthday, Southern Weddings! Thank you for sharing your wonderful content with us for NINE YEARS! I’m so excited to see what is to come in the next wonderful years.

    Our first dance as a married couple was to “Drops of Jupiter,” by Train. “Drops of Jupiter” was the theme of our tenth grade homecoming dance – our first date! We came full circle at our wedding, but still had the same butterflies as when we danced to it as 15-year-olds. :)

  32. avatar Elisa Bricker reply

    Happy birthday! So happy to see all that you’ve done during that time!

  33. avatar Whitney Goetz reply

    Our first dance was to “Nothing Fancy” by Dave Barnes. Almost 5 years later, still adore that song. :)

  34. avatar Meredith reply

    “Perfect” by Ed Sheehan

  35. avatar Carly Griesel reply

    Our first dance song will be You’ll Always Be My Girl by Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors.

  36. avatar Macy reply

    Our first dance song will be “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Haley Reinhart

  37. avatar Karen reply

    My first song will be ” Give It All We Got Tonight” By George Strait!!

  38. avatar Laura reply

    Happy birthday, Southern Weddings!!

  39. avatar Laura reply

    Our first dance song was “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show :)

  40. avatar kathryn j reply

    Our first dance song was John Legend’s “All of You”

  41. avatar Jenna Keene reply

    The song “I get to love you” by Ruelle is at the top of my list for my first dance song one day! (:

  42. avatar Randall Huwe reply

    Our first dance will be to Neville’s Waltz by Patrick Doyle! Now we just need to learn how to waltz before the big day…
    Love you blog!

  43. avatar marcie LENICK reply

    Gosh, it was 27 yrs ago and I don’t remember what it was called but think it was by Peabo Price (sp???) LOLOLOL

  44. avatar Krystal reply

    As a wedding planner, MTH alumni and lover of all things southern, I look forward to each issue of SW to inspire me even more. Happy Birthday!

  45. avatar Linda reply

    Amazed by Lonestar – that was a really long time ago – now time to pick my daughter’s first dance song :)

  46. avatar Courtney White reply

    Happy Birthday! Our first dance song was “Die A Happy Man” by Thomas Rhett!

  47. avatar Kate reply

    Yay Southern Weddings! Our first dance song was “You’re Beautiful” by Phil Wickham.

  48. avatar Madison reply

    Our first dance song will be Perfect Storm by Brad Paisley most likely. It’s still up for debate ;)

  49. avatar Shawn A. reply

    Still The One by Orleans

  50. avatar Brittney reply

    “Hey Ho” by the Lumineers

  51. avatar Kathleen reply

    Haven’t decided on a first dance song.

  52. avatar Sarah reply

    Happiest of Birthdays to you!! First dance song will be Moon River. Xox

  53. avatar Jackie reply

    Happy birthday! Definitely used that free shipping code to pick up a few missed magazine issues :D

  54. avatar Christie reply

    Lost In This Moment by Big & Rich <3

  55. avatar Shelby reply

    Happy birthday, SW!

    Our first dance song was “Forever Like That” by Ben Rector!

  56. avatar Mandy reply

    Our first dance song was “So Close” from the Disney movie Enchanted :)

  57. avatar Kallie reply

    Happy Birthday!! As for my song choice, I haven’t decided for sure, but I think “Call On Me” by Janis Joplin is a definite top contender!

  58. avatar Laura reply

    Happy birthday! I became a SW reader before my wedding 6(!) years ago and have loved seeing how it has grown and evolved since then! Our first dance was to Hold On by Michael Buble. Such a wonderful song and we loved that it isn’t used often- it’s just ours!

  59. avatar Sami K reply

    yay! Love this! My first dance song is Made for You :)

  60. avatar Alex reply

    Such a funnel giveaway! Congrats y’all! Absolutely love the happiness you share through these platforms! Xoxo

  61. avatar Jessica Holt reply

    Out of all the beautifully written songs in the world, the one that would most describe my future marriage is At Last by Etta James. I will be 25 this year and have yet to have a boyfriend. I am holding steadfast to meet the man of my dreams that meets every standard I have and beyond!

  62. avatar Courtney reply

    My first dance song choice is by Van Morrison- “Someone Like You”

  63. avatar Kayla reply

    Congrats on 9 years!!!

  64. avatar Michelle reply

    My wedding song was John Legend All of You.

  65. avatar Laura reply

    We never had a first dance, so no song here! :)

  66. avatar Elise reply

    My fiance and I haven’t yet decided… we are still six months out! We’re torn between a slower, traditional and popular song (we’ll hear it all the time!) or something unique and special just to us (more playful)… I’ll be scrolling through the comments for ideas! :)

  67. avatar Lynn Scott reply

    This is the cutest gift ever, Happy 9 Year Anniversary. Our first dance 23 years ago was “I Swear” by John Michael Montgomery??

  68. avatar Ashlie Muller reply

    Happy 9th Birthday, Southern Weddings!!

  69. avatar Megan reply

    Still very single but always had a soft spot for old Big Band favorites…Beyond the Sea, For Once in my Life…

  70. avatar Karen reply

    Not married yet, but we love the song Better Together by Jack Johnson, so it’d probably be that one!

  71. avatar Kristen reply

    Happy Birthday SW!!

  72. avatar Leigh Ann Miller reply

    I just got engaged yesterday! Our first dance will be ” close your eyes” by Michael Buble

  73. avatar Leigh Ann Miller reply

    Close your eyes by Michael Buble!!
    I just got engaged yesterday!

  74. avatar Morgan C reply

    We are going to dance to “and I love her” by the Beatles!

  75. avatar Carlee Campbell reply

    My Love :) so excited for our big day in 2 months!! Congrats to SW!

  76. avatar Sandra reply

    Wow, that sounds great. I’d love to win.

  77. avatar Emily reply

    Our first dance was “God Gave Me You” by Blake Shelton. Then we were able to meet him 6 months later!

  78. avatar Sarah Scott reply

    My first song would be At Last – Single Version. Etta James :)

  79. avatar Michele D. reply

    I honestly still don’t know what song to do. We still need to figure it out.

  80. avatar Julia harkins reply

    We didn’t have dancing at our wedding but we would have danced to at last-the Norah jones version!!

  81. avatar Mary Zelli reply

    We’re not having a band or dance so it can be whatever pops into our heads at the time…..

  82. avatar Shine Bridal reply

    Congratulations!

  83. avatar Anna Smith reply

    Not sure yet! Maybe “hey ho” by the lumineers cause that’s our song!

  84. avatar Lauren Powell reply

    Love this!!! Happy Birthday Southern Weddings!!!!

  85. avatar Kristen reply

    Happy birthday! Not sure on a first song yet but some ideas are Stand By Me, Kiss me by Ed Sheeran, and Die a Happy Man by Thomas Rhett :)

  86. avatar Sarah reply

    Love this! Happy birthday, SW!

    Andrew Peterson’s “Dancing in the Minefields” is my song, as is “One Safe Place”.

  87. avatar Rachel reply

    “Blank Space” cover by Ryan Adams. Not your traditional first dance song, but it’s one of the first songs we danced to (the Taylor Swift version).

  88. avatar Alexis reply

    Our first dance song was “I do cherish you” by mark wills! ❤

  89. avatar Caroline reply

    My first dance song will definitely be At Last by Etta James

  90. avatar Madeline reply

    “A Place Only You Can Go” by Needtobreathe or “Take the World by Johnny Swim

  91. avatar Emma reply

    Right now, I would like for my first dance song to be “How Would You Feel” by Ed Sheeran. I feel that by the time I get married, in more than 5 years, I think, it’ll be an older song from my generation, therefore worthy of being a wedding song.

  92. avatar Samantha reply

    Not engaged or married yet buuut my first dance song will be an Ed Sheeran song or something by Frank Sinatra!

  93. avatar Lorelai reply

    What an amazing success story y’all are!
    Our song is Fly Me to the Moon :)

  94. avatar Cassidy C reply

    Band of Horses – no one’s gonna love you

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!

Reply to:
close

Hi belles! Our friend Stephanie Scholl has been documenting her wedding process for the last few months here on the blog! She is getting married on Saturday (!!), so this is her final post! Please join us in wishing her well! — Emily

Y’all, our wedding is THIS Saturday!! The next few days will be filled with our family and friends arriving to town, attending to last minute details, soaking up time with loved ones, and kicking off our wedding festivities tomorrow! Rob and I truly couldn’t be happier that we’re going to be husband and wife in a few short days, and we are unbelievably excited to celebrate the start of our marriage with loved ones on Saturday.

It’s been such a joy and honor to share our wedding planning journey and a peek into our engagement with you all, and I’m so grateful you’ve followed along! For my last post as a bride-to-be, I wanted to share what Rob and I are most looking forward to right now.

Ally and Bobby Photography

First off, we both are most excited to become husband and wife! As much as we’re looking forward to and eagerly anticipating our entire wedding day, it’s the bond and covenant that we make to each other, in front of God, our family, and friends, that makes us giddy. We cannot wait to be joined together as one, and we’ve tried to keep this the focus of our relationship and our wedding planning. I know the days, weeks, and years to come are going to be even better than I ever imagined because I’ll have Rob by my side as my husband and best friend.

He is the greatest blessing this side of Heaven, and thinking about the life we want to build together, the big and little moments in the years to come, and having him by my side throughout it all makes me beam with excitement and joy. I cannot wait for the moment when we hold hands and pray together around a door (no first look for us!) before our ceremony begins, and when I picture us meeting eyes for the first time on opposite ends of the aisle, I definitely tear up. We are both so, so excited for that moment.

Photo by Julie Cate via Style Me Pretty

It truly takes a village, don’t you think? Rob and I are surrounded by the most loving, supportive, and encouraging family and friends, and I can’t even fathom the feeling of having all of them together in one place – and celebrating us! A majority of our guests will be traveling into town from all over the country, and it’s humbling to know how many people are coming together to celebrate our marriage.

In addition to our family and friends being the best of the best, I also truly believe we have the world’s best wedding vendors. I call them my dream team! Many of them are close friends of mine, and their palpable excitement and joy for us is unreal. Thinking about the film photos from Ally and Bobby, especially, makes me weak in the knees – if our engagement session was any indication, then we’re going to be blown away by our wedding images!

Ally and Bobby Photography

The ceremony is the most important part of our wedding day, and we’ve tried to really focus on making it meaningful and reflective of our love – and most importantly, on Christ’s love for us and for all. We want to infuse our personalities into the details, as well as keep things reverent and holy. From our vows, to the song choices, to the wedding party prayer, to our pastor’s homily, to serving communion together as our first act as husband and wife… we are so excited for our ceremony and all that it symbolizes.

One of the elements of the day I’m most excited about is our ceremony exit! We’ll still be doing an exit at the end of the night, but we have a surprise or two up our sleeves for our grand exit down the aisle at Mr. and Mrs. Rob and Stephanie Shaul!!

I’m a wedding planner and stylist, so I’ve been envisioning our wedding and reception design since the moment we got engaged and started planning! I think I’m most excited to see my bridal bouquet and the overall reception design. When I think about Alana from Serendipity Designs bringing me my bridal bouquet on our wedding day… well, I cannot even imagine how stunning and perfect it will be!

Photo by Ali Harper via Once Wed

Our entire wedding design is so reflective of Rob and myself, and we tried to incorporate “us” into every single detail, as well as include meaningful and memorable details throughout. I can’t wait to see the Carriage House at The Merrimon-Wynne House transformed into our wedding reception, which will be like seeing all of my longtime wedding dreams come to life! We’re doing a reception room reveal so that I can soak it all in a little before our guests enter. Oh my goodness, the thought of it all makes me so happy!!

We are so, so excited about every moment of the day, really, but these are a few highlights that we’re eagerly anticipating. I have a feeling April 1st will be the best day of our lives so far, and I can’t believe our wedding day is so soon! My big goal this week is to truly relish and soak in every moment, to not worry about the little details, and to be present with Rob, our families, and our friends. Rob and I are so grateful for every bit of all this, and we cannot wait to become husband and wife!

Photo by Nancy Ray via Southern Weddings

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for following along throughout our engagement and for your excitement and kind words as I’ve shared a peek on our wedding planning journey. I’m truly grateful and so very humbled for your support, encouragement, and well wishes for Rob and myself!

P.S. In case you missed a post:
The proposal
Venue and photography
The dress
Bridesmaid style
Engagement photos
The details
Gift ideas

emily Written with love by Emily
5 Comments
  1. avatar Annie – XO, Annie reply

    We’re having our Engagements taken this Saturday :). I’m definitely most excited about our Ceremony Mass this Fall as well. Have a beautiful week and April First!

  2. avatar Lisa Hays reply

    Best Wishes to you both! Enjoy your special day!

  3. avatar Molly Dansby reply

    HAPPY WEDDING WEEKEND STEPHANIE!!! xo

  4. avatar Bri A reply

    I’m sure the ceremony was beautiful! I’ve loved following your journey, Stephanie, and am sending you both good wishes for a happy, joyful life together.

    Xo

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!

Reply to:
close
Top