Southern Weddings

We’re just tickled to get to introduce y’all to a new set of Blue Ribbon Vendors each month, because we know any one of them would be a joy to you if you choose to work together! We’re using a few of our favorite BRV interview questions to help you get to know them. Click through to their listings to find out more about them and see all of our wonderful vendors!

Name: Sarah Joelle Furr, Sarah Joelle
Location/Coverage: Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida. Available worldwide.
Dream travel destination: Traveling makes my heart sing! Some of the places on the top of my list are Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Provence, and Santorini.

Name: Cassie Thibeaux, Southern Fete
Where you call home: Anywhere there’s oak trees and moss, generous hospitality, and a little Southern charm!
How I got into weddings: For as long as I can remember, I dreamed and planned my perfect wedding (and practiced walking down the aisle with a bath towel as a train… oh, you did that too?). When my husband and I moved to Lafayette from Baton Rouge after our dream wedding in 2012, I knew it was time for a career change. I craved a creative outlet that highlighted my passion for meticulous organization and immersed me in fast-paced situations that were never the same. I’ve never looked back.

Name: Stephanie Rachmeler, Stephanie’s Paper Shop
Where you call home: Atlanta, GA
Favorite thing about weddings in the South? Southern weddings have a charm unlike any other I’ve seen. They feel homey and inviting. That’s not to say they’re all informal, but rather, they all carry with them the Southern hospitality for which our region is known. You feel like you’re part of one big family, and at the end of the night, you’re a little tired, a little too full, and you’ve had a ball.

Name: Randi Smith, Sugar Euphoria
Where you call home: Raleigh, NC
How I got into weddings: You know the saying “born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth?” I’m convinced that I was born with a spatula and a whisk, since I come from a long line of bakers. However, I didn’t venture into the world of weddings until my husband encouraged me to sign up for a wedding expo. I’ve loved every minute of being a cake designer, from the consultations with sweet brides to the deliveries.

Name: Rachel Bridgwood and Lauren Anderson, Sweet Root Village
Where you call home: Alexandria, VA
Favorite part of a wedding day? Seeing everything come together after months of hard work! Aaaaand also putting flowers on the cake. We like cake.

Name: Nate and Jaclyn Kaiser, The Image is Found
Location/Coverage: Nashville/Worldwide
Things you’d write home to your Momma about: We were chosen as one of American Photo’s Top Ten Photographers.

Name: The Market at Grelen
Where you call home: Somerset, VA
Favorite thing about weddings in the South? Being from California, I just LOVE the “Southern charm” family and friends bring to every wedding in the South. I love seeing guests get all gussied up, whether it’s a black tie affair or a seersucker suit. I also love it when couples get creative with their signature cocktails and put a fun twist on a Southern classic.

Name: Lisa Formaro, The Sweet Trend
Where you call home: Cumming, GA
Best piece of advice you can give to brides and grooms? Fill the day with what is most important to you and your groom. You will love looking around and seeing all the special touches you took the time to add to your day and keep in your memories. It is just the beginning of a beautiful journey together.

Name: Virgil Bunao
Where you call home: Charleston, SC
Favorite part of a wedding day? Hmmm, the whole day. If I had to choose, I would say 15 or so minutes before the ceremony, when most people are scrambling, to about when the bride walks down the aisle. There tends to be A LOT of great moments during that time that I love capturing.

Name: Sara Fields, Wedding Connections
Where you call home: Asheville, NC
Best piece of advice you can give to brides and grooms? Remember that love is the most important detail of any wedding day.

Check out all of our favorite vendors in the Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory! I also wanted to mention that we’re working particularly hard to expand some of our areas of slim pickings – namely, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. If you would like to recommend someone (or nominate yourself!) for any of these states, please email emily at southernweddings.com!

Written with love by Emily