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Join us at the V7 Launch Party

by in Main on

Have you heard the good news? V7 is brimming over with love and she is going to knock your socks off–we think that deserves some serious Southern celebration! In true Southern Weddings fashion, we’re throwing a shindig, sweeter than a peach, and all y’all are invited!

We’re so grateful for our sweet readers, vendors, and sponsors, and are SO looking forward to giving y’all some big squeezes on Thursday, November 13! Come on down to The Umstead Hotel in Cary for delectable bites and beverages inspired by our latest issue and to pick up a goodie bag filled with surprises. There will be toe-tapping music, video screenings, sweets, corn hole, and, among other things, the best photo booth around!

Our last two launch parties sold out and we couldn’t accommodate everyone who wanted to come, so don’t delay–snag your tickets early! To attend, you MUST RSVP! For a glimpse of what’s to come, take a peek at last year’s confetti-filled celebration!

We are tickled pink that we get the chance to celebrate another love-story filled issue with y’all–we can’t wait to see you in a few short weeks to toast seven sweet years of Southern goodness!!

P.S. Don’t forget to wear your best pink and peach party attire! Ladies, you might want to bring a wrap or shawl if you want to enjoy the terrace off the lovely Umstead ballroom. I hear that there may be twinkly lights (an SW office favorite), so you don’t want the potential cool November temperatures to keep you from enjoying this magical outdoor space!

P.P.S. If you are one of our many friends traveling in from out of town, there are plenty of options in the area including the lovely Umstead Hotel or the Embassy Suites across the street.

kristin Written with love by Kristin
2 Comments
  1. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] our beloved readers, sponsors, and friends soon, too! Tickets for the V7 launch party are available here, and if you’re interested in joining us, we highly recommend getting your tickets […]

  2. avatar A Day in the Life of the Southern Weddings' Marketing Director – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] busy bees preparing for the launch of V7, tackling final Making Things Happen prep, planning our SWV7 Launch Party and upcoming Southern Weddings Shop product launch. So, after a quick round of updates from […]

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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Hold onto your hats and save the date, y’all – Southern Weddings V7 hits stands in 33 sweet days, and we’re throwing a big ‘ol bash to celebrate!

MUCH more to come soon! In the meantime, if you are one of our many friends traveling in from out of town, there are plenty of options in the area! We have a block of rooms at the Umstead – all you need to do is ask for the Southern Weddings Launch Party rate! Hurry on up, rooms are only on hold until 10/13! Party tickets will be on sale in mid-October.

SWV7 is going to be sweeter than a peach and brimming over with SO MANY amazing Southern love stories (ahem, SEVENTEEN real weddings!!) – certainly worthy of being celebrated!

We can’t wait to see y’all in a few weeks as we toast to seven fabulous (and lucky) years of Southern goodness!!

Much love,
Lara, Emily, Nicole, Marissa, Kristin, Lisa, and Morgan!

PS: Rumor is that newsletter subscribers are going to get advanced access to tickets, so now is a great time to sign up!

kristin Written with love by Kristin
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I don’t know about y’all, but how I start the morning tends to set the tone for the rest of my day. With a healthy breakfast, a cup of coffee, and maybe even a few extra minutes to pick out my outfit, I’m much more happy and productive for the rest of the day. At Southern Weddings, we think that this same idea holds true on your wedding day. With a little bit of preparation and forethought, you can ensure that the day will start in a peaceful and stress-free way, letting you focus on what really matters: getting married! With the help of our friends at Freixenet, we’ve compiled our best tips for your wedding morning.

Choose your location wisely.
Be honest with yourself when considering the best place to get ready. Will your childhood home put you at ease, or will a week’s worth of detail DIY-ing lingering in the air make you anxious? Will the bridal room at your church make you feel more comfortable about not running late, or will the lack of natural light make you feel a little claustrophobic? Everyone’s needs are different, but a pretty, clean, light-filled room with plenty of mirrors and outlets is generally the best place to start. We shot these photos in one of the suites at The Umstead in Cary, North Carolina, and with its huge windows (and gorgeous views!), beautiful furniture, and ample space to spread out and get ready, we think it’s a prime example of a great wedding morning room!

Another tip: when you’re getting ready, keep purses, dress bags, coats, etc. contained in one part of the room–hidden, if possible. Not only will a clutter-free room help you relax, it’ll also make your wedding morning pictures clean and beautiful.

Know your timeline.
The ultimate essential for a stress-free morning? Knowing you have plenty of time. Coordinate the amount of time you need to get ready with your hair stylist and makeup artist, taking into account all of the people who need to be attended to (perhaps bridal party, moms, grandmas, flower girls, and, of course, you!). If you’re going to a salon, overestimate the time it takes you to drive back and forth. Ask a responsible bridesmaid to keep an eye on the clock and gently enforce the schedule. If you haven’t created a wedding day timeline yet, find our tips for doing so here.

Consider your attire.
Slipping into a pretty robe, crisp monogrammed shirt, or even a cute, strapless dress or coverup will help you feel special from the moment you wake up. Just make sure that whatever you wear can be stepped out of easily to prevent smudging your makeup or mussing your hair!

Designate a point person.
Phone calls from vendors, friends, and even your wedding guests on the morning of the wedding are almost unavoidable. Have your mom or a bridesmaid take charge of your phone to field all questions and concerns that may come your way, so you can sit back and relax!

Don’t forget about food and drinks!
Y’all, we cannot stress enough how important it is to remember to eat on your big day! We love fresh, light finger foods that are delicious and easy to eat in between turns on the makeup chair, like these sandwiches and sweets prepared by The Umstead. Make each of your bridesmaids feel extra special by stenciling her monogram (see below for a tutorial!) onto mini bottles of Freixenet–the matte black bottles are perfect for this! She can drink straight from the bottle with a pretty straw, or pour the sparkling wine into a glass with juice for a morning mimosa. This is the start of a celebration, after all!

As responsible bloggers, we did take a sip from these dainty bottles while shooting these photos, and we can personally certify that this sparkling, bubbly drink would be perfect for a celebratory wedding morning! The Freixenet winery is still family-owned with a rich history that stretches over 100 years, beginning when two winemaking families decided to make sparkling wine in the classic tradition of methóde champenoise, using indigenous Spanish grapes from their vineyards. The Ferrer family’s dedication to detail and quality is this cava’s distinguishing mark – it’s still completely harvested by hand!

Plan special touches in advance.
A few little details will make getting ready feel more like a special event in itself. You don’t need much–we love cute straws, bows around mini Freixenet bottles, personalized hangers, and a simple floral arrangement, to name a few. We suggest brainstorming and preparing these details as soon as possible–by the week of the wedding, there will most likely be other things you’ll need to focus on.

Make a playlist.
We love this tip! Nothing sets a mood quite like the perfect playlist, and whether you’re anticipating a quiet, serene morning or a pre-wedding dance party with your best gals, music will help set the tone for whatever kind of morning will make you feel your best.

Bring your invitation suite.
This may sound like an odd thing to pack into your wedding morning tote bag, but if you want your photographer to capture beautiful pictures of your paper products, it’s essential! As well as paper, be sure to lay out any details you may want photographed–perhaps your jewelry, your somethings old/new/borrowed/blue, your perfume, etc.

Now about those monogrammed Freixenet bottles! It’s no secret that the Southern Weddings gals love monograms, and we think the idea of gifting bridesmaids with a custom bottle is so special.

1. Design a monogram on the computer and print it out on cardstock. Make sure the lines are on the thick side, since you’ll be cutting them out! We used the font “Circle Monograms” (available here) to make ours.
2. With an X-Acto knife, cut out the monogram to create a stencil.
3. Carefully remove the label from a Freixenet bottle and use the stencil to outline the monogram in pencil. We found soaking the bottles in water helps.
4. Go over your pencil lines with gold sharpie, and then fill in the letters.
5. Add a little border–we love these cava-inspired polka dots!

What are your wedding morning plans? If you’d like your wedding day to include Freixenet, be sure to enter the All Love Sparkles sweepstakes on their Facebook page–you could win 125 mini Freixenet bottles, like the ones seen in this post, as well as a Memory Magnum bottle. Good luck!

Photographer: Julia Wade | Venue and Food: The Umstead | Bridesmaid Dresses: LulaKate | Robe: Plum Pretty Sugar | Stationery: Minted

lisa Written with love by Lisa
8 Comments
  1. avatar Kristin reply

    Those mini bottles are adorable and the monogrammed touch is perfect! Dying over the darling. Good music, bubbles and my best friends? Ok!

  2. avatar Mary reply

    Ah! I so wish I would have planned this part of the day better! I didn’t even get to sit and just enjoy being with my bridesmaids. Such an important part of the day!

  3. avatar Kat reply

    Oh I love the monograms!!! And, those hangers are adorable!!

  4. avatar Occasions In Print reply

    Great advice! I especially love the suggestion to bring your stationery suite.

  5. avatar Alie reply

    Love this! Where did you get those cute straws?!

  6. avatar Jadzia reply

    These bottles make great wedding favors too! Gave them out at my wedding 28 years ago!!

  7. avatar Kayleigh reply

    Love this post, so perfect! Do you know where the pink dress is from?

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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