Today’s etiquette question MIGHT just be the one we receive most often, if you can believe it!

This query is actually SO popular that we answered it more than two years ago, but since we still get emails about it all the time, we thought we’d take another stab! Our latest black + navy query comes from Lauren:

Hi SW ladies! I am getting married this September, and would love for my bridesmaids to wear navy dresses (haven’t decided short or long yet). We’re going for a more formal feel, so tuxedos for the men is the obvious choice, but I don’t know if navy blue and black will clash when everyone is lined up together?? It’s definitely a smaller detail, but I’ve been going back and forth for the past few weeks and would love an outside opinion. What do y’all think — is the navy + black combo acceptable? Thank you!!

Haley Sheffield

Let’s set the record straight once and for all: navy and black do NOT clash, and a tuxedo looks smashing with almost everything. Your bridal party will look fabulous together! However, we would recommend sticking with as classic a tux as possible to keep the look clean-lined: no vest, a black bow tie, and a black cummerbund.

Amanda Joy Photography

If you’re worried about the bridal party looking like a dark blob in photos, perhaps have the guys take their jackets off for a few group portraits — the white shirts will help brighten the overall look.

Leslie Hollingsworth

Of course, a tuxedo isn’t the only option — black suits, gray suits, the fabulous navy blazer + khaki pant combo, or seersucker suits can all be dapper choices, depending on the time of year you’re getting married and the formality of the celebration.

Josh McCullock and Gibson Events

Each option will definitely create a feel of its own, so think hard about what sort of mood you want to set. Rest assured, however, that whatever you choose, the gents will look exceedingly handsome.

Robyn Van Dyke

Readers, weigh in: Are your girls wearing navy dresses? If so, what will the men be wearing? Would you pair navy and black? Have another option we haven’t thought of? Leave it in the comments below!

Gibson Events, Haley Sheffield, Josh McCullock, Leslie Hollingsworth, and Robyn Van Dyke are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

I love a classic Southern bride! Lauren (who happens to be one of our Southern Bride Bloggers, y’all!) and her beau, Aaron arranged photos in the Raleigh Rose Garden before marrying inside a church. The photos the resulted from Vesic Photography are simply stunning and their moody blue and green surroundings remind me of our V4 cover, but with a life of its own. Lauren actually took inspiration from Southern Weddings to come up with the readings with Aaron, collecting quotes from other couples to craft the perfect ceremony. I love the idea of incorporating the words that strike your heart in addition to the traditional vows and think Lauren’s tactic of slowing curating her favorite words often works best.

For forever, I dreamed of wearing a lace mermaid wedding dress. I had a modest budget so I found myself going to many stores to find the perfect dress. I tried on about 30 dresses in total. I finally found the dress while shopping with my mom and aunt at Bridalmart in Burlington. Bridalmart is this huge store and they have hundreds of dresses at many price points, but you have to pull them yourself. It can be overwhelming if you don’t know what you want! My aunt pulled and showed me the dress, but I was hesitant because I wanted a strapless dress and the fit was more trumpet than mermaid. I tried it on anyways and it was so beautiful. I was still skeptical, but my mom snapped many pictures. Looking at the pictures the days after our visit, I knew this was my dress!

Describe your wedding flowers. 
I wanted a color palette of cream, pink and peach. We used four types of garden roses, hydrangeas, ranunculus, spray roses, limonium and seeded eucalyptus. I think the funniest part was visiting my parent’s house the day after the wedding and seeing it packed with flowers.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? 
We did! I am so happy we did. Our photographer had us stand back to back and we exchanged a few words before turning around. We hugged and kissed and I was so happy. Like many people say, it was our only time alone that day. Also, it was our only opportunity for outdoor photos. We shot ours at the Raleigh Rose Garden, which was minutes away from the church. I have a large family and after the ceremony, we spent time taking the traditional family photos inside the church.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? 
I actually used Southern Weddings for readings inspiration. I would copy and save readings onto my computer that I liked! We ended up choosing Philippians 2:1-5. “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus”

We had very traditional songs during our ceremony because as a little girl I had always dreamed of getting married to these songs. Pachelbel’s Canon in D was the bridal processional, the recessional was Mendelssohn’s Wedding March. During the ceremony, we had two songstresses. Emily, who introduced us, sang Schubert’s “Ave Maria” and the Lord’s Prayer. Andrea, my good college friend, sang “Center of My Joy” by Richard Smallwood. We loved having our friends take part in our wedding ceremony. At the reception, Aaron and I danced to “I Was Made to Love You” by Gerald Levert. We were nervous about the turns in our dance so we whispered to each other before every turn to make sure we were on the same page! My dad picked “I’ll Write A Song for You” by Earth Wind & Fire for our daddy-daughter dance. If you read the lyrics, you’ll want to cry because it’s so sweet. Lastly, Aaron and his mother danced to “Stand by Me” by Ben King.

My grandmother loved collecting glassware, so I used her LE Smith Moon & Stars glasses and her milk glasses for centerpieces. I used her doilies and lace handkerchiefs for decor as well. Our hors d’ouervres were macaroni and cheese and “redneck martinis,” which are pulled pork in a martini glass with a hush puppy on top. However, I think the most Southern thing about my wedding was how much my family helped. My aunt was the coordinator, my godmother handwrote all of my place cards and my mother was responsible for everything else I needed! My dad also let Aaron drive his classic ‘55 Chevy for our transportation to the reception and as the getaway car.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. 
We did mini cupcakes for our wedding cake! It was fun because you could try multiple flavors. We had pumpkin, lemon, chocolate and vanilla. We had a mini-cake on top to cut that was pumpkin as well. After the cake was cut, we passed chocolate shot glasses filled with Kahlua and Bailey’s Irish Cream.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: 
All of the dancing. I wanted the wedding to turn into a huge party at the end and it did! We played Motown music during dinner and afterward transitioned to more current music. The dance floor was packed. Everyone was showing off their best dance moves, including some break dancing, a split and Aaron did the worm.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. 
In 2009, I returned home to Raleigh after graduating from college at Hampton University. I complained to one of my close friends, Emily, that I was bored and would like to meet someone. Emily told me that she worked with a guy who may be a good fit for me. She arranged a double date between herself, her boyfriend, Aaron and myself. Emily and her boyfriend ended up arriving over an hour late to the date so the first hour was just the two of us, complete strangers! We hit it off and the night ended with Aaron buying me Krispy Kreme donuts. The rest is history and Emily sang at our wedding!

Tell us all about the proposal! 
I love Zumba and my dad and I often go together at the YMCA. I would always encourage Aaron to come too, but he’d always decline. Finally on December 30, 2011 he agreed to come to a class with us. Usually it’s hard to find one man in a Zumba class so I had a lot of fun bringing two! After class, Aaron said he would like to continue working out with my dad. I headed home. (I lived with my parents at the time.) Later, Aaron surprised me by showing up at my door. Little did I know, but he had actually stayed at the gym to ask my dad for my hand in marriage! He asked in the locker room, which still think is funny. At my house, Aaron suggested we go for a walk and I agreed. I was so confused, and he was acting slightly different and had brought me huge bouquet of flowers. We sat down in my mother’s garden. Then Aaron got down on one knee and proposed. I was surprised and happy, I said yes! It was a few days after Christmas so my entire family was at home to share the good news with.

When did y’all get married? 
April 13, 2013

How many friends, family, and loved ones attended your wedding? 
270

Did you write your own vows? 
We didn’t! I knew I could never eloquently put my feelings into words so we said the traditional words.

Did you have something borrowed, something blue, and something new? I borrowed my mother’s pearl bracelet (and I still have it, oops). My undergarments were blue and said “Bride” in rhinestones! And my dress was new!

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Our budget and the guest list, which go hand in hand. We ended up having a huge guest list and going over budget, but it was definitely worth it. Even with 270 people, I felt like I was surrounded by my closest friends and family.

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? 
I love flowers, so I loved picking out the flowers with Dawn McCreary and collecting the centerpieces. The bouquets turned our beautifully and while I felt silly at first asking for a flower crown for the flower girl, it was gorgeous!

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
We have so many memories. My favorite is standing back-to-back with Aaron in the Rose Garden, followed by being surrounded by all of our family and friends on the dance floor.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 
If you can afford a day-of coordinator, consider it. My aunt and mom were wonderful and did all the work, but it would have been nice to have hired someone so they could relax and enjoy the day a little more. Besides that, don’t be afraid to ask friends and family for help. As I said earlier, my godmother wrote my place cards. I had a party to assemble the invitations. A friend from church addressed all of my invitations as a gift. Now that I know how much work goes into a wedding, I will definitely be ready to help my friends when it’s their turn.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? 
We just moved in together, so I’ve been working on blending our possessions and decorating the house. We’re both focused on our relationship and our careers right now. I’ll be starting work as a resident physician in psychiatry at a local hospital in a few weeks and Aaron’s busy as an IT manager at software company.

Howdy, friends! We are gearing up for our next round of Southern Weddings V6 editorial shoots, and are hoping some of our local readers might agree to join us this time!

We’ll be in Chapel Hill, NC on Tuesday, July 9. We’re looking for several people for this particular shoot:

– a bride and groom, preferably both blonde
– bridesmaids and groomsmen
– a few young kids (girls and/or boys, ages 4-8)
– an older couple or two

Feel free to nominate yourself, yourself and your husband/fiance/boyfriend, the kids you used to babysit for, or your parents! :) We would LOVE to encourage all hair/skin colors to get in touch! If chosen, we will need you to be available on site from about 1 – 8pm. We might start later or end earlier, but want you to be prepared!

If you’re interested, please send an email to howdy (at) iloveswmag.com with the subject line V6 NC Model Call. Be sure to include a recent headshot (no need for professional photos, we just want to see your lovely face!), a few candids and your height. We promise it’s going to be a blast!

Y’all know I’m a sucker for adorable pups, so add in cameos on paper goods, and a Krispy Kreme groom’s cake — the details of Allison + Andrews make my heart sing! Beyond the sweet details, though, A + A’s “less is more” outlook on wedding planning reminds us what to focus on what is most important to us. “
Don’t lose sight in what you are planning. It’s not just a wedding, this is your marriage.”

Thanks to Happy Everything Co. for sharing this refreshing day with us!

Even though it was a lot of hard work, I loved that we did almost everything ourselves. (Obviously with a lot of help from our amazing family and friends.) My sister and I designed and printed the invitations at home, Andrew built several pieces at the wedding, inluding the dance floor, the wine bar, and the barn door cake table. The wedding programs were DIY. We wanted to make sure our wedding had our own personal touches.

Describe your wedding flowers. 
I am a sucker for hydrangeas. They remind me of my grandmother, so I knew I wanted them to be my main flower. I had white hydrangeas with brunia berries for my bouquet and blue hydrangeas with thistle for the girls. The guys had a coordinating berry for their boutonnieres.

This little guy cannot get any cuter! Suspenders AND a bow tie? Yes, please! And yes, Andrew, you look pretty dapper yourself!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? 
We did decide to do a first look. We agreed it would help take a lot of pressure off of both of us, and help relieve some stress to have a few moments alone together before the ceremony. We were both so glad we did. This also helped us get to the reception a lot quicker to celebrate with our guests.

Andrew and I decided to have mostly hymns during the ceremony. We played “Amazing Grace,” “Come Thou Fount,” “It Is Well,” and “Jesus Paid It All.” I came down the aisle to “Be Thou My Vision.” Our first dance was “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” played by an acoustic band for a little more of a soft, romantic version.

Our getaway car was also a hit. It was a 1931 Model A Ford that belongs to Andrew’s grandfather. We had hayrides to transport guests from the ceremony to the reception and served the yummiest BBQ in town to ensure our guests go home with a satisfied tummy full of Southern comfort food!

Heavens, I want to smooch this pup’s adorable face!

Andrew’s mother, Kayleen, and I baked the wedding cake! When I first found out how pricey wedding cakes can get, my first thought was, “How hard can it be to bake a wedding cake?” Andrew actually helped me bake the first practice round. In all, I think we had about three practice rounds. One was actually for one of our wedding showers! I must say it was probably one of the more fun parts of planning. The looks were far from perfect, but I like the homemade look. It went with our homemade, backyard, DIY wedding. We chose a very simple sour cream pound cake recipe with a cream cheese icing. I cannot tell you how many people told us it was the best wedding cake they have ever tasted! It tickled me to pieces! The groom’s cake was a mountain of Krispy Kreme donuts. Andrew loves the outdoors. He and his brothers and buddies always go out west at least once a year to camp and hike. He is also a huge Lego fan. Thus, we had a mountain of donuts, the Mr. & Mrs. Lego couple cake topper complete with the Moosejaw flag, and powdered sugar for “snow.”

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. 
Andrew and I met through a mutual friend at a Georgia-Florida football game. We were both seeing other people at the time, but ended up reconnecting for next year’s game. I was not able to attend the game the next year, but after getting back in touch with each other a year later, we decided we wanted to get to know each other a little more. Living about an hour apart from each other, Andrew spontaneously decided he would surprise me one Saturday to take me on our first date. With only an hour notice, I rushed to get ready and plan our first date: pizza, beer, and a Wounded Soldiers benefit concert in a horse arena.
Tell us all about the proposal! 
Andrew’s family lives on a hundred-acre farm on Lake Oconee. One of our favorite getaways has always been riding horses around the property. One early Sunday morning, he told me to be at the farm at 9am sharp for an early morning ride. We started out on our typical route, and ended up in one of our favorite pastures where we had talked about getting married. Andrew helped me off the horse, and in front of a giant oak tree, got down on one knee and asked for my hand in marriage.

When did y’all get married? 
May 18, 2013

How many friends, family, and loved ones attended your wedding? 
150

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. 
I found my dress at a sample sale at Bride Beautiful in Roswell. I had actually already purchased a dress in December, but a month before the wedding decided it just wasn’t the one. Luckily I had registered with theknot.com and they sent me an email advertising the sample sale and I jumped on it! I was so happy to have found THE dress at such short notice.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Andrew and I decided to have mostly hymns during the ceremony. We played “Amazing Grace,” “Come Thou Fount,” “It Is Well,” and “Jesus Paid It All.” I came down the aisle to “Be Thou My Vision.” Our first dance was “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” played by an acoustic band for a little more of a soft, romantic version.

Did you have something borrowed, something blue, and something new? My something borrowed was my sister’s veil, my something blue were my shoes that my sister painted. My something old was the garter that my grandmother made for my mother. My sister also wore it for her wedding. My something new was my dress.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? 
I absolutely adored our mason jar sugar cookie favors — an idea we found in the Southern Weddings magazine! I found a picture of them in my very first wedding magazine and fell in love. My cousin made them for us, and they were such a hit!

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The financial aspect of planning a wedding is always difficult. Andrew and I wanted to do everything as affordable as possible. Less is more for us. However, there will always be the little expenses you don’t plan for that add up quickly. Since we did do a lot of it ourselves, time was of the essence.

What range did your wedding budget fall into? 
Less than $10,000

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? 
Our photographer! I knew that after all was said and done, the only thing left would be our pictures. They make me giddy every time I look at them.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? 
I remember pretty much every detail of the whole day, but our first look stands out the most. We were both so excited to see each other!

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? 
Don’t lose sight in what you are planning. It’s not just a wedding, this is your marriage. It is your lifelong commitment to another. Make it personal and a reflection of the two of you, but don’t get caught up in tiny details. At the end of the day, what matters most is your love and commitment to one another.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? 
We hope to get in as much traveling as our schedules will allow. Who knows, maybe I’ll start baking wedding cakes on the side!

Hello, belles + beaus! We’re using some Sundays to share images that show what the Sweet Tea Society is all about – getting back to the root of weddings, remembering why they happen, and celebrating the emotion and love that drives them. Enjoy!

Donnan Photo

From the bride, Adriene:

From the start, my husband and I wanted a wedding that would not only celebrate our love for each other, but also celebrate the love we have for our precious family and friends. I was both humbled and overjoyed that so many of our loved ones carved time out of their busy schedules to attend! The moment that this photograph was taken was right before I linked arms with my brother to walk down the church aisle, and I was feeling overwhelmed with gratitude. For the first time in my life, I was about to be in a room filled with everyone I’ve ever loved. When my brother came to tell me it was time, I remember feeling so abundantly blessed to have the opportunity to walk past everyone who has ever held a piece of my heart and straight into the arms of the man who will hold it forever.

You can see more from Adriene + Ashton’s wedding here!