What are everyone’s thoughts on Labor Day weekend? I’m a little torn between loving the long weekend and dreading the end of summer. The good news is that in the South, summer seems to last a lot longer.

We always love starting off our week with a Southern Delicacy. Marissa told us all about cheese straws – the ideal snack for a hostess to have on hand.

We can’t do a Summer in the South without thinking about our gents! Darren from Well Groomed popped in to give us his men’s summer essentials.

August’s Southern Bride of the Month, Rachel, told us all about the details of her wedding — just days before she says “I do!” We adore their state pride and sweet proposal.

We can’t say goodbye to National Peach Month without one last shout-out to our favorite summer fruit. Read all about peaches here.

We couldn’t resist sharing this adorable styled shoot with you. This idea for a pre-wedding waffle brunch with your sweetie doesn’t get any better!

Real Weddings put a smile on our faces

Melanie + Joe know how to celebrate — with glitter, that is. We just love how their sweet “I do’s” turned into a glamorous celebration. See it here.

Kelsey + Evan’s wedding was full of sweet Southern style staged in a lovely and modern space. See it here.

Katie + Mike’s seaside wedding turned our favorite wedding colors into a poppy and preppy soiree! See it here.

We’re sending out giant hugs to those belles and beaus who are saying “I do” this weekend, including our Southern Bride Blogger, Whitney and our Southern Bride of the Month, Rachel! Congratulations y’all!

Finally, we wanted to leave you with a beautiful wedding photo from one of our readers, Kori. We love using this space to share photos and stories from y’all, from our community. Today’s is a little different, however. Kori and her husband Matt were married in June 2012. Tragically, Matt was struck and killed by a car while riding his bicycle just a month and a half after their wedding day. All of the Southern Weddings ladies have been thinking so much about Kori and her family lately, who remind us to be grateful for everything and every day we have, and we wanted to invite you to join us in sending good thoughts and prayers her way.

Have a lovely weekend, friends!

Y’all, last night I wrapped the gifts for my bridesmaids, our readers, and our greeters, and John picked up his groomsmen gifts from the embroidery shop! (Yep, they’re monogrammed!) We’re so excited to have checked off “bridal party gifts” from the to do list! Not only because it’s another item down, but because these ladies and gents are so special to us, and the least we can do is offer them a small, carefully chosen token of our gratitude. I’m sure you all feel the same way.

It took us a while to land on the perfect gifts for our guys and gals, and I know that bridal party gift suggestions are something we field tons of questions about. That’s why I’m so happy to introduce today’s sponsor, MyGroomsmenGifts.com!

MyGroomsmenGifts.com has hundreds of gifts to choose from — most of which can be personalized, and which range in style from outdoorsy to business-y. Their prices are super reasonable, and they’ll match any price found on the web for an identical item. Awesome! They’re also running a Facebook promotion right now — just “like” them, and you’ll get a 20% off coupon for use on anything with no minimum.

Tell me, friends: What did your fiance or husband gift his groomsmen? Let’s share ideas in the comments!

1. Personalized Key Chain Bottle Opener | 2. Gunmetal Mug | 3. Personalized Edward Cuff Links | 4. Embroidered Hankies | 5. Bridal Party Golf Ball Set | 6. Engraved Leather Dopp Bag

P.S. Photo above by Rylee Hitchner from this wedding!

Hi friends! It’s been a particularly beautiful week here on Southern Weddings, hasn’t it? So many pretty real weddings! We’ll very rarely break up the weddings with a styled shoot, but this one… well, I couldn’t resist. The field setting is absolutely picturesque, and the idea of a quiet brunch for two is downright dreamy!

Ready to dream a bit? Let’s start with the gold + sparkly invitations by Taylor Rae.

Wow wow wow! Wouldn’t it be amazing to meet up with your fiance at a spot like this on the morning of your wedding? It could be such a special time to calm each other down (and get excited!), maybe exchange presents or letters, and have something to eat. Kind of like this breakfast surprise!

All of these beautiful pink, peach, and gold details were brought together by Anna of A.Styled Event. Didn’t she do an amazing job? The loose + natural florals are by Evolutions in Design.

Now hold up a minute. How adorable is this couple?? I adore her short dress, peachy necklace, and little birdcage veil by Jaxie. Better yet? These two are married lovebirds in real life! Anna served as both stylist AND model for this shoot!

Perfection! Thank you SO much to Kelsy + Butch of The McCartneys for sharing their exquisite (seriously, exquisite!) photos of this happy occasion with us!

We ate our peach ice cream this week, made sure to stop by the farmer’s market for the last of the good crop and prepared our pies and mason jars for peach-filling. Summer is winding down (sniff sniff). We can’t say goodbye to August (National Peach Month, y’all!) or to summer without reflecting on the good ol’ peach — a summer staple, thirst-quencher and tummy-filler from May until September.

Oh yes, y’all, the Southern Weddings ladies are bursting with peach knowledge. Have another fun fact? Share them in the comments below! We’re also open to peach canning tips, peach recipes and offers of eternal summertime :)

Want more peach-lovin’ posts?
Summer in the South: Peach Fab Finds
National Peach Month Real Wedding Round-Up

Oh my goodness, y’all. Really, Katie + Mike, can you and your wedding get any cuter? Pink and navy are fairly common wedding colors. I love how they’re usually presented as romantic and tailored in the wedding world, but I am just smitten with how K + M turned these colors into a poppy and preppy seaside soiree. We’re sending big virtual hugs to Jacqueline Schmitz Campbell for making our day with this one.

I tried on dresses three different times — once with mom and nanny, again with my mom and sister-in-law, and the third time just with my mom. We were in Raleigh, NC at Alexia’s Bridal. I would say I tried on a total of 10 dresses at Alexia’s and had three dresses that I loved, but none of them were “the one.” The owner then went to pull one of the dresses in the window — this amazing dress that I saw on the way in. I tried it on and I knew immediately. I looked at my mom and she was tearing up and that’s when I knew I had found the dress. I was all smiles!!!

Describe your wedding flowers: They were gorgeous, ivory and soft blush with accents of lilac and buttercup yellow. I had dahlias, peonies, spray roses, Queen Anne’s lace, scabiosa pods, maiden hair fern, and astrantia. My bridesmaids carried a bunch of mini daisies. The flower girl carried a leaf covered basket decorated with ribbon full of cream and blush rose petals. The groom and groomsmen had hypercium berries, astrantia, maiden hair fern and ivy.

We had a string trio, Sage String Quartet for the Processional which played “Bittersweet Symphony.” For the bridal entrance, I walked to Cannon in D. For the recessional, we played “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” During our cocktail hour, they continued to play an eclectic mix of music. We had a DJ for the reception. He introduced everyone to Calvin Harris’s “The Rain.” Our first dance song was “Feels like home,” by Chantal Kreviazuk and our father-daughter dance was to “I Loved Her First,” by Heartland.

What range did your wedding budget fall into? I had no budget. My parents are the best. At first, Mike and I didn’t want a big wedding. Instead, we wanted to get married in my parents’ beautiful backyard. My parents envisioned their little girl’s wedding to be something different. We compromised; I had a vision of an outdoor garden party for all our closest friends and family.
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? The venue. The Inn at Perry Cabin, in St. Michaels, Maryland was gorgeous.

How fun is this tent? Cheery flags waving against the blue sky are a sure sign of wedding festivities. Just wait until you scroll down to see the rest of the tent — gorgeous!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert: Ours was a lemon pound cake with lemon curd and fresh raspberry preserves surrounded by a lemon buttercream icing. The cake was three-tiered with mini blush sugar flowers arranged on the exterior of the cake. We also had a vintage candy bar that showcased old school candies as well as some of our favorite sweet cravings such as Fishers Caramel Popcorn, combinations of dark chocolate and a variety of cookies.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met at school at East Carolina University. I was a sophomore and Mike was a junior. We met through mutual friends but most importantly, we have to give thanks to our friend Justin, one of Mike’s groomsmen for introducing us.
Describe the proposal. I knew it was coming but I didn’t know when. Mike had been acting strange and out of the ordinary — like very nervous all the time. We were visiting my parents at their beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, our most favorite place to getaway. It had been an extremely rainy month, but finally there was a break in the rain and the sun came out on May 21. We rode our bikes up to the beach. Usually I carry a beach bag with everything we would need, but this time Mike insisted on bringing his backpack. At the time, I thought nothing of it. We sat together and had a mini picnic. I had a full belly so I began to doze off. Suddenly, I felt someone standing over me. I opened one eye and saw Mike getting down on one knee. I don’t even remember his exact words. I said at last, “YES…YES!” I do remember we were both so happy you couldn’t smack the smile off my face.
In what month did you get married? June
How many guests attended your wedding? 122
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes, we wrote our vows together. “I knew you were the one when I realized I loved you more than I loved myself.”
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? It was on the Eastern shore of Maryland. Mike and I live in the South so we wanted to bring a flair of the South with us. During cocktail hour, we had specialty drinks served in mason jars. We also served Ruby Red Margaritas and gin and tonics, mini canapés including shrimp and grits, frozen watermelon, fried chicken and waffles, tomato mozzarella and Bloody Mary oyster shooters…delicious.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Planning from out-of-state is pretty tricky. Mike and I live in North Carolina but we were married in Maryland where I grew up.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment was right after we said “I do.” We took pictures with our wedding party first, and then Jacqueline, our photographer whisked us away to take pictures in private. That was our first moment alone as a married couple. I also remember at one point, under a tent at the reception, taking a look around and noticing how awesome it felt to be surrounded by our closest family and friends celebrating the start of new beginnings together.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? I have a friend getting married soon. I tell her all time to make sure that on the day of the wedding you are calm and relaxed and you enjoy every moment that you can because you spend so much time agonizing over every little detail and then the day of goes by so fast!!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are excited to create our life together as Mr. and Mrs. We are excited to start our own family in the near future.