After another fun photo shoot on Wednesday, we’re both really excited to get V5 on stands for y’all and a little tired from resisting the urge to try on every pretty wedding dress that came in. I think we all need the weekend to recuperate from that effort :)

I think a Southern Delicacy like some Boiled Peanuts is on the menu for next week. Team meeting snack food, anyone?

Summer in the South means really good music, right? We asked for your help rounding up the best music festivals the South has to offer.

With just a few weeks until she says, “I do,” Emily walks us through her DIY experiences and offers some practical advice for incorporating those projects into your own big day.

What do YOU love about the South? Do y’all like deviled eggs like Emily does? We’re asking y’all for help as we prep V5 for it’s debut on news stands! Leave your answer here.

Sit a spell with Marissa and she walks you through her (fairly unconventional and often hilarious) day as our Ad Director.

We love Real Weddings!

Liz + Brett’s New Orleans wedding left us positively smitten. A passed-down vintage veil, second line and monogrammed tambourines spell out a good time! See it here.

Ali + Austin created a joyful wedding filled with moments that will have you reaching for the tissues! See it here.

Nicole + Rob’s barn wedding was a preppy take on the rustic setting. We love their green and blue color palette and Nicole’s stunning bridal portraits! See it here.

Caitlyn + John’s barn wedding incorporates one of my favorite colors and boasts an elegant reception setup. See it here.

Before you go, take a look a Kelly + Drew’s darling wedding! Y’all might remember Kelly as June’s Southern Bride of the Month with a killer pink and green inspiration board. Weren’t you dying to see how it all turned out? See more from their big “I do’s” on Kristine Neeley’s blog!

Have a fun weekend, friends!

A few weeks ago y’all learned what it’s like to be the Southern Weddings’ Art Director, but I can tell you that life in the Southern Weddings office is a bit different for me than my sweet counterparts. Namely, because I’m not usually in the Southern Weddings office. Sit a spell with me as I walk you through a typical day for Southern Weddings’ Ad Director!

To set the scene, let’s take a look at my workspace:

This is what my “desk” looks like most mornings: clean, organized and ready for the day. However, I should add that my desk changes based on where I am in the USA – sometimes it’s a coffee table, sometimes it’s a kitchen table, and sometimes it’s a picnic table.

And this is what my “desk” looks like by the end of the day. A complete hot mess! Nicole and I share of a love of Post-it notes, but as you can see, mine sometimes get out of control!

3:15am Yes, you read that right! As many of you know, my husband plays minor league baseball, which sometimes means getting up at an absurd hour of the night to “wake up” and pick him up at the field after a long road trip and bus ride back from who-knows-where!

8:50 I try to only drink water, but after a crazy early wakeup call, a little Monster Rehab is much needed! At least I’m keeping it Southern – a Rehab is like an Arnold Palmer with way too much energy! Yes, I actually have to step through a whole boatload of baseballs in my daily routine – they’re seriously everywhere!

9:00 I sit down at my nice and clean desk and prepare for the day. I keep everything organized with my Emily Ley notepads. This one is my favorite – it helps me break down my giant list into more manageable steps.

9:10 I open my email client, and it’s flooded with gorgeous gowns, sparkly baubles and sweet notes from our advertisers. I love days like this!

10:30 Since I work remotely most of the time, I Skype into our team meetings. Let’s just say the background of my “office” always entertains my fellow SW ladies. From random baseball players trying to chat, to my bedroom wall (yes, there’s a monogram there!), to a bloody Nolan Ryan photo (yikes!), the options are always entertaining!

Can you see me in the background? :)

11:30 After gushing over the gorgeous gown options we have for our cover shoot, and narrowing down the perfect bling to accompany said gown, we break from our meeting. I organize my crazy gobbledygook meeting notes into a more legible list, and get started working on V5 prep. Currently, I’m tracking down the perfect cover shoot gown — and requesting diamond rings. FUN!

1:00 I pause for a quick lunch, usually Chipotle or an omelet. After, I head out to drop BDK off at the ballpark for his day to start.

1:30 Back to work. Today I’m working on a proposal for some really awesome new advertisers. I love creating custom campaigns to help our clients grow their businesses and connect with our sweet brides.

3:00 I prepare to write a Real Wedding intro by swooning over the stunning details, then sniffling over the sweet proposal story, then deciding where to start. I’m pretty sure Emily assigns me the prettiest ones! By the way, on a typical day, I’ve already exchanged 15-30 emails with Emily at this point.

4:00 Back to emails to finish up the day. I’m very type A, so leaving a full inbox is not an option for me! BUT, I do love when my inbox is full of newly engaged readers – I get way too excited for them!

5:00 I start wrapping up my day, making sure I let Emily know text for my posts are ready for edit. I email Nicole some lovely V5 ads for editorial review, and I Hey Tell gown options with Lara (one of my favorite things to do ever!).

5:45 I close down my computer and start getting ready to head to a baseball game. Outfit selection is very important and completely based on what will make me the least sweaty in this Southern summer heat and humidity.

I am so thankful that everyday is different and exciting – and I love working with such amazing ladies! From image sizing help, to graphic creation and email editing, Emily, Nicole, Kristin (who you’ll meet soon!), and Lara help me be able to do my best everyday.

Want more behind the scenes? Check out our “In the Office” posts here.

Caitlyn’s advice to decorate in the style you like, choose food that you find delicious, and play songs that you love, even if they’re not “cool” at the moment, is a great reminder for all of us planning a wedding! Using that mantra as a guideline, Caitlyn + John’s Arkansas wedding at the Pratt Place Barn came together beautifully and joyfully, on what appears to be a gorgeous spring day. Make sure you scroll down to see their chair decor — my favorite detail! — photographed to perfection by Daniel Kim.

Isn’t Caitlyn’s lace gown gorgeous? It was my mother’s dress, and after I got engaged, she mentioned that it was still in the closet. I was more than willing to put it on, and in the first fitting I knew it was perfect. No alterations needed to be done except for taking off the sleeves and adding a “capped sleeve” look to the dress — otherwise, it fit like a glove!

Did you write your own vows? Yes, we used a mix of traditional vows and our own vows. My favorite line was when we promised to sacrifice ourselves for each other’s joy.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? John’s dad read Psalm 16.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. I walked down the aisle to “Sea of Love” by Cat Powers. Our first dance was to “Living of Love” by the Avett Brothers and the father-daughter dance was to “You got a Friend” by James Taylor. We also played “Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole.

This photo and the one below it are so jubilant! Love.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. John and I met our first month of college. His friend (who ended up our best man) had a crush on my roommate, and so they would find excuses to hang out with us. We were friends for a year before we started dating, and then were together all through college and got engaged the year after graduating. We were long distance when John was in graduate school in Massachusetts and I worked in Arkansas, and then we got married the following year.
Describe the proposal. For the proposal, John took me on a tour of our relationship. We had dinner where we said I love you, danced in the field where we danced for the first time, painted a picture in the office where we spent our time in college, and then he proposed where he asked me out and we had our first kiss.
In what month did you get married? May
How many guests attended your wedding? 170
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Yes. We felt as though we would be less nervous if we saw each other before the wedding, and we wanted keep the amount of pictures after the ceremony minimal so that guests would not be waiting for us.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: My favorite detail was the Mexican banners that were hanging from the ceiling.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Our biggest challenge was that we were planning our wedding long distance. John was living in Massachusetts, and I was in Arkansas. Our goal was to make a lot of the decisions together, and the distance made that difficult.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000 – $25,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? My splurge was our photographer, Daniel Kim. He was amazing, and really captured the memories of our wedding.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The thing that we remember most was simply having all of our friends and family in one spot.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Our advice is to enjoy the process, and don’t let planning your wedding get in the way of enjoying your engagement and the days leading up to your wedding. Also, decorate, have food, and play songs that you enjoy, even if they aren’t “cool” at the moment.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are moving up north to Massachusetts, where John will finish his graduate degree. We plan on enjoying the New England area, especially in the fall.

Hey friends! We’ve already asked for your help once with our preparations for V5 (respond here if you haven’t done so yet!), but today, we’re back with another query!

We’re working on a special feature for the next issue, and we’d love to know: What do YOU love about the South?

Emily was kind enough to volunteer one of her favorite things about the South for this post – deviled eggs! (Both photos from Saveur) Maybe for you it’s front porches, or sweet tea, or peaches at the height of August ripeness. Whatever it is, we want to know! Just leave a comment here telling us what you love most about the South. If you leave your first name, last name, and hometown, as well, we’ll assume it’s okay to print your answer in V5! We’d love to have you join us!

P.S. We had one of our last photo shoots for V5 yesterday at our office, and the set-up was pretty crazy! Here’s a snap:

Can’t wait to share!!

Friends, I struggled with today’s Emily Plans a Wedding post! I knew since the beginning that I wanted to post about DIY projects, but the closer the wedding has gotten, the less I’ve wanted to reveal. Not because I want to keep y’all in the dark, so much; more because I know many of my family members and friends — those who will be attending the wedding! — are Southern Weddings readers, too, and I want as much as possible to be a delightful surprise for them on the big day.

Because why do we have “details” at our weddings? Because they look pretty? Well, yes, but for me, it’s more than that — by looking pretty, details act as cues to let guests know, Hey! This is a special occasion! This commitment and this day is so important to us that we’ve taken the time, energy, thought, and, yes, money, to make it a night to remember! We are so happy you’re here, and we care enough about you to want to make it a special and memorable occasion! YAHOO! Details should also say something about the couple whose wedding is being celebrated — who they are, what’s important to them, what they find beautiful. Maybe that sounds a little farfetched or lofty, but we are the home of the Sweet Tea Society — we think about these things!

Cheese cart by Calder Clark Designs (photo by A Bryan Photo via Southern Weddings) and band backdrop via Ritzy Bee’s instagram feed

John and I have tried to keep all of this in mind throughout the planning process, and today, I wanted to offer a few tips to y’all. A few stories from the last several months are sprinkled in, as well!

1. Decide what projects are most important to you, and focus on them. My definition of “project” — and “DIY,” for that matter — is pretty broad. Not the crafty type? Then by all means, purchase from Etsy or leave it to your vendors! Even if you could care less about what your cake topper looks like, I know there’s something that matters to you, and I bet there’s a project tucked somewhere in there. Is showing your guests amazing hospitality your highest priority? Then collect a stash of you and your fiance’s favorite treats and make the best. welcome. bags. ever. Focused on the ceremony? Craft it with your officiant, or focus on writing personal vows. Love beautiful bouquets? Spend time searching for the prettiest ribbon.

Now for you crafty types who want to take it all on, my best advice is to edit. Sure, I can appreciate all sorts of real weddings and all sorts of clever ideas, but when it really comes down to it, there are very few details that are really a perfect fit for who John and I are and the type of celebration we’re planning. Be ruthless about what is a good fit and what is not, and which projects ultimately get added to your to do list.

Chalkboard menu by Simplesong Design (photo by Kate Headley) and poppers photo by Katie Stoops via Southern Weddings

2. Start as early as possible. We’re in the last few weeks before our wedding day, and those first heady months of engagement seem a long ways away. This tip is a reminder to me, as well, though there’s not much I can do about it now! I tried so hard to check projects off early — and did succeed in getting a few complete — but there’s only so much you can do without knowing all the details of your wedding day, or your guest count. That being said, try to do as much as possible as early as possible.

3. Set a schedule — and a cut-off date. Once you’ve figured out your tentative list of projects, group them in a tentative order — i.e. designing your ceremony programs will have to be near the end, but perhaps making table numbers could be closer to the beginning. Then, build each project into your schedule. Assign each a month. Unless you are SUPER disciplined, know that some projects will just not happen in the month they’re assigned to – I’m still working on projects I thought would be finished in July! And that’s where the second part comes in — set a cut-off date. I don’t care if it’s a month before your wedding or 24 hours before your wedding, but give yourself a little breathing room — and a little grace — to say, I’ve done all I can do, and now I’m going to enjoy it.

Wine bottle photo by Amy Arrington and flowers photo by Lisa Lefkowitz

4. Think ahead and be as efficient as possible. This goes for time AND money. When I’m planning a trip to JoAnn or Michael’s, I look at my project list and try to see if there are any upcoming project needs I can purchase for at the same time (helpful to avoid stopping at a craft store four times a week… not that that’s ever happened to me). Likewise, if I know I’ll be placing an order with an online retailer like Paper Presentation or UPrinting, I try to look ahead to see if there’s anything else I might need from them down the road. You can usually save on shipping that way (or qualify for free shipping!), and sometimes there are even discounts for placing an order over a certain amount.

5. If money is an issue, be realistic about the true cost of DIY. I know handmade items can sometimes look expensive (especially when you start thinking, I could do that!), but when you’re knee-deep in glitter, going on DIY hour three, and starting over on your fourteenth reception sign, that Etsy offering might start to look mighty reasonable. Yes, you can usually buy supplies for cheap, but you usually have to buy in bulk to get a good price. If you’re not the type of person to use the remaining five pounds of feathers after you’ve extracted the two you need for a hair flower, is that really money saved?

Rice toss packets from Martha Stewart Weddings and welcome bag photo by Jen Huang

6. Likewise, be realistic about your expectations — and taste level. Y’all have probably heard me say I have champagne taste on a beer budget, and I’m sure the same goes for many of you. We see beautiful photos every day, and it can be extremely frustrating to finish a project, and have it fall short of our expectations. If you’re going for a homemade look, this can work out wonderfully! If you’re going for a high-end look, though, be realistic about what you will be able to achieve with minimal skill. For example, I did the calligraphy on our invitation envelopes, but I went with a pro — Moya Minns — for our names on the invitation itself. I knew I would never be able to achieve the look I was after by myself, and that was a place where perfection really mattered to me. The envelopes? Eh, I was happy with what I was able to cobble together.

7. Know when to let go. Once upon a time I thought it would be a brilliant idea to make a crepe paper hair flower for each of the female guests at our wedding. Did this fit with the vibe we were going for? No, not really. Was I able to make a few beautiful hair flowers? Yes, absolutely. I even had a crafting night with a friend, and over two hours, we made about 15 flowers. At the end of our crafting session, though, I wasn’t even that excited. I realized that even though I could persevere and fol 45 more flowers, I didn’t really want to — and sometimes, that’s enough of a reason to stop. Luckily, I was able to repurpose the materials elsewhere!

Cocktail sign photo by Jose Villa and floral letter photo by Matt Blum

8. Accept help when possible. This is a tough one for me, y’all! I am a perfectionist when it comes to projects, and I am totally guilty of the “I’ll-just-do-it-myself-because-it-will-take-longer-to-explain-to-and-supervise-someone-else” mentality. But you know, people really do want to help, and in many cases, many hands really do make light work. If you break down your projects step by step, you’ll probably find that there are parts even non-crafty types can help with. Over the last few months, my Mom and John’s sister have cut ribbon (they were both very accurate!), and John himself has stuffed, licked, and stamped envelopes. I’m saving a few projects specifically to do with my family the week before our wedding that I know will go quick assembly-line style.

I hope these tips don’t come off as discouraging, because I am a HUGE advocate of DIY projects! Obviously — my list of projects for this wedding includes but is not limited to boutonnieres, our wedding website, our menu board, welcome bags, invitation calligraphy, our vows, our slideshow, reception desserts, our marriage certificate, our guest book, favors, ceremony programs, and about eight billion pieces of signage. I think DIY projects can make a wedding so personal and heartfelt and unique, and I absolutely encourage you to take a few on. Hopefully, with a little patience and planning, it will be a positive experience for everyone!

Now tell me: Would you consider yourself a DIY bride? What projects are you taking on for your wedding?

In case you missed a post…
The main characters | Where we’re getting married | I go dress shopping | We choose a photographer | I ponder bridesmaid style | Mini food! | The music | We’re renting a tent! | We discuss bouquets + boutonnieres | We send out our save the dates | I gather hair and makeup inspiration | We talk cake and sweets | I introduce you to our videographer | We create a registry | We buy a tuxedo | We style a reception | I choose accessories | We take engagement photos! | We plan our ceremony | We discuss ceremony music and readings | We firm up wedding day details | We send out invitations

Amy Arrington, Jose Villa, and Katie Stoops are fabulous members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!