Though Lara has traveled around the world, the South will always be home. She wears many different (cowboy) hats in her current roles of Editor in Chief and Publisher of Southern Weddings, consultant to top wedding professionals through Lara Casey Reps and Making Brands Happen and she is the founder of the Making Things Happen movement. Lara just had her first baby, Grace Austin!

Hometown: I lived in DC till I was 10, but home to me is Gulf Breeze, Florida. My parents still live there. That will always be home.
Alma Matter: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
Major: BFA in Music, Theatre and Dance. I still sing… in my car, in the shower and in church. I also trained at Yale in Graphic Design.
Birthday: December 27th.
How I got into weddings: Too long a story for this tiny space. Ask me over coffee sometime. How I started the magazine is a little easier to condense… I always wanted a place to showcase what fired me up. This all started when we launched the Southern Weddings daily blog in 2007. It was a place for me to share what I loved in weddings, what was inspiring me and to show Southern brides that there was more to telling their unique love story than tulle and stuffed chicken. The blog caught on like wildfire, and people got so excited about a modern look at weddings in the South. The print magazine was born out of the incredible feedback from the blog. I am so grateful for the work we do because our job is to tell these authentic love stories. I love my “work.” We’re not corporate or owned by some big publishing house. We do the layout, write the editorial, organize the advertising – and everything else – ourselves. We are self-published, which is a rarity nowadays. We’re really, really small. We never want to grow to the point where we can’t give personal attention to what matters most. We are really grateful for that.
The best decision I made when I first started: Never settling for something I’m not excited about. Our office rule is: If you’re not excited about it, no one will be. You have to love what you do and everything you put out to the world has to reflect the authentic you. If it doesn’t, just stop. Another best decision was hiring the lovely ladies I work with. Best business decision ever. They make me strive to be a better, happier, more whole person every day.
Favorite food: anything my mom cooks.
Favorite color: aqua blue. Or any blue in the ocean.
Favorite non-wedding blog or site: Cannelle et Vanille. Aran Goya is a brilliant food stylist and photographer.
Favorite part about working at SW: I could write a novel of favorites, but I always love laughing with the SW ladies, working with inspiring creative people and getting to look at great photography!

You would be surprised to know: I love long walks on the beach and quiet nights in front of a fireplace. No, really I do. My not-so-secret dream career is to be a pro-skier. At 31, I think I’m probably too old to start. But, who knows! Sylvia Weinstock started making cakes at age 50!
I am committed to: God, my family, the women I work with and you, dear readers. I wish I could have you all over for pecan pie and sweet tea.
I love: singing. Sunday mornings at church are my favorite.
I know: My Redeemer lives. That’s one of my favorite songs, too.
My motto: God is good. All the time. Also, our office motto is “If you’re not excited about it, no one will be.”
In a nutshell:
Big wedding or small wedding? Small
Band or DJ? Both.
Camping or glamping? Paws-Up. Glamping.
Cake or pie? Ice cream.
Breakfast or dinner? Dinner. Although, I am a breakfast lover, too. OK, I am not good at this whole “In a Nutshell” thing.
City or country? Country. I want to live on a farm.
Mountains or ocean? I love the ocean. It’s my heart. And I love skiing more than anything else. Both.
Seersucker or gingham? Seersucker!
Boots or sneakers? Sneakers. Asics.
Night owl or early bird? Early bird.
French fries or milkshake? Milk shake! Classic vanilla.

OK, Ari and I already renewed our vows once in Vegas. Just the two of us. It was perfect. We got married in Vegas over 5 years ago. Read the whole story here. I wouldn’t change a thing, but there are times I fantasize about doing it again.

_____ would shoot my wedding. I cannot answer this. My answer changes every day. It’s no secret I love photography. I’d want about 8 photographers there. Excessive? Yes. Awesome? Double yes.
Shaun White, The Flying Tomato, would be a VIP guest!
I would wear this Vera Wang dress I feel in love with. And probably this dress from Priscilla of Boston that I love. And this one, too.
We would hold the ceremony on the beach at Watercolor and the reception at my favorite restaurant – Avalon in Vail. Yes, a large plane to transport guests would be required. This is my fantasy wedding, right?
I’d leave my bouquet up to my mom and Grandma Bunny. They could make it out of weeds and I’d love it. It would be fun to make it a surprise.
We would eat: it’s a toss-up between my mom’s authentic Mexican food, Thanksgiving dinner, and a formal seven course meal from Daniel Bouloud. We love great food.
My cake would be filled with Pinkberry, TCBY, Breyers vanilla, Tasti-d-Lite, Baskin Robin’s rainbow sherbet for my dad, pralines and crème for my mom and McDonald’s soft serve. Seven layers of ice cream heaven. Yes, please!
Our first dance song would be anything by Pearl Jam. Ari and I share a love for Eddie Vedder.
Guests would then enjoy a jazz band. And I’d sing to Ari and to my family. I’ve always wanted to do that. After, we’d have a killer DJ. I love great music and I love to dance my face off!
We would honeymoon with my family. Yes, you heard me. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with everyone I love. I don’t care where we go!
Where to find me every day…
Images above from top to bottom: Millie Holloman, Millie Holloman, Nancy Ray, Millie Holloman, my iPhone and an Instax camera, Brett Arthur, my iPhone and an Instax again.

































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Welcome to the new blog, y’all! « Southern Weddings Magazine, December 1, 2010 9:41 pm reply [...] ways for you to connect with us. Want to know more about my own wedding and my favorite things? Check it out! xo Lara December 1, 2010 | view Lara's blog 0 viewcomments hidecomments What doy'all [...]
Visit with Santa + Christmas Wish Lists « Southern Weddings Magazine, December 17, 2010 2:02 pm reply [...] not familiar with our smiling faces, that’s Assistant Editor Whitney, Editor in Chief Lara, Intern Sierra, Intern Nicole, Art Director Emily, and Managing Editor Katharine from left to [...]
Merry Christmas! « Southern Weddings Magazine, December 24, 2010 6:09 pm reply [...] Monday with more real weddings, shoots, and Southern goodness! Lots of love from the SW ladies, Lara, Katharine, Emily, Whitney, Nicole, and Sierra Gorgeous letterpress tags from Bespoke Press xo [...]
Winter Wonderland, Part I « Southern Weddings Magazine, December 27, 2010 8:02 am reply [...] action and have a gorgeous winter shoot to share with you today. Around this time last year, Lara headed out to Colorado (where, unlike the South, they do get a lot of snow!) and met up with a [...]
New Year’s-Inspired Fashion Shoot « Southern Weddings Magazine, December 30, 2010 8:03 am reply [...] (tied with satin ribbon). Check back tomorrow for personal reflections on 2010 from Katharine, Lara, and myself! xo Emily December 30, 2010 | view Emily's blog 0 viewcomments hidecomments [...]
From Nowhere to Featured Somewhere « Stylishly Empowering, December 31, 2010 12:04 am reply [...] back tomorrow for personal reflections on 2010 from Katharine, Lara, and myself! xo Emily December 30, 2010 | view Emily’s [...]
starting 2011 off right! « Studio LK, January 1, 2011 4:40 pm reply [...] also been following Lara Casey (SW Weddings and Lara Casey Reps) and Emily Ley (Emily Ley Paper and Emily Ley Creative) on Twitter and checking [...]
Erin Davenport, February 1, 2011 2:10 pm reply I love this! It's great to get *real* responses in a forum like this. It made me smile and laugh :) Can't wait to meet you soooon! xoxo
Nurture Your Relationships > Cloud 9 Weddings & Events, February 5, 2011 10:42 am reply [...] Lara Casey shared this quote by Jim Rohn with us, and it really resonated with me “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Take a minute to really think about that. It’s not just the people you spend time with physically, but those you include in your life that may or may not be only a hug away. [...]
weekend recap « beka.g.photography., March 28, 2011 6:01 pm reply [...] Lara Casey’s story. She is one motivated, focused, hard-working woman! [...]
V4 Preview :: Shooting with Joey + Jessica « Southern Weddings Magazine, June 9, 2011 11:14 am reply [...] Working hard or hardly working? From left to right, we had almost the full Southern Weddings crew in attendance: me (Emily, Art Director), Whitney (Ad Director), Marissa (Assistant Editor), Sierra (Assistant Art Director), Emily N. (Intern), and Nicole (Assistant Editor). The only one missing was Lara! [...]
Weekly Round Up « Southern Weddings Magazine, June 24, 2011 12:02 pm reply [...] more excited that I get to do so from the pretty interiors of our newly painted office! Emily and Lara, with impeccable taste, picked a soft blue that’s like a breath of fresh air every time we [...]
Sit a Spell: Lara Casey « Southern Weddings Magazine, August 26, 2011 8:00 am reply [...] the final contestant in our Sit a Spell series, I present to you Lara Casey! Our dynamic Editor in Chief really needs no introduction, so I’ll let her take it [...]
Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up « Southern Weddings Magazine, September 30, 2011 12:01 pm reply [...] a lot to look forward to! Of course, we had so many pretty features on the blog this week, too. As Lara said, “gorgeousness abounds!” We love starting our Mondays with a Southern Spotting. [...]
Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up | Gift Registry News, October 1, 2011 7:00 am reply [...] a lot to look forward to! Of course, we had so many pretty features on the blog this week, too. As Lara said, “gorgeousness [...]
SWS Honey Moon, October 13, 2011 1:02 pm reply [...] to ceiling, every room creates a fresh take on modern luxury and Hawaiian sophistication. FROM LARA: Enjoy the warm waters off Wailea Beach. Learn Hawaiian paddling techniques in the outrigger canoe [...]
SWS Honey Moon, October 13, 2011 1:04 pm reply [...] the full glory of St Lucia’s Pitons World Heritage Site and the eternal Caribbean Sea. FROM LARA: All sanctuaries suites have the 4th wall open to the views. Locally made fine tropical wood [...]
SWPS, V4 Style! « Southern Weddings Magazine, October 24, 2011 8:01 am reply [...] (Well, that one pallet is only 1/4 of 8,300 pounds!) Yes, they are as heavy as they look. We let Ms Preggers take the photos, but recruited her husband to help heave-ho. Save Facebook it Tweet [...]
SWPS, V4 Style! | Gift Registry News, October 24, 2011 1:04 pm reply [...] (Well, that one pallet is only 1/4 of 8,300 pounds!) Yes, they are as heavy as they look. We let Ms Preggers take the photos, but recruited her husband to help [...]
Southern Weddings Honey List, November 14, 2011 9:08 am reply [...] marries modern conveniences with the nostalgia of an unassuming beach town from days gone by. FROM LARA: It’s no secret around here that Watercolor is one of my favorite places on earth! Just steps [...]
Southern Weddings Honey List, November 14, 2011 9:21 am reply [...] romantic vistas when you travel to Sandals’ couples-only resorts in St. Lucia. FROM LARA: My visit to Sandal’s St. Lucia was by far one of the best experiences I’ve ever had! [...]
Honey Bee Invites featured in Southern Weddings Magazine! | The Secret Life of Invites, November 29, 2011 2:42 pm reply [...] before it sells out! A huge thank you to all of the fabulous ladies at Southern Weddings Magazine: Lara, Emily, Whitney, Nicole, Marissa, and Sierra! Your support of small Southern businesses, like HBI, [...]
good things : southern weddings magazine | beka stays, March 14, 2012 7:45 am reply [...] a brief history of this amazing publication (from Lara Casey’s Sit a Spell With Me [...]
halfway flashback : march | beka stays, July 5, 2012 8:01 am reply [...] a brief history of this amazing publication (from Lara Casey’s Sit a Spell With Me [...]
Southern Weddings V5 Launch Party | Simply Jessica Marie, November 22, 2012 1:25 am reply [...] ended the night by meeting some of the SW ladies, namely Emily, Marissa, and Lara. I got to take a picture with Lara, who is the founder and Editor in Chief of the magazine. I would [...]
Southern Weddings Magazine | V5 Launch! | Rebecca Rose Events, November 28, 2012 11:49 am reply [...] love this issue any more and are so honored to be a part of it. Sending big hugs and gratitude to Lara, Marissa, Emily, Nicole and Kristin over at Southern Weddings. They work so hard to keep brides and [...]
Southern Weddings Magazine | Published | Cyn Kain Photography, December 9, 2012 7:11 am reply [...] Editor-in-chief, Lara Casey and Creative Director, Emily Thomas were looking to create a spread that highlighted what marriage is truly all about, the vows. The vows were written in calligraphy by the talented Lindsay of Lindsay Letters and the styling was by my sweet friend and designer Amber Housely. For a few behind the scene peeks visit Amber’s post HERE – it was such a fun trip out to Nashville! [...]
Southern Weddings Gingerbread Barn Building Competition Recap | Simply Jessica Marie, December 11, 2012 11:52 pm reply [...] of the time that I got to spend with the Southern Weddings ladies. I was immediately welcomed by Lara Casey and her precious daughter Grace (seriously, she is the cutest little girl with the biggest smile!). [...]
Editorial Styling for Southern Weddings Magazine - Amber Housley | Nashville Wedding Designer Planner | Stylist | Custom Wedding Invitations Stationery | Lifestyle | Inspired | Amber Housley | Nashville Wedding Designer Planner | Stylist | Custom Wedding , January 4, 2013 5:50 pm reply [...] styling that opens up the five year anniversary issue. Here, Creative Director Emily Thomas and Editor-in-Chief Lara Casey wanted to marry traditional marriage vows with the culture of the South as an opener to the issues [...]
How I Earned an Internship at Southern Weddings! | Simply Jessica Marie, January 5, 2013 4:39 pm reply [...] favorite part of the evening was getting the chance to meet Lara Casey, the Editor in Chief of the magazine. She was such a sweetheart and I adored meeting her! I also [...]
Elizabeth, May 15, 2013 7:47 pm reply Hi! I just came upon this website and magazine and am utterly obsessed! Love, love, love everything I've read! I was wondering if it was possible to get past issues from 2009 and 2010. My BFF has asked me to be a bridesmaid (yay!) for her upcoming wedding and she has asked for help. I saw a "sneak peak" of an article: Vol. I and II: 60 Ways to have a southern wedding. I am extremely interested in purchasing both issues so I can get to the goods :) for the lovely bride-to-be and also for myself. A girl can plan, right? I appreciate your response. Thank you kindly :)