Hi, y’all! The introduction of the Honey List has allowed us to travel to several fabulous Southern locations, with several more on the books for 2012! We’re excited to give you the inside scoop on some of the best honeymoon and vacation spots in the South. Today, we’re taking a trip to the Red Horse Inn! – Marissa

In February, my boyfriend Michael and I were so lucky to get away for the weekend to the Red Horse Inn, a AAA Four Diamond bed and breakfast sitting on nearly 200 acres in Landrum, SC. To give you an idea of where that is (since we are located four hours away in Chapel Hill and were unfamiliar with the area!), Landrum is in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the South Carolina Upstate. The Red Horse Inn is less than an hour south of Asheville, NC, and less than an hour north of Greenville and Spartanburg, SC. I don’t know about y’all, but for me, there is a point in the winter when a getaway is absolutely necessary. We were fortunate enough to go around Valentine’s Day, knocking two birds out with one stone!

The estate is tucked away on a long gravel drive surrounded by trees and ponds. When we pulled up to the front of the picturesque main inn and started to get out of the car, we were immediately greeted by Mary and Roger, the owners. They were so friendly that it was like visiting old friends or relatives! They gave us a little information and handed over the key to our private cottage, The Grainary. They also explained that they wouldn’t be bothering us unless we needed something. Housekeeping was optional, and breakfast was already in the cottage. Their goal is to give you the maximum amount of privacy, and facilitate a romantic, relaxing stay.

The Inn itself has six rooms. Each suite is decorated in a different style, and has a fireplace, kitchen closet and whirlpool. Two of the larger rooms open up to patios shielded by vine-draped arbors. The Inn also offers packages where guests can choose to make their stay even more romantic with the addition of things like a four-course candlelit dinner served in the privacy of your cottage, or ordering roses, champagne or chocolate-covered strawberries to have when you arrive. We didn’t try either, but I think they’d be perfect for a honeymoon or special anniversary trip!

In addition to the main inn, there are also six Victorian cottages (charming white houses with green tin roofs), that are located about half a mile away, and this is where we stayed. Each cottage has a kitchen, bedroom, bath, living room with a fireplace, and front porch complete with rocking chairs. Our cottage even had a private outdoor hot tub! The cottages have high ceilings and large windows which fill the rooms with blissful natural light.

One thing we couldn’t help but notice right away was how well thought out the details in the cottage were. For example, there was a little basket of washcloths that said something along the lines of, “Use these to wipe the dew off your rockers in the morning.” Isn’t that adorable? As we put our luggage down, we looked out the window to see the sun setting behind the mountains in the distance. It was so peaceful and romantic!

That night we had reservations at Stone Soup. Since Landrum is considered “horse country,” the walls were covered with equestrian photos and gear that celebrated the community. We loved that! The layout was so cozy and really felt like you were fine-dining in a friend’s nice home. Michael had the North Carolina cornmeal crusted trout (which I also tried and was delicious!), with succotash and mixed greens with buttermilk dressing. I had a delicious mixed green salad with cranberries and almonds and the half-chicken.

Saturday was packed full of adventure. We started with breakfast in our cottage at our leisure, then went on a self-guided driving tour of bridges in the area. Our favorite was Poinsett Bridge, the oldest bridge in South Carolina, built in 1820. Next, we drove up to Caesar’s Head State Park, which is deemed one of the best panoramic views in the Blue Ridge Mountains, at 3,266 ft. On this particular morning, it was raining and quite foggy. Therefore, when we finally reached the lookout, we couldn’t see even ten feet in front of us! We’ll definitely have to try again on a different day.

We then went to Victoria Valley Vineyard, a forty-seven acre site, styled after a French “chateau.” We had paninis from the deli on the terrace, experienced our first wine tasting (we pretended like we knew what we were doing!) and lastly, went on a tour of the vineyard and learned how the wine was made. From the vineyard, we went to The DuPont Forest and hiked around three waterfalls. The highest was appropriately named High Falls, a 150-foot cascade. While we would have loved to hike even more, we didn’t want to be late for our dinner reservation!

That night, we had dinner at Zenzera, a Tuscan-themed restaurant with live music. The restaurant is located in downtown Landrum, nestled among a strand of unique shops and antique stores. We had a separate map of all the antique stores in the area, but we just didn’t have the time to fit shopping in. Michael ordered the Pesto Fettuccine Alfredo, and I got the Shrimp & Grits. The dish was very different than the Shrimp & Grits I’ve had before – it was served in a big bowl with shrimp, grits, peppers, mushrooms, spinach and white cheddar all mixed together, almost like a thick soup. It was tasty!

Overall, we had such a wonderful visit. If the Red Horse Inn was this enjoyable in the winter, I can only imagine how beautiful it would be in the summer or fall! It was obvious that Mary and Roger developed their property with couples in mind, and we think they succeeded. Judging from the countless comments we read in their guest books (dating back to 1995!), I’d say we aren’t the only ones! If you’re a Southern bride not looking for the typical tropical honeymoon, this could be a good option for you. It’s peaceful, romantic and not too far away from city centers like Asheville.

We are so thankful for the Southern hospitality shown to us on our trip! Photos are courtesy of the Red Horse Inn, except for the last four which are my personal photos.

P.S. Take a trip over to The Honey List to get the scoop on even more lovely properties!

P.P.S. Brides, did you have a fabulous honeymoon? Email Marissa and let us know! Properties, want to get involved? Shoot Marissa an email, and let’s chat!

Welcome to the fifth installment of our Southern Hospitality feature! Each month, we pick a Southern city and an expert host. Our host shares their favorite items custom to that city that would be perfect packed into a welcome bag for family and friends at a weekend wedding. There’s nothing like Southern hospitality, especially at a destination wedding!

If you couldn’t tell, we’ve been trying really hard lately to drive those winter blues away. From our Bright Winter Beach feature (board + palette finds) to our Lemon Squeeze Citrus feature (board + palette finds) to yesterday’s Sunny Bridesmaid Inspiration, we’ve got you covered for those cold, gray days. As for me, I’m counting down the days until my cruise to the Bahamas in March. Bring on the sunshine (and hopefully by then, the swimsuit body?)!

And the sunshine keeps coming! Today, we’re headed south to Florida’s Emerald Coast, an area stretching from Pensacola Bay to Panama City with a number of popular destination wedding locations dotted along the way. Who better to serve as our Emerald Coast expert than our friend and wonderful wedding planner, Victoria Volpone of Carillon Weddings? I hope you’ll enjoy her picks below, perfect for every fun-in-the-sun wedding!

A. Personalized Aqua Ball Cap. These are on the pricier side, so consider including them just in your bridal party’s totes. ($24.00)

B. Neon Rubber Sunglasses. Customize with your own text! ($1.22)

C. La Fresh Sunscreen SPF30 Travel Wipes. ($9.99 for 30 count)

D. Salt Water Taffy from Panama City Beach. If you’re feeling really clever, pick out flavors that match your wedding colors. ($7.00 for 7 oz)

E. Florida Citrus. A tangerine, clementine, or orange is the perfect refreshing treat. (price varies)

F. Gift certificate for coffee at Modica Market. Modica is the adorable grocer on the town square in Seaside, which some may recognize from The Truman Show! (price varies)

G. Paper Parasol. These are perfect for strolling along the beach, or shading the sun at an outdoor ceremony! ($6.95)

H. Old Navy Classic Flip-Flops. ($2.50 each if you buy 2 or more!)

I. Gummy Alligators Candy. ($6.98 for 12 packs of 2.25 oz bags)

J. Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Cheddar Crackers. ($31.97 for 72 count)

K. Bike Rental Pass from Sunny Days Bikes & Kayaks. ($20.00 for single speed beach cruiser)

L. Custom Beach Wedding Stickers ($5.00 for 24 count)

We paired Victoria’s expert picks with a custom tote design from another Florida resident, Emily Ley, who grew up in Pensacola! Want one? Simply download the overlay here and take it to your local screen-printer. Thank you for the fun, bright design, Emily!

From the Emerald Coast area and have additional suggestions to add to our tote? What did you love about this area if you’ve visited before? Have a city in mind for future posts? Comment below and let us know!

Check out past totes:
Nashville
Atlanta
Austin
Richmond

Carillon Weddings is a Southern Weddings sponsor!

Hi, ladies! Some of you long-time readers may remember our friend Katie, from the wonderful and hilarious blog Marriage Confessions (and some of you might just recognize Katie from MC, apart from SW!). Katie drops by to share her funny, smart, and poignant perspective on life after the wedding, and we know you’ll love her as much as we do!

It’s the start of another new year. I don’t know about you, but I have big plans for 2012. Big plans. I’m going to eat better, organize my linen closet, send birthday cards on time, get my oil changed before my husband lectures me about taking care of nice things… Big plans, I tell you. New Year’s resolutions are a great way to take a look at your life, reevaluate, adjust your priorities, set some goals, and move forward.

But aren’t those all things we should do in our marriages, too?

Each year, before we make our own New Year’s resolutions, my husband and I go out for a dinner date that we like to call the “State of Our Union.” During this meal, we set our goals and make our resolutions for our marriage in the upcoming year. It’s a time for us to talk about the past year, remember the good things that happened, reflect on the bad things, and pat ourselves on the back about how far we’ve come. It’s also a time for us to look ahead, too. Much like a business, a marriage needs a plan to be successful. Good marriages just don’t happen. They are the result of two people who have planned, worked hard, and set goals.

State of the Union talks aren’t as daunting as they sound. In fact, by the time our meal is finished, I feel really good about myself, my husband, and our family. If you’re looking to jump start your new year and your marriage, here are some tips for a successful State of the Union dinner:

1. Location, location, location – Be sure that you go out of the house somewhere for this discussion. For one thing, it keeps you from fighting about anything you might disagree on. You have to be polite and cooperative if you’re in public. Mostly though, going out to eat somewhere gives the dinner and conversation a sense of lightheartedness. Get dressed up, get a babysitter (if applicable), put on your favorite dress, wear his favorite perfume. It’s much easier to talk about your family budget if you look great, feel desirable, and are having fun. Also, be sure you pick a location that is conducive to enjoying yourselves and having an intimate conversation. For some, this might be a quiet booth at a sports bar and for others this might be a swanky hotel bar. Chris and I just went out to a quaint sushi restaurant on the beach for ours this year. Candle light on the table made even discussions about difficult subjects seem romantic.

2. Focus on certain topics – State of the Unions given by presidents are clearly organized, focused, and precise. State of the Unions given by married couples should be the same. This isn’t the time to drag every small issue in your marriage out of the closet. (That’s what holidays are for…just kidding…kind of…) This conversation should be focused on the big picture, not the nitty gritty. Topics that should definitely be discussed include:

a. Make a financial plan for the coming year. Include what you each prioritize for the coming year, goals you want to achieve, and a plan for how to reach those goals. If you have a major event coming up in the new year, such as a wedding or the birth of a baby, this is a good time to talk about how you’ll prepare for those things financially.

b. As uncomfortable as it sounds, you need to talk about how happy each of you were in the past year with your marriage. And then – this is equally, if not more important – you need to talk about why you felt that way. This doesn’t have to be an emotional or dramatic conversation, either. If you have trouble starting this part, ask your partner to score on a scale of one to ten how happy they were with your relationship last year. Then, talk about why they gave it that score. When you’ve talked about their view, give your own score and tell why. The point of this discussion isn’t to change each other’s mind or to point blame about anything. The point is to see where you are each starting the new year. You can’t move forward if you don’t know where the starting line is.

c. Set your priorities for the new year together. If one of you is thinking about how perfect the timing would be in the spring for a new baby and the other is thinking about how perfect the timing would be in the spring for a new roof, you’re going to have some issues. Having different priorities isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but those priorities should be out on the table for everyone to see and work towards. So, talk about them. What do you want to accomplish that year together? If there are multiple goals, then what is the order of importance? You have a better success rate for reaching your goals if you are both working towards the same finish line.

d. Talk about mistakes you made in your relationship last year and how you can avoid them in the new year. We learn the best from mistakes – and, trust me, we all make mistakes in our relationships. But if we never pause to learn from those mistakes, then our relationships won’t grow. Maybe you’ve had a reoccurring fight that kept coming up in the past year, maybe you made a particularly bad decision about your marriage, or maybe you just had an overall trying year in your relationship… now is the time to talk about the causes of those issues and how you can both work better to solve those issues. This isn’t about rehashing the past, but more about recognizing weaknesses in your relationship so that you can strengthen them together. If you can’t have this discussion without fighting, then save this for its own conversation at a different time. State of the Unions should stay on topic and be polite and civil in order to be the most productive. While this topic is healthy to discuss and is an important part of moving forward, if it’s going to stop your conversation flow, then avoid it during your State of the Union dinner and focus on it at a later time.

No matter where you are, what you’re wearing, or what topics you decide to talk about, the overarching rule of State of the Union dinners is to listen. Listen to what your partner says. At our State of the Union dinner with my husband this year, he said that he needed more from me. It was hard to hear and I wanted to immediately snap back with a list of the times that I had needed more from him, too. But this dinner isn’t about pointing fingers or hurting each other’s feelings. It’s about really hearing the needs of your partner and voicing your own needs, and then it’s about making a plan to move forward and meet those needs. So, when my husband said he needed more from me, we spent a little bit talking about exactly what he needed from me. Was it more time? More chores? More effort? Turns out, he just needed more attention from me. He felt like I was giving it all to the kids and he was being left out. I would have never known he felt like that if I hadn’t stopped to really hear him. Now, that’s something that I can focus on changing in the new year.

I think for many married couples, we wait until there is a problem before talking about the state of our relationship, but that is being reactive in your marriage and not proactive. This year, as you kick off 2012 with resolutions of more time at the gym and more organized filing cabinets at work, be sure that you set some good resolutions to help move your marriage forward, too. Knowing the state of your union before the new year begins is the first step towards making this the best year yet!

Love all things Katie? Past columns for Southern Weddings:
Change is the Name of the (Newlywed) Game
My Wedding Registry Changed My Life
Working it Out With the In-Laws
Managing Your Money
Come on Baby, Light My Fire
On Moving

All photos by Oh, Darling! Photography. See more on their blog here!

Oh, Darling! is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Our Southern Hospitality series has featured so many cute tote designs that we just couldn’t resist creating a Southern Weddings tote especially for our readers! Aren’t they adorable?

The fabulously talented Joni from Chocolate Butterbean designed this Southern beauty for us, and that’s me modeling one on the right! (Thanks to my brother for the photo!) Belles, if you aren’t familiar yet with Joni’s work, you MUST drop what you’re doing and head to her site this instant. She whips up the most wonderful (and Southern!) custom invitation suites and wooden signs. Anyone who owns a copy of V4 has seen her handiwork in action — Joni made our Beau Bar sign!

Now for the good part: here’s how you can get your hands on one!

Starting today, with the purchase of five or more magazines, you will receive this limited edition “Sweet as a Peach” Southern Weddings tote bag FREE with your box of magazines! No telling how fast they’ll go, so this offer is only available while supplies last!

Welcome to the fourth installment of our Southern Hospitality feature! Each month, we pick a Southern city and an expert host. Our host shares their favorite items custom to that city that would be perfect packed into a welcome bag for family and friends at a weekend wedding. Just one more perk of attending a destination wedding!

This month, we’re headed to Richmond, Virginia, the bustling capital of the Commonwealth. I had the pleasure of visiting Richmond last spring and actually happened to make many Richmond friends at our V4 shoot in Williamsburg last summer! One of the talented people I met was the stylist for the shoot, Courtney Spencer of Merriment Events. This was before she had her precious baby girl! Courtney also styled one of my favorite real weddings from V4, Katie + Max. You know I love colorful weddings, right?

Since Courtney is based in Richmond, we knew she would be the perfect expert. I hope you’ll enjoy her picks!

A. Petites Bouchées Macarons. French macarons made locally in Richmond by Veronica Perez. Can be made to coordinate with your wedding colors! (priced per order)

B. Popptags. These quirky, letterpress gift tags are made by my friend, Anya in Richmond. Anya also takes custom orders and could personalize a tag for your wedding using your logo, monogram, etc. ($9.95 for 3 or priced per custom order)

C. A Bottle of Virginia Wine. A bottle of wine would be lovely paired with a custom wine tag from Popptags (above). Wine can be purchased locally in bulk from Once Upon a Vine. (price varies)

D. Carriage House Cheese Straws. No self respecting Southerner would ever entertain without cheese straws! These are made here in Richmond. ($6.95 for 6 oz bag)

E. Blanchard’s Coffee. Roasted in Richmond. (price varies)

F. A Ticket for a Trolley Tour. Richmond was one of the first cities in the country to travel by electric street car, and this year, the trolley is making its return to Richmond. Wouldn’t it be lovely to treat guests to a trolley tour of historic Richmond? (custom pricing)

G. Hub’s Virginia Peanuts. (price varies)

H. Chocolate Cravings. Made here in Richmond, it’s truly some of the best chocolate you’ll ever taste! Wouldn’t it be fun to work with the owner to concoct a signature flavor for your wedding? (price varies)

I. Route 11 Chips. Made in Virginia and a staple locally. ($35.00 for a case of 30 2 oz bags)

J. Richmond Gungho Guide. The definitive pocket guide to Richmond produced locally by Kelly Brown. (free)

K. A Copy of Virginia Living Magazine. ($4.95)

L. Lavender Fields Farm Roobios Loose Tea. Perfect for pairing with Lavender Fields honey! ($6.00 for 2 oz bag of tea, $7.50 for 8 oz jar of honey)

M. RVA Playing Cards from Quirk Gallery. 52 reasons to love Richmond from 52 Richmond insiders. ($9.95 for pack)

N. Virginia is For Lovers Pencils. ($49.90 for 100)

We paired Courtney’s expert picks with a custom tote design from another Richmond native, Lauren of Lauren O’Neill Design, who designed this adorable Richmond is for Lovers tote for us! Want one? Simply download the overlay here and take it to your local screen-printer. Thank you for the fun design, Lauren!

From the Richmond area and have additional suggestions to add to our tote? What did you love about Richmond if you’ve visited before? Have a city in mind for future posts? Comment below and let us know!

Check out past totes:
Nashville
Atlanta
Austin