I have a running mental list of images I would love to frame for my new office walls.  (I am pretty much out of wall space with all of the images I love!)  I can’t get enough of Kristina + Royce’s wedding from {Apertura Photography}. The shot with the swirling yellow petals is divine.  Just pure perfection!

Here’s another favorite from Erik Clausen aka {Poser}.  He thinks I’m kidding about putting this on my wall, but I am just in love with this photo.  Can’t wait to see the rest of this wedding!

We are debuting a new weekly feature on the SW Blog next week: 5 + 5: The South’s Top Photographers.  The hottest pros in the South will be sharing their top 5 favorite wedding images and answering our 5 hot topic interview questions. Stay tuned for some fab photo overload! 

What a week! We are so excited about everything that is happening in the SW world and have to give thanks to all of our fabulous readers.  Just 2 weeks ago I posted that we had reached the 300 subscriber mark.  Well, thanks to our amazing readers, that number has now almost DOUBLED!  We are thrilled that people love Southern weddings as much as we do.  All the credit goes to the phenomenal photographers and designers that we feature every day.  You do the work, we just help people see it. 

• Thank you to all the people who have linked to us and written such kind words about SW this week: {Our Labor of Love}, {Hello!Lucky}, {Junebug Weddings}, {The Bridal Bar}, {Best Wedding Sites}, {Style Me Pretty}, {Snippet and Ink}, {Weddingbee}, {Weddingbee 2}, {Table 6 Productions}, {Love and Splendor},  {Ksenija Savic}, {Joyful Weddings and Events}, {Lucky Me!}, {Elizabeth Anne Designs}, {EAD Library}, {AHS Photography}, {Drew B Photography}, {Sparkliatti}, {Blue Eyed Bride}, {Masterpiece Weddings}, {Christine Farah}, {Monogrammed Life}, {Melissa’s Greetings}, {Love is an Adventure}, {W Scott Chester Photography}, {Perfect Bound}, {Weddings By Socialites}, {Ritzy Bee}, {Toast and Tables}, {Trista Lerit}, {Team Giles}, {Grace’s Birdcage Wedding}, {Amy Squires}, {In This Instance}, {A Delightful Day}, {Natalie Moser Photography}, {My Cleveland Wedding}, {An Atlanta Bride},{Kellie Kano Photography}, {Life Love Lipstick}, {With the Pixie Grin}, {By Your Side Events}, {Regina Holder}, {Saltharbor Designs}, {Grove Avenue Bride}, {Anne Sage}, {Barefoot Stargazer}, {Zinke Design}, {Life, Now}, {Cathy + David Photography}, {Hasel Bride}.  As always, if you linked to us this week, please leave a comment here with your link and we will be sure to add it!

• I love the blog world and especially when people celebrate their blogs…  The guys at {A Bryan Photography} really outdid themselves with this one… {A Bryan Blog Birthday} Hilarious!

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  Holly Hatam of {TearDrop Weddings} sent me a very sweet email this week saying that she was so inspired by the Southern Wedding of the Week last week – Katrina + Matt (shot by the amazing Whitney and Jesse of {Our Labor of Love}) that she designed an invitation suite based on it!  How cute is this!? Holly is having a wonderful contest on her blog this week.  From Holly…“brides have to tell me their unique stories about how they met and fell in love with their fiance’s and details about their wedding. I will choose the 20 brides that inspire me the most and I will design an invitation based around them. And in return to the brides that I choose, they will receive this custom design, but at the price of ordering from my ready made collection, which is a savings of $1500!”  Brides, be sure to enter this fun contest!

• The fabulous {Hello!Lucky Contest} ends next Wednesday, so get those comments in for a chance to win 100 Letterpress Invitations from {Hello!Lucky}.  (1 ink color with plain envelopes; reply set not included. Retail value of $600)  I love getting invitation samples in the mail.  Sabrina sent me a lovely collection of Hello!Lucky designs this week.  Gorgeous!

• If you haven’t already spent several hours faux shopping on {Wishpot}, get to it!  This fun shopping site allows you to create “wish lists” and even wedding registries.  I plan to do more shopping this weekend, but check out the SW Featured Wishpot Gallery.  Thanks, Christine, for interviewing me today.

• I was so honored to be interviewed on {The Smart Planner}.  Click {HERE} to read my interview with the fantastic Liene Stevens of {Blue Orchid Blog}. 

Now, close your computer, pull out your bathing suit, get outside with the Slip’nSlide and have a fun weekend!  ~Lara

We are so excited that Bee (yes, that is her real name.. isn’t it wonderful!?) added us to the {Weddingbee} list of “BLOGS WE LOVE”.  Brides, if you haven’t discovered {Weddingbee} yet, welcome to bridal blog heaven!  Be sure to take a few minutes to click through their impressive link list that includes: Blue Orchid Designs, Bridal Bar Blog, Brooklyn Bride, Groom Groove, Junebug Weddings, Lucky Me!, Peonies and Polaroids, Perfect Bound, Ritzy Bee, Simply Modern Weddings, Snippet & Ink, Sparkliatti, Style Me Pretty, Wedding Chicks, Outstanding Occasions, and Toast and Tables.  Thank you so much for the blog love, Bee!  We are thrilled to be a part of the hive.

I was honored to be asked to guest blog on one of my absolute favorite blogs on Friday, {What Junebug Loves}.  What an joy!  Christy at Junebug put together a beautiful post for us–she is so talented, a pleasure to know and an expert on weddings.  {Junebug} is a fabulous resource for wedding inspiration and all things fashionable.  Thank you, Christy, for the very kind words about SWS and for highlighting our beautiful southern location favorites.  Happy Monday!

From {Junebug}… 

Following in the footsteps of our last post about new Seattle area wedding venues, today brings us fabulous wedding location finds in Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina from guest blogger Lara Casey. Lara is the Publisher of Southern Weddings Magazine, a long time event planner with Bliss Event Group and a recent bride herself, which makes her a true expert in all things wedding! We are thrilled to have her valuable insight into wedding possibilities in her area of the country and we just love reading what she has to say…

The most popular southern wedding locations tend to be rich with history and tradition. Many of the “new” southern locations are actually historic landmarks that have been transformed into event venues or old mansions that have been remodeled for lucky brides to use on their big day. A few of our recent favorites:

Blackberry Farm, in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. One of our favorite photographers, A Bryan Photography, recently shot a fabulous wedding we are about to feature there. They do very few weddings at Blackberry Farm each year (typically 1 or 2…sometimes 3) so although it has been around for awhile as a resort and hotel, they just finished their new reception hall and this wedding was the first to be hosted there.

Sea Island, Georgia, another location we love. They just finished an enormous renovation of the main hotel, The Cloister, which has created an incredible venue and setting. A Bryan Photography shot this wedding there in the fall. 

My favorite, Claxton Farm in Weaverville, North Carolina. Converted into an event space in the last decade, this is one of my favorite wedding locations! The 100-year-old tobacco barn is so versatile. I’ve seen several weddings here lately that show the versatility of the space. This wedding, shot by Woodward and Rick Photographers, used every element of the farm in a richly colorful modern way. Gorgeous! See our original Southern Weddings blog post here.

Thanks you so much, Christy!  We love {Junebug Weddings}! 

From the fabulous {Patsy Brown Photography}…  one of the groomsmen holding up Erin and Dan’s engagement picture, that was published in SWS. Congrats Erin and Dan!

Here are just small few of the people who linked to us this week.  We appreciate the love!

Altop Weddings, A Bryan Photo, Tamara Lackey Photography, Fred Egan, Ritzy Bee, Woodward + Rick Photographers, Fabu-Luxe, E Lucky Designs, Katy Stardust, Photography by Shannon, The Wedding Chicks, Tie the Knot (Our Preppy Guest Blogger–She’s getting married today!!), Susan Stripling, Snippet and Ink, Bells and Bubbles, Rae Leytham Photography,  Critsey Rowe, Wedding Paper Divas, Amy Squires Photography, Sasha Souza’s Sparkliatti, Whitebox Weddings, A Delightful Day, Long Beach Wedding Flowers, Wishpot, The Wedding Planning Audiocast, Pingg, A Perfect Engagement, Elite Bridal Concierge, SJB Weddings and Events, Granica Monotremata, Riso Studio

Wow!  We are SO excited about being a part of this exclusive list of the top wedding blogs.  Owned by former Apple evangelist and marketing guru, {Guy Kawasaki},  {Alltop} lists the crème de la crème of blogs in every arena.  We are in great company… {Martha Stewart Weddings}, {What Junebug Loves}, {Style Me Pretty}, {Brides}, {WEDDEX},  {Elizabeth Anne Designs}, {Blue Orchid Designs}, {DC Nearlyweds}, {Wedding Paper Divas} and {Weddingbee} to name a very small few!  Check out these listings!  It’s such an honor to be featured with such dedicated wedding bloggers and phenomenal professionals.  Their standards are very high and this is a tough list to get onto.  As Liene from {Blue Orchid Designs} posted, the gals at {Kirtsy} actually erected a statue of him in appreciation!  Congrats to all the other wedding Alltoppers.  A million thanks to Guy for including us and to our readers for once again making every day our best day yet!