We’ve had a swell of, well, swell new additions to our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory, and I’m so happy to share a few of them with you today!

Anna Routh has a sweet, bubbly personality that is reflected in her life-filled photographs. She is based in North Carolina!

Arney Walker’s calligraphy is classic and clear, and as a business owner she is committed to delivering the best customer service experience possible.

Ashley K Photography has a gorgeous style that will appeal to the romantic, traditional bride. She is based in Texas!

Better Half Weddings first caught our eye through this shoot, but their fun, upbeat personalities speak for themselves! They are based in Florida and offer event planning and design.

Brocade Designs is, in their own words, “a full-service floral event design company that specializes in awesome!” We couldn’t agree more! They’re based in Nashville.

Chris Isham is a South Carolina photographer who believes in simplicity, as evidenced by his simply lovely images!

Stefanie of Lavender Joy Weddings was the genius behind our Yellow Rose V5 shoot, but she creates gorgeous real weddings every month, too! Her kind and patient personality would be a boon to any Texas bride.

Ruth Eileen is an artist who loves to have fun, and gets giddy about your love story! She is based in South and North Carolina, and we love her lively images.

Sweet Southern Charm is a vintage rental company in Florida lead by two Southern gals who grew up “A+ yard sale pickin’ mamas.” Sounds like a good foundation for supplying vintage decor to me!

Two Be Wed is a boutique wedding planning firm in Texas led by Natalie Dawley. We love that included in their listing how much they love and honor marriage, not just weddings!

To check out all of our Blue Ribbon Vendors, just click over to the full directory! You can search by category or state to find your perfect match. Vendors, if you’re interested in getting involved, just fill out this form and Kristin will get in touch!

Y’all, this post might be the easiest one I’ve written yet, as I used this vendor at my own wedding, and endorsements don’t get much more genuine than that! In fact, there’s a little sneak peek at our wedding below (full posts coming very soon to a blog near you! :)

So yes, it is not hard at all for me to say nice things about Sperry Tents, but I know I’m not alone in that! In fact, in one of my earliest conversations with our florist (who had a Sperry Tent for her own wedding), she said, you know, the nice thing about a Sperry is that they are so beautiful, and create such an experience on their own, that you don’t really need much in the way of extra decor. Mind you, this was a florist who said this, someone who’s a tad invested in “extra decor”!

Jacqueline Campbell via Southern Weddings

The end result is indeed beautiful, but the process to get there is almost as striking. The tents are handcrafted by sailmakers in coastal Massachusetts and are the only rental tents in the country made from genuine sailcloth. The wooden support poles are hand-milled at a historic 1930s sawmill. All of their design decisions prioritize craftsmanship and have a gorgeous, classic aesthetic that’s at home anywhere from a field to a beach to a manicured backyard. You can really feel the love that went into each one when you’re standing inside!

A Bryan Photo via Southern Weddings

Of course, as many of you already know, my very favorite feature of a Sperry Tent is the festive pennant flags atop each peak. They just look so merry and celebratory snapping in the breeze!

Cramer Photo

In case you’re wondering, in my experience, Sperry Tents are more expensive than a standard frame tent (though obviously with good reason). If you start to add anything to the tent like a liner, draping or pole covers, however, the price will usually exceed a Sperry. As I said above, they come with beauty built-in, so there’s no need to cover anything up or add anything extra.

John Unrue

Also, for my peace of mind, it was so comforting to know that side walls come standard with every Sperry rental, so there’s no need to agonize over whether or not they’re worth the extra expense. As you can see from the photo below, we did not have to use our walls, but I’m still glad we had them!

Tanja Lippert

Interested? Sperry Tents are only available through a network of licensed providers and are available for rent throughout the South. You can find out much more on their website here! I personally guarantee you will not regret your decision to go with a Sperry :)

I probably don’t have to say this, but just for the record, this sponsored post is a normal advertising option between Sperry and Southern Weddings, and separate from the rental agreement I made with them for our wedding!

Over the holidays, I was lucky enough to watch home movies with both my Mom AND Dad’s side of the family. Both had just happened to convert old movie reels to DVDs this year, and Christmas was the perfect time to debut the goods to a new generation. On my Mom’s side, there was footage stretching back to when my grandmother was two (whoa!), and on my Dad’s, from when he was eight. The videos were NOT perfect quality, of course, but that didn’t matter – it was just so neat to see glimpses of their daily life.

Y’all probably remember that John and I prioritized a wedding film in our budget — after all, we discussed it extensively. I have to say that it was a GREAT decision for us in the end, and I can’t wait to show you our highlights film oh so soon!

However, I heard from many of you in the comments section of that post and afterward that as much as you might want and value videography, and as much as you might try to wiggle the budget, hiring a videographer was simply NOT going to be squeezed in. I totally get that. And as I mentioned in the post, I firmly believe that some video, even non-professional, is far better than nothing.

Uploaded guest photo from the Storymix wedding below!

WHICH is just one reason why I am so excited to introduce you to today’s sponsor, Storymix Media. Here’s how it works:
– Once you’ve reserved your date, choose to record with either just the iPhone/Android app or with up to five HD video cameras that Storymix provides.
– Share the app code with your guests and invite them to upload photos and videos throughout the wedding weekend and even during pre- and post-wedding activities, like a dress fitting, bridal shower, or the honeymoon! An unlimited number of guests can send an unlimited number of photos and videos.
– Return the cameras with a pre-paid shipper. Storymix will upload all the footage to your account for viewing.
– Begin the editing process! Choose a theme and write titles,or have Storymix do it for you. Either way, the Storymix editors will complete the final edits to turn your footage into a finished film, which you’ll receive on DVD. All the raw footage is yours to keep, as well!

Here’s an example from a recent Southern wedding:

Check out all the details at Storymix’s site here!

Storymix has also kindly offered up a contest for all of y’all, as well as a discount code! Enter to win a $300 WeddingMix package here, and remember that everyone who enters to win gets a 15% off code. The contest ends January 18, 2013.

Here’s to innovative budget solutions! Happy planning, belles!

Friends, I am so excited to introduce you today to Brilliant Earth! At Southern Weddings, we try to make sure that everything we do matches up with what we believe, and we LOVE nothing more than partnering with companies who have the same goal. Brilliant Earth is most definitely one of those companies.

Besides offering up gorgeous jewelry, Brilliant Earth is on a mission to serve the socially-conscious consumer, support communities harmed by the diamond trade, and lead their industry toward the greater good. Even their packaging is lovingly thought-out!

Brilliant Earth guarantees that every diamond they sell is mined ethically and conflict-free. Check out their website to see many more designs, including GORGEOUS antique engagement rings.

Yeehaw!! And if none of those strike your fancy, you can work with their designers to create a custom ring.

We hope these gorgeous rings might inspire a Christmas proposal for one of you lucky ladies! :)

We’ve had a swell of, well, swell new additions to our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory, and I’m so happy to share a few of them with you today! In reverse alphabetical order, just for fun…

P.S. Potential new BRV members, see below for an important note!

Shaking Hands Productions crafts your wedding day film like a piece of art, shooting every moment cinematically and unobtrusively and with a bit of Super8 film throw in for good measure. They are based in Virginia.

Make Merry! is the most cheerful invitation design house that you ever did see! I love that Laura sees her mission as “discovering what is special, unique and personal about those I’m designing for… and bringing it to life!”

Live View Studios is a husband and wife photography team based in North Carolina. Since they describe themselves as “hopeless romantics,” it’s no surprise that they describe their photos as romantic and intimate, too!

I adore that one of the things that Life Stage Films loves what they do is catching moments their couples never knew existed. I think that’s something video does exceptionally well, and I love that these North Carolina filmmakers celebrate that!

Krystle Akin’s clean, fresh images are captured with a mix of film and digital formats, something we love in the SW office! She’s based in East Texas but travels all over.

We know that Mississippi resources are few and far between in our Directory (we’re working on it!), which is just one reason why we’re thrilled to have Kendall Poole Event Planning! Kendall and her team specialize in multi-day celebrations and personal relationships with their couples.

We’ve been lucky enough to work with Jennifer Ericksen on quite a few magazine projects (including our V3 cover, an editorial for V4, and an upcoming online feature!), and so we’ve seen firsthand her talent and kindness! We’re thrilled to be able to recommend her as a hair and makeup stylist to NC brides.

As I’m sure y’all have surmised, the SW ladies are suckers for gorgeous penned letters. Hardink Calligraphy’s modern, friendly style is just our cup of (sweet) tea!

Speaking of sweet things, we’re also thrilled to welcome Chic Sweets to the family! Natalie specializes in custom dessert bars, and Florida brides are lucky to have her!

The beautiful work of Amelia Johnson is balm to the eyes, isn’t it? She’s based in DC/Virginia, but loves to travel, too!

To check out all of our Blue Ribbon Vendors, just click over to the full directory! You can search by category or state to find your perfect match. Vendors, if you’re interested in getting involved, just fill out this form and Kristin will get in touch!

Please note BRV membership rates will go up slightly starting on January 1, 2013. We will never raise rates on current members as long as your membership doesn’t lapse, so if you’ve been on the fence about applying, I’d suggest doing so now to lock in at the current rate! We would love to hear from y’all!