Happy Memorial Day, friends! Though many of us are enjoying the day off, barbecuing with friends and getting a tan (yes, the Southern Weddings ladies are doing all of that!), we hope y’all will take a few moments to remember our dedicated men and women who are serving and have served our country.

We think Lindsay + Chris’ wedding is too perfect for today. According to Lindsay, they wanted to keep the feel organic and relaxed, but like most Southerners, wanted to incorporate the traditions that were most important to them, including some military ones. We love that Chris surprised his new bride with a sword arch and a song from the Citadel cadets! Among the other details, we love the couple’s dessert offerings and pretty cakes, the soft and lush flowers that decorated the space and Chris’ dress whites (who doesn’t love a man in uniform?). We’re dishing out big hugs to Heather Forsythe for sharing this with us!

P.S. Good luck to Chris who is shipping out on a submarine next year!

I wanted my bridesmaids’ bouquets to be in a coral-y light pink, and I wanted mine to match, but be all whites and greys. My maid of honor’s bouquet was a mix of the two. I gave my florist my budget, a list of flowers I loved, flowers I hated, flowers that I liked and some inspiration photos. All I really wanted was fiddleheads in my bouquet and in my maid of honor’s because it reminded me of Canada, where we’re both from. I also wanted a pink carnation, my sorority’s flower, to be tucked into the bridesmaids’ and maid of honor’s bouquet somewhere.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did do a first look. We didn’t want to feel pressured to have all our pictures taken between the ceremony and reception. We also knew that we wanted that moment when we first saw each other in our wedding day attire to be private instead of in front of 80 people. There’s something to be said for having that very personal moment, and I think we felt we could be a lot more unrestrained with our emotions.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I knew that finding a fantastic dress for a reasonable price was going to take some hunting, but I was willing. Little did I know, the universe smiled on me, and everything fell into place. One weekend when one of my bridesmaids was in town, we decided to go try on dresses and play dress up. I wasn’t prepared to buy, but I wanted to see what looked good, and just have a good time. We went to a tiny boutique in south Atlanta and had a fantastic experience. The staff was incredibly friendly and our consultant said that she knew that it was my first time dress shopping and I should not to feel pressured to buy anything. I found a dress I really liked, but since my bridesmaid and I were just playing dress up, I wasn’t at all in the “need to buy” mindset. When I got home, I did a search for the dress on preownedweddingdress.com, not really expecting much since it was a pretty old design. But the dress popped up, in my size, and was brand new! I knew I was going to spend a fortune on alterations since I’m so short and wanted straps, so I negotiated a bit got my dress for about 80% off. I sort of regret not having the big dress shopping experience with my mom and everyone, but I knew that the universe was trying to tell me that this was THE dress. One should not quibble with the universe.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Mark 10:6-9,13-16, read by my good friend Corrie.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. We wanted to give our guests a Southern experience, particularly my family who’s from Canada. Chris and I both wanted a bluegrass band for the ceremony and cocktail hour. I knew I wanted instrumental songs for the bridal party’s walk down the aisle and a lively song for the recessional, but I really left a lot up to the professionals, and all our vendors did a fantastic job. Our band, Riverboy was no exception.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? First of all, Boone Hall Plantation just exudes everything Southern, particularly the long Avenue of Oaks with that beautiful Spanish moss. In keeping with that tradition, we wanted everything to feel very organic and relaxed. Chris and I bought hundreds of mason jars, and I made him wire them with handles so we could hang them from the trees. We also wanted the food to be Southern. My Canadian family was very unacquainted with the South. We served fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, fried chicken and Chris’ requested hush puppies. My favorite thing was the macaroni and cheese buffet. We asked our caterers for macaroni and cheese, but wanted lots of fixins for it like bacon and scallions. We also served Mason Dixons (Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and lemonade) and Arnold Palmers. “Southern” though is really all about traditions. Chris is half Filipino and they have a dish called lumpia, similar to a small egg roll. Chris’ dad and one of my dad’s Filipino co-workers made hundreds of these little guys. Our caterer was more than willing to fry them for us and put them on the menu. We had that awesome Bluegrass band for the ceremony, too!
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: My favorite Canadian dessert is a butter tart, so I had some close family friends pick some up in Canada, smuggle them across the border, and drive them all the way to Charleston so I would have them on my wedding day. We also had pecan pie, which is my favorite pie. Chris and our planner also schemed and had mini Ben and Jerry’s tubs served since our first date was at Ben and Jerry’s.

Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding: The Citadel cadets! Lindsay has been pestering me about a sword arch for as long as I’ve been dating her, but every opportunity where we could have gone through one, there was always some reason why we couldn’t participate. I went through some of my work contacts and rounded up the best group of guys and girls from The Citadel and asked them to wear their uniforms and give up a sword arch. They were amazing and turned out to be the life of the party, dancing with all the ladies! At Navy weddings, it’s always a tradition that the Navy guys sing “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” to the bride as an ode to the scene from Top Gun. The Citadel cadets were more than willing to play along and sing to her so she could get everything she wanted that day.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. (From the groom) My first time meeting Lindsay was when I walked into the television room of my fraternity house. She was wearing a Detroit Red Wings jersey and sitting next to my roommate. He thought an angel had come to visit him because he had just woken up from a nap next to a cute chick in the hockey jersey of his favorite team. I immediately walked out because I was so disgusted that a cute sorority chick would waste her time on the most hated team in the NHL. My roommate and I also played on the same roller hockey team for our university, and she came to many of our games. I kept seeing and noticing Lindsay. I tried to ignore her so I wouldn’t get caught up in a love triangle since my roommate had a secret crush on her. I tried avoiding her, but it was tough since she was so darn cute. I decided to throw caution to the wind, and on the last day of the semester, I called and met up with her at Ben and Jerry’s for Free Cone Day. We shared a moment, and I knew immediately that this was going to be something special.
Describe the proposal. Chris is in the Navy, and a few years ago, was re-stationed in Jacksonville, Florida. We were excited, because a five hour drive didn’t seem quite as daunting as halfway around the world. We both had a free weekend, so I decided to drive down to see him. I left around 9:30 in the morning, wanting to get there as soon as I could. I was about 90 miles from home when I realized I had left my wallet and purse, and had to turn around. I then took a wrong turn and lost another hour and by the time I got a chance to leave again, I hit the beginnings of Atlanta’s Friday rush hour. I was frustrated and called Chris to tell him I was giving up and just going to stay the night at home and would just leave for Jacksonville in the morning. He begged me to come that night, and even though I was worn out, I kept driving. After further delays, I arrived just before 10pm. He tried to get me to say hello to our pet rabbit, Bunny, but I was hungry and cranky and insisted we go straight out to eat. When we got back to his place, I was ready to shower and go to bed, but he told me to go say goodnight to Bunny first. I sighed and decided it would be easier to humor him. I noticed that Bunny had his collar on, which he hates. I was lecturing Chris and telling him he shouldn’t bother Bunny, but stopped mid rant – as I took the collar off, I noticed something sparkly attached. A RING! I turned around and he looked at me and said, “I know Bunny was the one to give you the ring, but I hope you’ll marry me instead.” Of course I said, “Yes!”
In what month did you get married? November
How many guests attended your wedding? 80
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The biggest challenge, and I think many brides will back me up on this, is dealing with family. Weddings have a way of amplifying family dynamics, don’t they? It’s difficult to gracefully acknowledge other people’s suggestions of what they think. Many times we got suggestions of what we “should” do which did not coincide with what we wanted to do. Chris and I were pretty definitive in what we wanted, and it was hard to constantly tell family and friends, “that’s a great idea, we’ll keep that in mind.”
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000 – $25,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Photography, by a long shot. Heather Forsythe was like manna from heaven when we finally met her. All the other photographers we were so hesitant about—they were good, but not great. Heather had everything we were looking for. Her photos were classic and I knew they would stand the test of time. She didn’t play around with very trendy filters and post-processing techniques. She was also just easy to be around, which was wonderful since I knew that I would probably see more of her than any other person that day. I couldn’t be happier with the pictures, they turned out great.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? (From the groom) Our reception band, Permanent Vacation, learned a song just for us to play for our first dance. Lindsay let me surprise her with our first dance. She said I could pick whatever I wanted, but I had to run it by her maid of honor first (just in case!). It wasn’t in our band’s repertoire, but I asked them if they knew it. Turns out, they were more than willing to learn it for us. Surprising Lindsay with “God Gave Me You” by Blake Shelton (her major celebrity crush) was by far my favorite moment.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Keep in mind, that at the end of the day, you’re getting married to the person that you love. The rest is all details. It doesn’t matter if things don’t go exactly as planned. Allow the professionals to do their job to the best of their ability. Flexibility in what you want will allow your vendors give you the absolute best they can in your budget, and I think vendors are more likely to throw in “extras” when you give them creative freedom. Most of them are artists, after all. Plus, it’s nice to have a few surprises along the way. Having perspective on what matters and just sort of rolling with things will make the day wonderful. Dwelling on things that don’t go right means you will forever remember your wedding as something that didn’t make you happy.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We have moved to DC. I have a job for a law firm there and Chris is studying for his masters and will ship out to sea on a submarine next year.

Annie + Jimmy’s V4 wedding is one that I keep finding new details in. Their Tennessee nuptials bound their love of the South and all things vintage with a dedication to tradition and family. Their ceremony was packed with nods to Jimmy’s love of literature and the couple’s relationship, with a reading of William Butler Yeats’ poem, “He Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven.” The reading was extra special since it was the poem that Jimmy included in his first love letter to Annie (aww!). Just looking at these images from Jonathan Canlas makes our hearts melt.

I found my wedding dress at a little boutique in Nashville called B. Hughes Bridal. I was set on having a Vera Wang dress, and B. Hughes had the best selection. They were also incredibly nice and made the whole experience so much fun! My best friend and mom went with me to help – along with my dog for some of my fittings! My dress looks like a mixture of vintage lace and couture fashion. Fashion is my other weakness – so it fit the bill perfectly! I knew it was my dress, because it was the one that best made me feel like a bride. Surprisingly, the style was opposite of what I always thought I would have, but I absolutely love it! I felt so beautiful in it.

For the groom, the vintage handkerchiefs in the wedding program held extra importance. In just the seven months prior to our wedding, I’d lost the two most influential men in my life. Without Annie sticking by me, I would have fallen beyond salvation. Our wedding was thus shadowed by, and saturated with, their presence. We acknowledged their loss in our programs: I wrote a brief message thanking our guests for supporting us through the loss of my best friend in the fall, and then my dad in the winter. I quoted my father’s speaking points for his engagement toast—one he was unable to deliver, and in our program message, I wrote: “We cherish his words, and have smiled through our tears at the legacy of love left to us. Along with our gratitude, please accept these handkerchiefs: though they may aptly wipe away tears of sorrow, we pray they may only catch tears of joy today.”

We had a spring wedding on May 28. The ceremony was at 5:30pm on Signal Mountain, TN. Signal Mountain is where Jimmy grew up, and the church is where I have wanted to get married for years. It’s affectionately referred to as The Little Brown Church by locals, and for obvious reason. It’s a quaint old church surrounded by pine trees that was built in 1908. Our reception was at Lindsay Street Hall in downtown Chattanooga. It used to be an old church built in the early 1900s that has been restored into a beautiful event hall. Both of these venues seemed like the perfect spots for our vintage wedding! Our rehearsal dinner was at the River Inn, also known as The Old Catfish House, situated on the Tennessee River with a sunset view of the River Gorge. We thought it had a perfect laid back Southern atmosphere with a view to match!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met through close mutual friends. Jimmy is an old friend of my best friend’s husband. She and her husband schemed to get us together, thinking we would be perfect for each other. Once we were acquainted, a friendship slowly grew into a relationship that neither of us expected. We seemed so different, but had all the important common interests (faith, family, hair metal and country music, and plaid). In the end, our friends really knew what was best for us!
Describe the proposal: We had planned to go for a short vacation to my family’s beach condo in Clearwater, Florida. I have been going there since birth; it feels like a second home to me. Jimmy had schemed to propose while on this getaway. He hid the ring in his carry-on bag and sweated his way through security. Unfortunately, we arrived to a heavy rainstorm, so we decided to nap after unpacking. Later, after showering for dinner, Jimmy saw the skies beginning to lighten and suggested we take a walk on the beach before eating. He sent up a little prayer for the rain to stop, and the Big Man upstairs was listening! The rain cleared just in time for a beautiful sunset. There was hardly anyone on the beach due to the weather, which was perfect! We walked down the beach a little ways until Jimmy was too nervous to wait any longer and got down on one knee. Of course, I said, “Yes!” We then went to eat dinner at a beachside restaurant that used to be the hotel where my family stayed for years. Jimmy had a table waiting with champagne, and we called our family and friends to share the good news!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Vintage, warm, loving
How many guests attended your wedding? I think we had just over 200 guests attending.
Bride’s favorite detail of the wedding: There were too many details I loved to choose just one. I loved that we had bluegrass music rather than standard classical music, and each song in our processional was meaningful. We didn’t chose standard wedding songs. My favorites were the Tennessee Waltz for the groomsmen processional and the song for the mothers’ processional. I chose the song “May The Lord” which is to the tune of Edelweiss. It was the lullaby my mother used to rock me to sleep to every night when I was little.
What was your favorite design detail: The programs were one of my favorite aspects of the ceremony. We used handmade and craft paper for the various paper announcements, so we carried the theme over with the programs. I wanted to use an old wax seal on all of our various invites, so we had a seal made that looked like the drawing of the pine tree from the hymnal of The Little Brown Church. The lady who made all of our paper goods also added our initials at the base of the pine tree to personalize it. We used a similar pine tree for the front of the program. Jimmy loves literature, so I wanted the programs to look like a book for him. We made a thick cover out of craft paper backed in an old floral print we used throughout the paper goods. The pages were made from handmade paper we used for our various invitations, and we bound the book with boucle linen thread. We tucked a vintage hanky that my mom and I had collected in each program and tied it with an aged-looking silk ribbon. They were so special and beautiful. My family and friends helped me assemble them all a few days before the wedding.

Hi ladies + gents! It seems like almost as soon as I finish writing one “Emily Plans a Wedding” post, the next one is on my doorstep (even though they’re scheduled two weeks apart – yikes!). Time marches on, does it not?

Yesterday, I was SO excited to skip out on work early to drive out to Nitsa’s in Winston-Salem and try on my dress for my first fitting!! My Mom was able to come, even though she lives in Connecticut, and we had a great time together. I still love my dress (whew!), it fit well (double whew!), and the only alterations that are needed are a hem, a (13-point!) bustle, and cups (of course).

BUT we’re actually not talking about my wedding fashion today, we’re talking about John’s! John will be wearing a tux, a decision he made on his own but that I was perfectly amenable to. I think he looks handsome in anything, but I would concede that he looks particularly debonair in a tuxedo, as do most gents.

A Bryan Photo

As soon as we knew he would be wearing a tuxedo, we knew we would be buying, and not renting. There were a few reasons for this:

1. He has to wear a tuxedo for two weddings this summer, and likely more in the future, so it made sense for us financially.
2. A great fit was very important to us, and you can’t tailor a rental. Grooms in baggy tuxedo pants make me sad!
3. We had a specific style of tuxedo in mind, and we didn’t think we’d find it at a rental shop.

Ashley McCormick via Southern Weddings

As I mentioned, we had a specific tuxedo aesthetic we were going for, and it was largely based off of two things: the J.Crew tuxedo (which is very sharp, but very expensive), and this handy New York Times graphic which has been floating around Pinterest.

Our first choice was in the lapel style. There are three options: shawl, peak, and notch. Shawl is the most old-school, while notch is more understated and business-like. We went for peak.

Top two images are shawl collar tuxedos from Katharine’s wedding by A Bryan Photo. Below, on the left is a peak lapel (photo by A Bryan Photo), and on the right is a notch lapel tuxedo (photo by Adam Barnes via Southern Weddings)

We were also looking for a two-button jacket and a shirt with a point collar.

For accessories, we vetoed both vests and cummerbunds in favor of suspenders for a more clean, modern, and fuss-free look. And all you Southern ladies will be pleased to know that John will be tying his own black bow tie! (Well, maybe with some help from Dad… or this handy SW graphic!)

Amanda Rae Photography via Style Me Pretty and A Bryan Photo

So we knew what we wanted, but not where to find it. Enter Marget’s fiance, who wears tuxedos frequently for work (fancy!) and is something of an expert. He recommended the Tommy Hilfiger tuxedos at Macy’s as a reasonably-priced option of good quality. On the day we cruised over to the Macy’s site to check things out, the tuxedo that caught our eye just so happened to be 66% off! With free shipping and free returns, we didn’t hesitate to snap one up in John’s size. For those that are curious, we bought this jacket and these pants, and this shirt. We’re still on the hunt for the perfect bow tie, suspenders, and shoes!

Jessica Lorren

So we have a tux – yahoo! Now all that’s left is to get it tailored, and to add a little personalization. Who says belles are the only ones who get to have fun with embroidery and monogramming? We haven’t decided yet exactly how we’ll add some pizazz, but embroidering the inside of the jacket is at the top of my list:

Lisa Poggi

What will your groom be wearing on his wedding day? If he’s wearing a tuxedo, which lapel style did you choose? Will you be renting or buying? Please comment + let me know!

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

P.S. If you like this post, check out these other ones, too!
What to wear to a black tie wedding as a guest
Our menswear favorites from 2011
An overview of wedding menswear options
How about tuxedos with navy dresses?

Adam Barnes and Jessica Lorren are fabulous members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Six years ago, this blog didn’t exist, the magazine was just an idea in my head and I was living in Pensacola, Florida, planning weddings and training people at the gym a few days a week. One fine day, a tall handsome Navy gent glanced at me while doing squats on the Smith machine (which admittedly I thought was like cheating sissy squats at the time!) and the rest is history. We eloped to Vegas after just five months of dating. (And yes, the only thing I wish we would have done differently is hire a professional photographer…)

Here I sit, six years later, with a team of ladies to do great work with – work that fires me up! – and a magazine and blog that mean something and a cooing happy baby next to me and a husband who loves me deeply. We are not the same people we were when we first met that day in the gym. I am so grateful for what these six years have brought. I’m so grateful for the big risks and leaps of faith and all the amazing wonderful encouraging friends I’ve met along the way. If I was to write a letter to myself six years ago, I would simply say, “The best is yet to come! Do what matters and forget the rest.” Ari and I have certainly learned a lot about marriage since our tiny wedding in Vegas. The little chapel where we had our ceremony gave us a list of “Marriage Rules” as we left and little did we know how true some of them would be today. Ari and I adapted those rules a little bit and are happy to share our version here:

We’re celebrating today by having a picnic in the park by our house with Grace. The North Carolina flowers are almost in full bloom and the air feels finer than a frog’s hair split four ways! We’re celebrating YOU today, too. What I love most about what we do at Southern Weddings is encouraging couples to focus in what matters. Your wedding is one important day that marks the beginning of the good stuff. Marriage wins! Wishing you all blessed marriages ahead. The best is truly yet to come! Love, Lara (and Gracie who had a blast at the SW Yard Sale yesterday!)

As the last editor to share my dream Southern wedding, I’ve had a lot of time to think about exactly what kind of wedding I want (in my dreams, of course). I’ve been perusing the Southern Weddings Pinterest nonstop trying to find the perfect Southern inspiration for my own big day, and do you know what I’ve discovered? I truly and honestly believe that I have had an inspiration overload! There are so many fabulously Southern ideas out there, and I just want to incorporate them all into my dream wedding. What’s a Southern Weddings editor to do?

Step back and take a good long look at all of the images I had collected, that’s what. Were there any recurring themes popping up? Why, yes! The majority of the photos came from sunny daytime weddings, there were an awful lot of deep blues and spring green color schemes weaving their way through my inspiration folder, and oh, I have a major love affair with rustic barn weddings. Without further ado, I am happy to share with you my very own dream Southern wedding:

Image credits, clockwise from top left: Barn wedding by Jose Villa, beau bar by Chocolate Butter Bean (photo by Katie Stoops via Southern Weddings), cake by My Sweet and Saucy, barn decor photo by Abby Ross via Style Me Pretty, table decor photo from Martha Stewart Weddings via Domestic Ease

Tell us the basics. Where do you want to get married and when? How many people would you invite? The more the merrier! If money were no issue (and this is a dream wedding, right?), I would invite upwards of 200 guests and make it a real party. I would love to get married right here in the Ol’ North State in the early fall.

What’s your design inspiration and color palette? One of the main focuses of my design inspiration is the lighting. Nothing adds to a space like a hanging chandelier or a canopy of swinging lights over a dance floor. I also incorporated a lot of classic white details–the white bouquets and white cakes–which look so clean and fresh against the rustic barn backdrop.

What details and traditions would you include in your ceremony? I want to pay homage to my family’s Southern heritage by including many traditions based around family. I am looking forward to my strong, supportive dad walking me down the aisle. I want my Mom, a former makeup artist, and my aunt, a hairdresser, to gussy me up for my walk down the aisle. I am excited to shower my bridesmaids with monogrammed gifts to show how appreciative I am to have them in my life. I can’t wait to surprise my hubby-to-be with a fun groom’s cake. Most of all, I want to incorporate as many details that have significance to my husband and myself. I want my wedding to be a celebration of the memories that we have shared.

What dress would you wear? I have fallen head over heels for Monique Lhuillier’s Scarlet. The lace detailing is classic, while the open back gives it a modern edge. I’m still on the look-out for a getaway dress. I’m thinking short and sleek. Any suggestions?

Image credits, clockwise from top left: lace dress photo by Paul Johnson, white bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings, striped bouquet wrap from Brides.com, navy bridesmaid dresses photo by Stephen Devries via Southern Weddings

What would your flowers look like? I love all white bouquets, full of ranunculus and big white hydrangeas. At the reception, I imagine low white and green arrangements decking each table.

What details and traditions would you include in your reception? Again, string lights and warm chandeliers are a must! In addition, I want a large live band that will really get the guests grooving. My goal is to have every man, woman and child on the dance floor having the time of their lives!

What food would you serve? Oh Lordy, I’m already excited about the food at my future wedding! Southerners sure do like their food! I adore all mini foods, so there would be an assortment of barbecue sliders and homemade macaroni served in white ramekins. The dessert spread would ideally stretch out for miles. In addition to the classic white cake, I’d love to see lots of cupcakes, banana pudding (a Southern favorite), and delicious creme brulee!

Where would you honeymoon? My hubby and I would explore Europe. I’m particularly keen on going skiing in the Swiss Alps!

What’s most important to you about weddings? Love is tangible at a wedding. Family and friends come together to celebrate a couple’s love. Weddings are about creating memories and sharing traditions. I love the feeling of community that surrounds weddings and I hope that my own wedding is full of wonderful memories and my friends, my family and my new husband and I will always cherish.

What do you think, ladies? Do we have anything in common? Let me know in the comments below and tell me all about your dream wedding.

P.S. Want to check out our past dream weddings?
Marissa
Nicole
Sierra

Katie Stoops and Stephen Devries are fabulous members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!