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I love, wedding dresses, roses.  Love ‘em!  And while I usually lean towards ivory and pale pink blooms, there’s something about the creamy white and rich reds and oranges of these Enchanted Florist centerpieces that takes my breath away.  Stunning!  Southall Eden in Franklin, Tennessee proved to be the perfect venue for the couple’s intimate ceremony and reception, with large, open spaces, bright Italian street-style lighting and an authentic farmhouse.  Let’s all take a moment to enjoy the dessert spread and simple, two-tiered wedding cake (from Publix!).  Who wants to bet there weren’t any leftovers?  Check out The Photographix’s blog post about Jessica + Dane’s wedding here.

 

Tell us about finding you’re a weddings dresses: I actually did not try on very many. I initially wanted a much slimmer look, but after trying on a few I found I was so much more comfortable in the a-line, dropped waist style I picked. I knew I wanted a certain fabric- dupioni silk, because I loved the rich texture of it. I saw a picture of a short dress in a magazine and loved the hem. I then met Maria Elena Bishop, a tailor in Hillsboro Village in downtown Nashville, and she helped me turn those little bits into my dress!

Describe your wedding flowers: The flowers were very important to me. I was so excited to see how all the florals turned out! They were roses with bittersweet “halos” and kumquats! I loved the kumquats because they were so unique!

 

Describe your wedding cake: I had desserts for everyone: a variety of little pies and cheesecake bites, so that was the main dessert. But, for tradition's sake, I ordered a small two tier from Publix. It was ivory with little loop-de-loops around the base.

Were there any wedding traditions or new ideas you included in the wedding? My cousin lent me a ring that her father gave her mother on their wedding day. It meant a lot to have a family heirloom with me on that day.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? I wouldn't know where to start! The day seems kind of like a blur with little moments that will stand in my memory forever! I will always remember hiding before the wedding so that Dane wouldn't see me!  My hiding place was perfect, I could peek out a door and see everyone as they arrived. That was exciting.

Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did not; we had a very traditional service.

What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?  We are enjoying married life and looking forward to traveling as much as we can these next few years before we start a family. Just waking up, Sheath Bridal Dress, next to each other is super exciting!

 

Even, wedding dress, more than their weddings, Southerners love to eat (don't you think?).  Count the SW ladies in on that one!  The holidays, especially, are a great excuse to fire up your oven or dust off the new bakeware from your registry.  In honor of the Christmas season, then, 11 of our favorite southern treats.  What's yours?

 

1. Moon pies

 

2. Cheese straws

 

3. Turkucken

 

4. Divinity

 

5. Pecan pie

 

6. Baked macaroni, Sheath Bridal Dresses, and cheese

 

7. Pistachio pralines

 

8. Bread pudding

 

9. Sweet potato pie

 

10. Black-eyed peas

 

11. Eggnog with Wild Turkey in it  

 

We're, wedding dress, back with another giveaway, ladies and gents, and this one's a doozy!  As you all know, Katharine's a major sugar addict (see her gift picks as evidence!).  Many generous vendors donated to this giveaway, resulting in a beyond-fabulous prize package for one lucky reader.

 

The package includes:

 

--An assortment of cupcake liners from Bella Cupcake Couture.  We're big fans of the Lulu in gold and the Hannah in citrus/pink, but any of their designs would look lovely on the cupcake table at a wedding.  Visit their website here and their blog here!

 

--One set of 5 "Will you be my bridesmaid?" cookies from Flour Pot Cookies.  Katharine thinks this idea is absolutely genius, and I have to say, the rest of us agree.  I also love the uber-cute Christmas Lights gift box.  Visit their, Informal Bridal Dresses, website here!

 

--One $25 gift certificate to Bake it Pretty.  This way, you can choose between their polka-dot baking cups, their pretty pansy icing flowers, and their skinny tall candles (love!).  Good luck making a decision!  Visit their website here and their blog here.

 

--An assortment of treats from Hammond's Candies, including 3 cherry lollis, 3 red apple lollis, and 3 packs of peppermint straws.  Hammond's is famous for their carefully crafted, handmade candy, a favorite with editors because of its beautiful looks and a favorite of readers because, well, it's ridiculously delicious!  Visit their website here.

 

--And last but not least, the prize package includes one 11" custom cake stand from Clara French.  The winner will get to work with the owner to design a stand that matches perfectly with their wedding style. Knee Length Bridal Dresses, If you haven't seen her work, you MUST check it out immediately.  Her website is here!

 

Amazing, right?!  The value of this prize package is -- wait for it -- just under $500!  Insane!

 

Now, since this prize package is so spectacularly amazing, we're going to make you work a bit for it!  To enter, visit two of the five sites above and leave a comment telling us your favorite product from each.  You must leave a comment on this post before midnight on Sunday, December 13.  We'll pick a random winner next week!  Good luck!

 

P.S. Don't forget to enter Lara's and Emily's, Knee Length Bridal Dress, giveaways, too!

 

OK, <a xhref="http://www.weddingdressesdresses.com/">wedding dresses</a>, y'all, there is some fierce inner-office competition to see which of these giveaways gets the most entries.  Katharine, Lara and Emily are neck and neck!  The giveaways are FABULOUS and the comments are too.  We could spend hours dreaming of faraway getaways reading the comments on Lara's travel giveaway!

You have 12 hours left to enter, so get to it!  You might just be one of the lucky winners! And, yes, you can enter all four : )

Good luck y'all and happy, <a xhref="http://www.weddingdressesdresses.com/modest-prom-dresses-sheath-c-66_42.html">Sheath Prom Dresses</a>, Sunday!



Photographed, <a xhref="http://www.weddingdressesdresses.com/">weddings dresses</a>,<strong> </strong>by Nine Photography (a loyal SW sponsor) and planned by Jennifer Ashford of Altar Ego Weddings, Tara + Mark’s wedding at the 1899 Farmhouse was an autumnal dream come true!  The bride looked sweetly Southern in her open-back Monique Lhuillier gown while her bridesmaids stunned in their Alvina Valenta + Jim Hjelm frocks.  I think what I like best about this Texas wedding (besides the golden glow of the sunset ceremony, of course!) are the rustic floral arrangements and bouquets from The Urban Blossom Floral Art Studio.  Wonderfully wildflower perfect!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  The short story is that we met at work, but, of course, that is not the whole story!  I had started a new sales position at a large company that required new employees to train with several other seasoned sales people.  Mark was training me and we were chatting between calls when an instant message popped up on his screen from another co-worker asking, “Did you ask the new girl out yet?"  Mark closed the IM as fast as anyone possibly could, thinking he has been smooth, but of course I had already read it and now knew he had a little crush.  After many weeks of casual flirting, a few group lunches, and casual work get-togethers, I still hadn’t been invited on an official date, so decided I would call Mark myself.  I called on a Saturday thinking I, <a xhref="http://www.weddingdressesdresses.com/modest-bridesmaid-tea-length-c-63_26.html">Tea Length Bridesmaid Dress</a>, could leave a cute and smart message when, to my surprise, he answered!  Being quick on my feet I asked if he was busy and whether I could sit with him again to further sharpen my sales skills.  Mark tells me he still didn't think I was flirting with him but after a slow day with lots of downtime to chat, he finally asked me out for real!  It didn't take long to see we had a ton in common and always had a lot of fun together.

Describe the proposal.  Mark &amp; I were in NYC for the weekend with his cousins from Philadelphia, so we stayed Saturday night to spend a night alone before taking the train back to Philly the following morning. We had booked a budget hotel and, on our way there, Mark reveled a surprise: he had upgraded us to The Carlton on Madison Avenue! This alone didn't raise any suspicion since Mark does romantic things, especially on vacation. Then after checking in we discovered our room was a suite, on the corner with an awesome view, the concierge had really hooked him up, again, no real red flag's registering yet… until dinner!  He had another surprise: we were going to Tavern on the Green for dinner, which was wonderful except Mark seemed distracted.  He kept looking around me until I finally turned around expecting to see a beautiful woman sitting behind me, but no one was there.  On top of that he seemed really concerned about how long we were taking at dinner. <a xhref="http://www.weddingdressesdresses.com/modest-prom-dresses-knee-length-c-66_40.html">Knee Length Prom Dress</a>, After dessert, he revealed the last surprise: he had arranged for a carriage ride through Central Park to pick us up after dinner... Red Flag!! I knew something was going on but tried not to convince myself of anything. He had told the driver of his plans to purpose and asked him to stop at a scenic spot, knowing I would want to get out to take a picture, which I did, but my flash was not cooperating so Mark took the camera from my hands and got on one knee.  I remember seeing the ring as a sparkle in the dark and remember kneeling down to kiss him and accept his proposal, but the rest is a blur.  We got lost leaving the park since we were too distracted calling family and friends with the news.  I finally saw the ring when we stopped to sit and get a drink to celebrate.  It was exactly what I would have picked, dainty and antique looking, and at that moment I realized just how well he knows me. It was a perfect evening we won't ever forget!

Three adjectives that describe the day are: Fun, happy and optimistic.



Hey y'all, <a xhref="http://www.weddingdressesdresses.com/">wedding dress</a>, Just a reminder that TOMORROW, December 15, is the last day to mail out ornaments to your swap partners (and, ahem, the SW office...)!  We can't wait to see what you all have in the works!