{Giveaway is Closed}
Since my family was just involved in a super special wedding (my niece, Lauren just got married!), Southern Living asked me if I’d like to review a copy of their special edition feature magazine:Â Southern Living Weddings.
Of course, I said yes!
And the fun part is, they are giving away 3 more copies to 3 of my readers, so all of you can get in on the fun.
This special Wedding issue is Southern Living’s first since 2004. The 128-page magazine is the ultimate guidebook to style and includes 25 of the most beautiful and inspiring Southern nuptials, along with editor’s picks for the South’s best dress shops, tips on how to choose bouquets to remember, budget-friendly ideas that will wow guests and more. The issue is on newsstands through April 22nd. 
Lots of inspiring photos of bouquets, gifts, and fashion. 
This lovely bride and groom, Jessica and Eric, are from Virginia and one of the 25 couples featured in the magazine. (Side note: Southern Living really needs to come-a-callin’ to Lauren and Philip for prettiest wedding couple. OK, so maybe I’m a bit biased). 🙂 
Kitchen tools and a whole gift guide, made by Southern hands, there is plenty of inspiration for those brides-to-be. I’m sure some of you have weddings coming up in your family too and we Southern girls love to throw a beautiful wedding. 
This reminds me a bit of Lauren’s cake. This one is just gorgeous!
From The Dress, cake, beautiful bouquets, receptions, registry details, invitations, the ultimate honeymoon, and tips from the experts, you’ll find it all covered in Southern Living Weddings.
So, if you’d like to win a copy of this chock-full of ideas wedding magazine, just leave a comment here telling me your favorite wedding idea on how to make a memorable wedding! That’s it.
Here’s one idea I took away from Lauren’s wedding. One friend shared this:
Place a framed hand-written note in each bathroom from the bride and groom, telling their guests how much they appreciated everyone coming to the wedding and sharing in their special day. Great touch!
Three lucky winners will receive a copy of this special edition magazine right to your mailbox!
How to make a memorable wedding-personalize!! I love the idea of having a photo matte for guests to sign and write little notes. You can frame one of your wedding photos and hang in home to enjoy forever!
I’d say a memorable wedding would be an intimate one. Don’t go overboard! After all, the wedding does NOT make the marriage! A marriage is a very special occasion that I believe is best shared with the most special of friends and your family.
I do love guests being able to leave thoughts on a photo mat or words via video for the b & g…
My beautiful step-daughter was married in the fall. She was on a budget and asked that I do the center pieces. I took a large fish bowl, added seashells on the bottom and then filled with water and floated 3 candles on top. Placed this on a square gold tray with crushed shells on the plate and around the bowl. Added a few votive candles on the table. The glow of the candles and the look of the shells in the bowls was georgeous!
My favorite tip was a small (wallet size) black and white photo of the bride in her wedding gown. Have as many made so that each guest can have one. Leave them in a basket, and guests can pick them up. The photographer had his name & number on the back but it made for a great memory keeper/bookmark. My only niece, like you Rhoda, is getting married in October and I would LOVE to win this and give to her. Thanks for the opportunity!
Ronda,
This is just perfect timing…my daughter is getting married in July. My favorite tip is make the wedding special, but at the same time only spend what your budget allows…no to…what I call a CREDIT wedding and yes….take loads of pics!
Blessings,
Linda
My husband and I are going to have our 1st real wedding (prayerfully) next year after we move to Georgia with the Army. We got married (10 yrs in Jan 2012) in a courthouse ceremony, because he was on orders to go to Germany and headed to deploy to Iraq(it was way before the invasion of Iraq became national news). My oldest daughter was unable to be with us for the 1st ceremony and now we have a 7 yr old daughter together. Our oldest daughter will be my maid of honor and our youngest daughter will be my flower girl/bridesmaid. We are going to decorate wedding frames from the Dollar Tree with a picture of all of us and 3 layers of lace/one of each of our favorite colors and a blue flower for my husband’s favorite color and both wedding dates engraved on the frame. I have been planning this since my husband went to Iraq, can you tell? haha
Being brave enough to incorporate ideas that are meaningful to the bride and groom – even if if you’ve never seen or heard of it being done before.
Sweet idea I saw at a wedding..a large tree branch placed in a pot. Around the base was leaf shaped pieces of paper with ribbon tied on it. Each guest was to write a “wish” for the couple and hang it on the wishing tree. The couple was then given a beautiful box to put all of the wishes in to read on each anniversary. Loved it!
Hey Rhoda…
What a fun book/magazine give away!!! Southern Living does such a fabulous job with everything they do. I have 2 daughters, and we are always looking at some really great wedding blogs. Here are a couple that are our favorites: http://www.stylemepretty.com/ ~ http://www.elizabethannedesigns.com/blog/.
XoXo
My husband is a pastor, so he’s been involved in quite a few weddings over the years. But one in particular that stands out in my memory had a fun and interesting conclusion. Rather than the typical recessional music, the bride and groom and wedding party departed the service to the music of Ray Charles singing “Hallelujah, I Just Love Her So!” It was perfect for the personality of this newly married couple, and the guests enjoyed the light-hearted feeling of it as well.
Our daughter got married this past Sept. and everyone said it was the best weeding they ahd ever been to!!!! We did many special things: everyone had a menu and a bookmark with their engagement photo on it at the table. We prepared gift bags for all the people syaing at the hotel. We had baskets in the bathrooms with “necessities”. But the best part I think was that the DJ was FABULOUS and kept the party going all night!!!!! I could go on and on. I love the idea of the “wish tree” abobe!!!! I would ahve done that if I had known about it! Would love to get this book to give to my daughters girlfriend who is getting married in Oct. and is on a TIGHT budget!!! XO, Pinky
The idea that I love at weddings is the picture frame where all guest sign around the frame instead of having the brides book. To me that is such a personal touch. Thanks for the give away. This will be a great help if I win to give to my future daughter in law.
skip the cake if it isn’t the style of the bride and groom and go with a more personal tasty treat like ice cream sandwiches or pie, small candies or decadent chocolates.
I love monogrammed wreaths!! Or a big floral wreath with a letter in the middle covered in moss. Such a nice touch.
I personally love small, intimate weddings. It seems that too many people think that bigger is better!
To me it is important that the wedding be about the couple and their families. I think a cute idea is to hang pictures above the guest book table in a “family tree” style… starting with the grandparents as babies and then a picture of them at their wedding below that, then pictures of your parents as babies underneath their parent’s pictures, and then a picture of them at their wedding… then the bride and groom as babies, and then maybe an engagement photo of them together. I think it is a really unique way to incorporate your families and how the two of you came together.
We’re planting an 8-foot swath of sunflowers around the pond on our familyfarm for my niece’s wedding reception in July.
I am currently planning my own August wedding! One of the best ways that I have turned this wedding into something special and memorable for myself and my family was….
Once planning begun, I asked each of them (my family and my fiancé’s family) to write down their three most important memories to be taken away from our wedding day and date it then mail it to me on their personal stationary. That way I am able to see what everyone important to me values most about this experience. This has helped me throughout my entire planning process so I can make decisions with their values in mind too! Sometimes it has turned into ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS and things can get carried away, but since I can stick to what is most important I find true balance and know that this will be a very special day! Also, I created a very special keepsake 🙂
I’m getting married on May 21st and would LOVE LOVE LOVE to win a copy of this issue for some last minute ideas! We are getting married in Blowing Rock, NC and bought a big coffee table book with pictures of the Blue Ridge Mountains that we are using as a guest book so it can sit out on in our living to remind us of the gorgeous place where we were married and of all of the wonderful people who attended!