{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!
I was at a fairly large wedding this weekend, and the bride and groom dismissed the guests row by row so the guests could wish them well. Then the couple was able to get their pictures taken together and with their families as the guests went on to the reception to wait for them to arrive there. I think it went smoothly and was a neat idea I had never seen before.
leave gift bags for all the out of town guests…
OOOOHHHHHH…… I can’t wait to see this issue! I love how wedding trends evolve and change over time and how many options there are for couples now. thanks for sharing your special family wedding with us.
Love this Rhoda and all the great tips. I need to file this away for Geoff!
xo
Having a photo booth! Giving a copy of the photos to the couple and the people taking the picture. It brings a fun element to the wedding! Also, I think toning down the guest list to inviting only people that are dear to heart and not including people that don’t have that much of an impact just because you feel obligated (i.e., you’re second cousin twice removed that you met once in your life at the age of 2). Doing so acomplishes a couple of things (1) you spend less money or you have the money now to have things at your wedding that really mean something and (2) with a smaller guest list you now have the ability to really spend the most important day with the people that mean the most to you and the ability to give more of a personal experience with them and them with you since there are less people to accommodate.
Favorite?? instead of tossing the garter & bouquet. Have all married couples stand…ask everyone who’s been married 5yrs or less to sit down…. 10 yrs. or less to sit down… 15yr..20yrs… keep going til you get the oldest married couple there. Bring them forward and present them with the garter and bouquet and ask them to give the newly weds some advice to a long happy marriage.
Pretty neat… and an alternative to the knock down drag down fight over the bouquet and garter.
Hi Rhoda, this idea may not be new, but not done very often anymore. I think the old fashioned “reception line” is a nice touch. That way everyone gets to say a few words to the bride and groom, parents and wedding party. I think it’s a lovely idea that has gone by the wayside.
P.S. so exciting for you to review for Southern Living. You go girl!
I would love to win this for my daughter who will be getting married next year. I love reading the comments and love the idea of the oldest couple. I will pass that along to my daughter. I have just began planning the wedding with my daughter. I think it is best for the couple to show there personality through out the day. After all it is their day and it should reflect them. I went to wedding where they showed a video of the couple at the end after the couple had left. I loved that idea so it gave the couple a little time before the guest exited. I love looking at the pictures of the couple too.
When our middle daughter got married, she purchased a beautiful, large journal-type book from a book store and had guests write any comments they had in the book which was displayed on a table. To make it more fun, she also purchased colored pens for writing.
I am getting married in July and my favorite wedding tip I’ve received is to ditch the traditional guest book! I’ve had a photo-book of my fiance and I made and the guest will sign the pages of the photo-book. That way after the wedding you can flip through and look at your engagement pictures and see who can to your wedding at the same time!!!
Don’t forget the guests when you’re planning a wedding. I’ve been to many weddings while the guests have had to wait in the freezing cold/blazing hot etc while the bride/groom and wedding party disappear for an hour. Include in your plans a comfortable place for the guests to wait.
Such a lovely treat. our grandaughter will b e getting married next May 2012. I always enjoy the intimate photos of bride and groom framed on all the guest tables as part of the centerpiece. Can start from their childhood photos, their courtship. so sweet.
Love anything monogrammed!!!!! I would leave them with a monogrammed towels!!
The Bride should smile,,,is my tip,,,,We went to a wedding recently where the Bride didn’t smile and it made most of the guests concerned that she might turn into Julia Roberts and be a runaway bride and bolt out the back door.
The tip I always give to bride and grooms is to speak your vows loud enough for the guests to hear them. Declare your love and vows with conviction! Would love this book for my son and daughter-in-law to be!
The personal touches at my daughter’s wedding made it special. The hotel bags and wedding favors held some of our family’s favorite foods that many of the guests had previously had had at parties. We found a company that made a heart candy mold with the names of the bride and groom. The bridal bouquet and my flowers had her great-grandmother’s brooches attached. The guest book was handmade(ordered from etsy website) and alternated pages for signatures and photos. The week after the wedding, a note with their “first dance” photo in the background was sent to thank those who attended the wedding.
I love when people set up a candy table at the wedding reception. Each guest is invited to fill a baggie with assorted sweets as a thank you gift.
I would LOVE to win a copy/ I LOVE everything Southern Living. Be sure to have a good photographer to catch ALL the special touches of the day. Thanks for the chance to win…
We both wanted to keep our vows fairly traditional, but we wanted to personalize the ceremony, too. So we added the following line amidst the “for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer…” part: “for grilled cheese sandwiches, for knuckle sandwiches”… Because he always makes me yummy grilled cheeses, and I always jokingly threaten him with knuckle sammiches. To top it off, we served mini grilled cheese at the cocktail hour!!!
Frame a copy of your wedding invitation. You’ll enjoy sweet memories when you see it – for years to come.