Showing posts with label emily maurer southern bells. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emily maurer southern bells. Show all posts

2.27.2013

Pre-gamin'


Go to any tailgate in the south, and you're bound to find beanbags flying through the air. I'm talkin' the bag 'n board game of cornhole! My favorite kind'a competition, cornhole allows you to play without breaking a sweat, all-the-while holding a cold drink in your 'non-throwing' hand.

So it had me thinking, how awesome would this be to have at an outdoor reception? It's a fun idea for the kids, grandparents, or the 3-drinks-in groomsmen.

Now it's time for my shameless plug...My papa-bear and little brother have started their own cornhole business,


I've posted some of their work so far and the final products are just amazing! Check out their facebook page for contact information and pricing! 





2.04.2013

I Saw the Sign

As weddings are becoming more DIY...a whole lot'a signs are popping up on Pinterest to get our creative juices flowing. A tiny jot adorning your day is a-little-somethin' cute to entice your guest's course. I wanted to share a few of my fave's with y'all!

Are you opting for no ushers or do you have uneven family sizes? This would be a perfect option for you!

Oh my gracious...Precious idea for bathroom specifications!

Instagram is the new Facebook Photo Upload! Ask your guests to #hashtag any photos taken on your big day so you can enjoy them later! 

Sweet quote perfect for outside the ceremony.

Little note for all your girls primping in the bathroom...Consider putting gum and travel size hairsprays in the bathroom for their convenience, too!

Great option in lieu of ceremony programs! 

As for me...wedding planning is slow and steady! We have booked a church and photographer and hope to have an awesome reception venue booked soon! But you know me...I'm excited to start working on the small things! DIY is my middle name! 

Have an awesome week belles and beaus! 

11.22.2012

It's All in the Deets

The evening began in a beautifully ornate, Catholic cathedral. Equipped with a stunning bridal party and  adorable groom, the room was difficult to 'one-up.' All until the large wooden doors divided to reveal a spectacular bride. 

The ceremony was thoughtful, filled with words of love and blessings. I thought the night had peaked but this was just the beginning. The second line ended at The Ezell House where it was easy to fall in love with the tiny details harmonizing perfectly.

From the antique dining plates, floral wreaths, photos, and monograms-you felt like you were celebrating a crisp, fall evening with a pretty awesome couple. So I'll do a little less rambling and a little more demonstrating.



The courtyard was complete with floral centerpieces, festive lighting, and heaters to keep us toasty.

Lanterns brought a since of the inside, out. Rustic and beautiful! 

The 'Groom's Room' or what I like to call the 'Man Cave' was adorned with red gingham, sunflowers, poms, and coozies. So awesome, right?

A&W (Abby & Wes) root-beer,  wedding date coozies, and chicken minis at the end of the night. All great favors appreciated by the guests. 

Bar in the 'Groom's Room' garnished with Georgia and Southern Miss spirit poms! 



Perfect spot for frame pics. Me and Kristi taking advantage of a photo-op! 


The receipt from the first night Wes and Abby met. This was one of my favorites! 



Wes and Abby, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful, unique, and just-plain-fun wedding. I pray many blessings for you both and that you would grow more in love every day!

XO


9.14.2012

Tweet Tweet


Hey there guys and dolls! Southern Bells is announcing a give-away and y'all are gonna love what we've got!

Meagan Duran, designer at Savage Pearl Girl is giving away a pack of six personalized cards embellished with her one-of-a-kind designs! Whether you need 'Will You Be My Bridesmaid' cards, 'Thank-You' notes or Shower Invites, Meagan will personalize the lettering and color of the card to your specific needs!


So all you gots'ta do is follow Southern Bells Wedding on Twitter and retweet our latest tweet about this giveaway! Click below...


Winner will be announced next Saturday, October 22! 

Coming up this weekend...Pics from the coolest photographer south of the Mason-Dixon line and an engagement tell-all from Ms. Kayla Gauthreaux!

Sleep tight sugar-bears!

5.15.2012

I'll Cleave to You

This video was one of the first ever posted on Southern Bells. And every time I've watched it since, I hold back the urge to boo-hoo.

The vows are the killer. The girl is precious and her groom seems to absolutely adore her. Grab a hanky and join me friends. This one's good!


Vows:

Man:  I give you my life this day in the presence of God and according to His will. I leave my father and mother and I'll cleave to you.

I will love you as Christ loves the church, giving my life to yours. I will lead and protect you, as we share our life with God, who gave us one another.

Wife: According to the will of God and my desire, I give myself to you. To be your wife and your friend and to stand by you as we share our life together. Leaving my father and mother, I now commit myself to you.

I love you and believe in your from this day forward.

3.28.2012

Allye's Engagement at Aly's Beach

Ah... Ms. Allye. A beautiful girl with comparable humility is engaged and I couldn't miss the opportunity to hear more about it! Avoiding the fact that Allye and her fiancé, Cameron are the cutest couple south of the Mason-Dixon line...I knew her story was going to be worth telling.  Prepare for chill bumps and a warm heart. 
This is better than buttered biscuits and sweet tea, belles and beaus.

Before we get started let's get to know you a little better! Got a favorite southern city?

My sweet home of Franklin, Tennessee of course! It truly doesn't get better  than the farmland, the sweet homes, and the charming shops in Franklin. 


Any southern comfort foods you flip over? 

I'm always on the look out for fried pickles. I crave starch- mashed potatoes, twice-baked potatoes, french fries... Oh, and I can't cook but I can make a mean pecan pie from scratch. (A girl who can down potatoes and bake pie is good in our book!) 


Tell us how this love story began

On the very first day of college classes! I was a nervous freshman, fifteen minutes late to the first class of my college education. I awkwardly stumbled into a room full of responsible, timely students- as all eyes were on me; he was the first person I noticed. Boy, was he cute! Lucky for me, the only open seat was next to him. I was too shy to strike up conversation, but fate would put us in the same project group a few weeks later. I was ecstatic. I'd notice him from across the cafeteria, I'd search for him at football games, I'd go places hoping he'd be there too. After our first real meeting, we connected instantly. We rushed through the 'just friends' stage and began dating in January of the following year. We've found it hard to spend one minute apart since. I laugh at how girlish and boy-crazy (not to mention infatuated!) I was when I first met him. I usually work really hard to appear calm and collected, but I was just too taken by him.


We're already melting inside, now tell us more about the guy! 

Cameron has the kindest, most gentle soul of any man I have ever met. He is bold and courageous in a humble and unassuming way. He loves me fearlessly and fully without any expectation of that love being returned. He gives me the space to be sad, to be angry, to feel hurt, but constantly encourages a joyful, laughter-filled, and forgiving relationship. He has healed the wounds of past relationships that left me feeling shameful and mistrusting by extending loving grace and complete selflessness. He is proud of me- he adores me in a way I didn't think was possible and cares for me in ways I certainly don't feel deserving of. I have learned from him, I have gotten to know my truest self because of him, and I have grown in beautiful ways since I have known him.


Now that we're all bursting with envy, how did Cameron propose? 

I'm a summer girl, so the beach is my happy place. My family, fiancé, and I stayed in a house near Seaside, Florida for Spring Break this year. A few family members were staying down the beach, so we decided to meet up at Aly's Beach to take family pictures. Aly's Beach is a little slice of heaven in my mind. It's the perfect little seaside community with all white (yay!) homes and buildings. Cameron took me on a walk along the beach, as everyone else was supposedly getting ready to take pictures. As we walked he retold a sweet story from the beginning of our relationship and very nervously reminded me how much he loved me and how sure he was that he didn't want to spend a day without me. He got down on one knee and popped the question- it wasn't until later that he told me I didn't answer his questions for what felt like an eternity. I was shocked! Everyone came running down the beach and joined me with hugs, tears, and very loud screams. I am so thankful that I was able to celebrate such a special moment with family. 

We know you've got a great since of style! What's going to be the vibe at your wedding? 

A barefoot ceremony on the beach and an evening reception at Aly's. I want my guests to be comfortable, relaxed, and thoroughly enjoy themselves. Cameron and I like to keep it simple- we love good music, dancing, and yummy food. I want everything to be outdoors, everything to be lit up with bright lights, and everything to be white. I love old farm tables, cozy seating, candles, lanterns, and antique touches. I've got a shabby, rustic style and I hope our wedding will reflect that.


We love the all white theme! Any other colors you'll be incorporating? 

I know this goes against every rule of complimentary colors, but my favorite color combination is white and cream. I am a sucker for anything washed-out, pale, and creamy. My closet is primarily whites, off-whites, tans, pale blues, and grays. I would like our beach wedding to be calm, serene, and light, so my color palette will be totally white-washed! Right now I'm thinking white, cream, and a light robins-egg blue, but I wouldn't mind (small) pops of coral here and there- something fun to contrast all the white!

Any special or unique touches you'd like to incorporate? 

For the ceremony, we'd like to have a ukulele playing our favorite songs. Because Cameron and I are not just joining 'hands' but families and friends as well, our parents will be standing in front with us rather than watching from the aisle. There's a charming old-fashioned donut truck that serves homemade donuts at Aly's. We are hoping to have the donut truck at our reception rather than a cake. I love the idea of one or two long tables rather than several small tables, and since our wedding will have fewer guests we're hoping to have that family feel. Also, we'll have a cigar bar and a sangria bar for the guests enjoyment... we must have a cigar bar. I hope to incorporate many unique things into our wedding! We like to do things a little differently.


Thank you Allye for sharing your story with us! I think I speak for us all when I say you will make a beautiful bride! We can't wait to hear about your wedding, have fun planning, and take it all in!


-Xo
Belle of the Blog

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3.05.2012

We Got Spirit! Yes We Do!

 Captured Photography
Hello my sport-lovin' belles! Whether you're a Rebel, Bulldog, Eagle, Tiger, or Tide, we all have an equal love of college sports. Sure, we may not know much but as long as we yell...
"Come on ref! You gotta be kidding me!" or,
"Nice slant route, 25!"
...we're covered while our beaus munch on game-day hors d'oeuvres and throw back a few cold ones.

I know that your wedding day is something you've imagined since you were a nugget-child and ya' man just plans on showing up but I've found some awesome additions you can incorporate to make him feel a part!

Did y'all meet in college or have a favorite sports team? Check out some chic ways to use sports without your reception lookin' like a man-cave.

To say I'm obsessed with these spirit flag centerpieces would be an understatement. Perfectly done. Not over the top, in a beautiful mix of spring flowers. Genius. 


While consulting in South Carolina I had the opportunity to assist in day-of coordinating for a wedding reception at Williams-Brice Stadium at USC. The Zone is a reception hall overlooking the Gamecock football field! Awesome, I know. Ask your school if they offer services like this. It's a great way to get all your college friends back for a night of celebration!

Craig Hewitt Photography
Have you considered a special gift for your guy the day of? How about a hand-written note exclaiming your excitement with spirited cufflinks as the associated gift!

Amy Carroll Photography
If you're having a seating chart, throw in a little school spirit with these seating cards...

Old-school get away cars are my fav! So classy and timeless. Show a bit of your personality with a decorative caboose. The one below hit the nail on the head! Creative and adorable.

The Decisive Moment
One of the easiest areas to show your school pride is through the grooms cake. Make this one a surprise for the beau. He'll appreciate your thoughtfulness, and of course every man loves sweets!

Jessica Horwitz
I've saved my favorite for last! Many schools have a specific flower. As for my alma mater, Southern Miss, we claim the Black-eyed Susan. This black and gold flower is close to all Golden Eagle hearts. Bringing in this in is an awesome way to subtlety show school pride, whether it's in the centerpieces or bouquets.

i am baker, confections and creations
Now, go grab your ole' faithful college tee, and get some school spirit! 

Go team! Go belles! 

2.06.2012

I'll Drink to That

Cheers Belles and Beaus! As I pondered a post for the week, I passed a drive-thru daiquiri joint on the way home from work. Yes, in the great state of Louisiana you can purchase alcohol in a drive-thru.

Lately, having a signature drink at your wedding is all the rage. I got'ta say...I love it! Whether you and your groom choose a joint drink or a different beverage for each, you're guests will love the yummy cocktails!

Now let's break it down by seasons...

Winter
This one is for my sister-friend, Carly who's getting married January 2013. My favorite Christmas-time drink is the Poinsettia (perfect name, right?). Nom. Nom. Consider adding frozen cranberries instead of ice to make it more festive!
(1/4 cup vodka, 1/4 cup champagne, 1/2 cup cranberry juice, crushed ice or frozen cranberries, 2 strips orange zest)

Spring
Now, for an ode to my Phi Mu ladies in South Carolina, I introduce you to the spiked Arnold Palmer. A mix of tea and lemonade, two southern staples, makes this drink yummy to my tummy.
(3 cups tea, 2 cups lemonade, 10 oz of vodka, lemon slice)

Summer
We all know down here in the pits, it gets rippin' hot. The Cucumber-Ginger Fizzes is deliciously refreshing and will cool ya down quick! Ahhh...
(1 1/2 cups vodka, 2 English cucumbers-1 peeled & coarsely chopped-1 left whole, 1 lime; cut into 8 wedges, 2 bottles sparkling water, 1/2 cup Ginger Simple Syrup)

Fall
Nothin' is better in the Fall than a good glass of wine. Spruce it up with this Rose Wine Punch recipe.
(1/4 cantaloupe-peeled, 1 small peach-pitted, 1 small nectarine-pitted, 2 bottles chilled dry rose wine, 6 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 cups golden/red raspberries)

So, cheers to you and your love. It's time to pour a drink and dance the night away!

Mark Eric Photography
Love,
The Belle of the Blog