Why My Groom Won't Dance to Beyonce at Our Wedding Reception

Today I saw a video making its way around the Internet world. It brought a big smile to my face and a warm feeling inside my heart. But even as I watched it, I knew I would never experience anything like it. And that's okay. Let me explain.

The video captured a lip-sync and dancing performance of a groom at his wedding reception. He and his groomsmen took the dance floor and performed smooth dance moves for the bride, while songs by Beyonce and the Backstreet Boys played on. I immediately tried to picture my own soon-to-be groom at our upcoming wedding. I cannot on any level imagine him putting together a choreographed routine to perform. But there's a reason for this. Dancing just isn't his thing.

In fact, I can count on one hand the number of times we've danced together in public during our ten years as a couple. One was a week into our relationship when he accompanied me to my last sorority formal in my senior year of college. Another was at a gala fundraiser for the arts and then there was our infamous dance lesson.

We're not even having dancing at our wedding. When I shared this factoid with our wedding videographer, there was an uncomfortable silence on the other end of the phone.

He couldn't fathom this. Apparently dancing at weddings is sort of commonplace. Sort of the norm. The expected thing.

It's not that I'm against dancing. Quite the opposite. I dance all the time. And I love to do it. But my would-be groom on the other hand...dancing isn't really his thing.

However, there are plenty of other things that are 'his thing.'

Like filling ice cube trays. And taking out the garbage. Listening to talk radio. Reading scary books. Helping people. Taking pieces of scrap metal and crafting them into fully functional (and beautiful) tools. Driving down country roads to explore places we've never been. Making up magical stories and telling them to me over the phone when I can't fall asleep. Listening to me and really hearing what I say. Fixing things. Telling me it's going to be okay even when a situation feels otherwise.

My beau is good and brave and true. And if he doesn't want to jump around at our wedding reception, dancing to Beyonce and acting silly, that's okay. I'm marrying him for who he is...not who I might try to make him become.

The online world isn't inherently evil. But when we let it speak to us about things we think our lives are missing, it can be a slippery slope. If you didn't have "the perfect marriage proposal" you can spend hours feeling bad about yourself while watching tear-jerker, awe-inspiring proposals on YouTube. If your child is behind in school, the online child prodigy who can recite the preamble to the Constitution heaps shame on your head. And if you didn't have a great relationship with your dad, the countless dad and daughter videos of touching shared moments can leave you feeling pea green with envy.

When are we going to realize the beauty of what's right in front of us? What is it going to take for us to stop looking outside and wishing for something different....but instead find joy and contentment in the wonderful things we already have?

I couldn't care less if my groom doesn't burst into song or set up a flash mob situation at our wedding. I know that the wedding is only the first step in the rest of our life together. And I feel like that's going to be pretty great.

The next time you see something online that makes you feel less than, give yourself a break. And remember that there's really no such thing as more or less. Just different folks who enjoy different things and have different talents and gifts.

Chic Southern Weddings at Historic Cedarwood

Last week was a whirlwind of adventure for my visit to Nashville and the newly opened 

Southern Living Idea House at Fontanel. Arriving early with time to spare (I hate being late!), my mom and I ended up stopping at another gorgeous home in that neck of the woods (Whites Creek, Tennessee) and I wanted to share it with y'all! 

Historic Cedarwood is an elegantly chic southern wedding venue on the site of a nearly 200-year old farm which is also the site of the Yarbrough House. The grounds are breathtaking and I can only imagine how they do it up in style for weddings and other special events. 

Do you remember when nearly all weddings were held inside churches with receptions to follow in the fellowship hall? It seems like those are getting fewer and farther between.  

My mom and I had such a great time exploring Cedarwood. It was like an extra bonus adventure we weren't expecting to have.  

To learn more about elegant southern weddings at Historic Cedarwood, visit their website.

Anybody ever attended a wedding or special event at this lovely Tennessee location?

Speaker Wisdom from the Southern C Summit

I know I've already mentioned my experience at the Southern Coterie Summit in Jekyll Island, but I wanted to share a little bit more about the main reason I attended. When Southern C founder Cheri Leavy asked me to be a presenter at the conference, I was pretty surprised.

I've been to several conferences before, and even been part of a panel discussion, but I had never actually done my own presentation so this was kind of a dream come true for me.  

Since my business is content marketing and I've used my blog to grow that business, I guess I seemed a good fit to talk as part of a panel. 

My fellow panel members were two fabulous ladies who are also Southern C contributors. Mary Dell Harrington and Holly Phillips. 

Mary Dell is an incredible writer over at her wonderful blog Grown and Flown and she also contributes to the Huffington Post. She hails from Texas but now calls New York home. 

Holly (The English Room) is a blogger and interior designer whose wonderful bold style was the first thing I noticed about her. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and I just learned from her blog that we have art history degrees in common. 

Our panel was scheduled as the last session of the day, prior to the break before dinner. I knew everybody was losing steam and probably suffering from information overload from all the great presentations that day so I tried to keep my talk short and sweet. 

I spoke about how important it is for brands and businesses to tell their unique stories as a way to connect with their audience. My advice? Share stories that you are passionate about. I gave the example of the story I once shared on Facebook about my grandpa always drinking buttermilk with cornbread crumbled in it. Nothing particularly special about this story, except it means something to me and I feel passionate about it. Apparently it really resonated with folks because (at the writing of this post) it has received more than 27,000 comments! And all from people who had a similar meaningful story or memory that was worth sharing. 

I also talked about how important it is to use your blog or platform to tell other people's stories. Sometimes the best stories don't have an audience, but we can lend them one. My example of how I did this was with a post about artist Andy Saftel. By telling Andy's story on my blog, I was able to connect with him and begin to forge a relationship. He's now a client of mine. So you just never know what great connections and opportunities can come out of telling those great stories. 

Earlier that day at the Southern C Summit, we heard from Southern Living's Erin Shaw Street, who shared some great insight about how Southern Living has been able to stay vibrant and current for the last nearly 50 years. Of course this surprised nobody because it is after all Southern Living. 

We also heard from the creator of Charleston's DIG South conference and how a health scare prompted him to grab a'hold of his dreams of starting a conference and see them become reality. 

There was a wonderful presentation from Carrie Morey of Callies's Charleston Biscuits as well as her PR team at LeapFrog and the Stitch Design Company. So many wonderful folks who make the south great! 

I'm still sort of in shock that I was in their company, but I so appreciate the Southern C founders asking me to take part. And when people paid me compliments for a job well done,
I took my own advice and said "Thank You." 

Jekyll Island Adventures: the Southern Coterie Summit 2013

I just got home from a whirlwind week(end) at the inaugural Southern Coterie Summit and to quote my grandma, it was a big time. The Southern Coterie is a social network especially for folks who love and celebrate the south and I'm a member (as well as a contributor to its blog).

The network was started by the loveliest pair of ladies, Cheri Leavy and Whitney Long, who are great friends and when I heard they were planning an "in real life" meet-up, I knew I wanted to be part of it. 

Me with Whitney Long & Cheri Leavy, Southern Coterie Founders extraordinaire 

They surprised the socks off me when they asked me to be a speaker at the Southern C Summit in gorgeous Jekyll Island, Georgia. The Southern C Summit is an event for bloggers, writers, business owners and enthusiasts of the south.

As a blogger and now small business owner, it's so important to me to connect and network with people in my industry. I've attended other professional conferences before, but this one was unlike any other! 

Not only was it the inaugural Southern C Summit, this was my first trip to Jekyll Island and it more than lived up to my expectations, setting the most apropos backdrop for this utterly southern event. 

Crane Cottage ~ where my mom & I enjoyed lunch our first day on Jekyll Island

I took my momma along with me and she made a fine traveling companion and cheering section for my professional conference presentation debut. 

The first night we arrived, I attended an event called Cocktails & Conversation, hosted by 

Southern Living. The next day was packed full of learning opportunities as well as networking and making friends. The weather didn't quite hold up for all the outdoor events that were planned, but this is the south after all and it takes a lot more than rain to dampen our spirits. 

I gave my presentation as part of a panel with some fabulous ladies, but I think I'll devote an entire post to that. 

The highlight of our main dinner event was a keynote talk and impromptu fashion show from 

K. Cooper Ray, creative mastermind behind the southern fashion line Social Primer. 

Some of the fabulously talented, creative & lovely ladies I met

We ended the event with a great learning session about how to grow our online presence using tried and true methods from Internet consultant Mr. Ryan Dohrn. 

I learned a ton, but even better, I made some authentic connections. If you are on the fence about attending an event like this, let me encourage you to do it! I've been fortunate to learn from so many wonderful people on this blogging adventure and I hope it continues for a long time!

And for those of you who read my previous blog about my mini fashion emergency, I was making a mountain out of a molehill. Everyone was so sweet and kind. It didn't matter what anyone was wearing...after a little time together, we were all laughing and getting on like old friends. 

Missed the Southern C Summit in Jekyll Island? You can still jump on board with this great group of folks...there are plans for another event in Athens, Georgia as well as one in Nashville, Tennessee this fall! (Stay tuned for more info!) 

1982 World's Fair Opens in Knoxville

On this day in history, the 1982 World's Fair kicked off in my lovely town of Knoxville, Tennessee. I was just a wee babe at the time, but my parents bundled me up and carted me to the event. I wish I had at least some memory of it. But the glowing orb of the Sunsphere stands as a reminder of what once was. And no, it's not full of wigs.

Since we don't really have World's Fairs anymore, it's hard for younger folks to imagine what a grand event this was, but basically the eyes of the world were turned onto Knoxville. President Ronald Reagan was even part of the opening ceremony, which was broadcast on local and regional television. Other famous folks in attendance opening day? Why Dinah Shore of course and Porter Wagoner and Ricky Skaggs.

More than 11 million people attended during the World's Fair (from May 1 to Oct. 31, 1982), but it wasn't the moneymaker Knoxville civic leaders were hoping for. Knoxville ended up being saddled with a $46 million debt...yikes!

But I know lots of folks have wonderful memories of attending the fair, including my bff who was a World's Fair regular. There's a sweet nostalgia to an event like this that brings a community together. I hope in our age of technology and electronic everything we haven't lost that.

TN Zeta Day 2013

Today is going to be filled with fun and sisterhood as Zeta Tau Alpha sisters from across the state of Tennessee convene in Knoxville for our annual Zeta Day event. Since I'm part of the Knoxville alumnae chapter and we're hosting it this year, I've been busy busy helping with planning and decor. I can't wait to share some pictures from the event! 

One of my favorite things about blogging has been connecting with other bloggers and finding out we share the same sorority letters. One of our symbols is a strawberry in case you were wondering why I used the above image. 

What fun things are you doing on this wintry Saturday? I hope your day is warm and cheery! 

On this day: Gone with the Wind Premiere

On this day in 1939, Gone with the Wind premiered at Atlanta's Loew's Grand Theatre. Wouldn't you love to have been there? The stars of the film descended onto the city and caused quite a stir. From Clark Gable (seen below with his beautiful wife Carole Lombard) to Vivien Leigh and others, it was a night to see and be seen. 

New Hollywood has nothing on the glamour and opulence of old Hollywood...it was a different time and we'll probably never really know what it was like to be part of that world. But I love looking through the old images that I find...imagining how it must have felt to have all eyes on you, bringing Margaret Mitchell's masterpiece to life. There are so many awful things going on the the world right now, I guess I just wanted to look back with fondness to a simpler time. 

Here's a link to a wonderful blog with lots of great back story from my friend Denise, who I met a couple of years ago at the Margaret Mitchell House social media event. Enjoy! 

A Holiday Blogger Outing with Southern Belle Simple

Last night I met up with some fabulous local bloggers for a little dinner and friendly conversation. Some of the lovely ladies I’d met in person before and others were new friends, but we all had a great time and I’m excited to connect and support each other in this adventure.

I want to share their blogs so you can check them out and support them too! From left is moi, Heather of SprinkleBakes, Heather of The Mommyhood, Melinda of First Comes Love, Melissa of Frugalissa Finds, and Jennifer of Family Friendly Knoxville and Playgroups are No Place for Children.

Some of us are moms, some are wives, some pet owners, some artists, crafters and bakers. I would never have dreamed when I began writing a blog that my life would be so enriched by the friendships and connections I’ve made in the process, but it really has. Instead of competing against each other for readers and Facebook likes, bloggers, or at least the ones I’ve met, do support each other.

I look forward to many more get-togethers with these wonderful ladies and any others in our area who’d like to join. Thanks to all of them for attending our first event last night!

Design*Sponge Event & Giveaway

Earlier this week I traveled across the state to Nashville for an event I just couldn’t miss. After the much-anticipated release of her first book, Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge has been doing a book tour and the West Elm store in Nashville was one of the stops on her agenda.

Not only was I able to meet Grace (who is tiny in real life) and get a copy of the book signed, I attended a special pre-book signing event where we were able to complete a fun little craft from the book.  I took my mom along for the adventure and we had a blast.

Here Grace, Amy A. (left) and others ham it up for the camera. We were all encouraged to take silly pictures in front of that bright backdrop and they should be posted on the Design*Sponge Facebook page. I’m going to do another post detailing the craft, but you might be wondering about the giveaway.

I had pre-ordered my copy of the Design*Sponge book as soon as I heard about it, but a signed book was included with each ticket to the event so I asked Grace to sign the extra copy for me to give away to one of you. She wrote a sweet note inside for the SBS reader who wins. 

Design*Sponge at Home Giveaway:

1 entry per person for a chance to win a copy of the book signed by author & D*S creator Grace Bonney. You can leave a comment here OR comment on the Southern Belle Simple Facebook page OR tweet me @sthrnbellesimpl. It’s that easy. The giveaway will be open through midnight on Thanksgiving and I’ll announce the winner on Friday November 25. Good luck to everybody!

Happy Friday!

Stage & Screen, #GWTW75 via @clarencebrown

This week has definitely been a busy one, but Wednesday the southern beau and I managed to make it to the theatre, which for me is a rare treat. The show we saw, Moonlight and Magnolias, was delightful and I encourage anyone, especially fans of “Gone with the Wind” to see it if you have a chance.

The play tells the true story of the 5 chaotic days in which David O. Selznick, Victor Fleming, and Ben Hecht (producer, director and writer, respectively) turn Margaret Mitchell’s classic book into a screenplay fit for film.

The catch is that Ben Hecht, the so-called writer, hasn’t read the book. The only logical solution is for Selznick and Fleming to act it out for him, chapter by chapter as Hecht types furiously to capture the action. At one point, the actor playing Fleming simultaneously portrays Melanie giving birth AND Prissy coming back without Dr. Meade, high-pitched southern accents and all. Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

We even got discounted tickets by volunteering to usher. If going to the theatre isn’t in your budget right now, I definitely advise checking on opportunities such as this (as well as free final dress rehearsals and discounted previews) that your local theatre might offer.

Have you seen Moonlight & Magnolias? I’d love to know what you thought! If not, what was the last stage production you saw and how’d you like it?

{program & production still via Clarence Brown Theatre}

Wedded Bliss: Southern Style

I already did my post for today, but then I ran across some gorgeous images and couldn’t help but share them! This is one of the sweetest weddings I’ve seen in a long time. From the whimsical sign directing guests to the bridesmaids dresses and flowers, I’m smitten.

Talk about a bridesmaid dress you could wear again! I love how they aren’t identical but when grouped together, they make such a sweetly unified statement. And the bride’s bouquet of vintage brooches? LOVE. IT.

These are just a few of the lovely shots from this obviously special day. If you’d like to see the rest, follow this link. And if you’re in Middle Tennessee and need a wedding photographer, give Lindsay a call!

{Bride Alicia gets credit for the dress styling and the bouquet was made by Jennifer Dyer}

Southern Weddings at the Swan House

The Atlanta History Center’s Swan House provided a gorgeous backdrop for these images, featured in the Summer 2011 issue of Weddings Unveiled Magazine.

While my schedule was filled with weddings to attend last summer, this year has been much lighter. I guess as each year passes, I have less and less single friends left for which to attend festivities.

Are your weekends filled with weddings these days? Maybe you’re planning your own. Whatever the case, I hope your special events are joyous. If you’re already married, were you a June bride? In what month did you marry and why did you choose that particular time of year? I’m always curious about these kinds of things!

Gone with the Wind Social Media Extravaganza

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

little while back, I hinted at some upcoming Atlanta adventures I had planned and one of them took place over the weekend. It should be no secret here on SBS I have a deep love for all things Gone with the Wind. After connecting via blogland & twitter, my adorable friend Ms. Brandi Nell, Southern Belle extended an invitation my way. In addition to having a fantastic blog, Brandi is kind of a big deal at the Atlanta History Center, which operates the Margaret Mitchell House, where GWTW was written.

The event was a blogger/social media meet-up and VIP tour of the apartment where Ms. Mitchell wrote her beloved novel. We were treated to yummy food, courtesy of Whole Foods and viewed the trailer for a new Margaret Mitchell documentary, produced by Georgia Public Broadcasting. All of this hooplah is to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the publication of Gone with the Wind, with an event Saturday May 14th to kick off the festivities.

If you’ve never been to the Margaret Mitchell House, you should definitely put it on your to-do list. Even if you aren’t a huge GWTW fan, it offers such a neat slice of history. I’m planning to get back to Atlanta during the summer to experience more of the festivities, including seeing a manuscript with the “lost chapters” of the book. This post is full of links to help you find out more information about all the fun…also search for the hashtag #GWTW75 to join the conversation on Twitter!

{side note: I just loved meeting Brandi in person…she made the whole day so special. We are not only kindred spirits, but also sorority sisters who attended different schools. Her blog is lovely and so is she!}

{gorgeous drop cap via daily drop cap}

Southern Living Weddings, a review

The lovely Elspeth from Southern Living Magazine contacted me recently and was kind enough to send me a complimentary copy of Southern Living’s new style guidebook, Southern Living Weddings, to review. I spent most of a weekend car trip reading it and am ready to give my opinion. In a word, beautiful!

As always, Southern Living has its finger on the pulse of everything current, chic and stylish but still with distinct southern flair. My friend Chelsea got married last August and her bouquet looked very similar to this one featured in the book (David Austin Roses).

My favorite real wedding from the book was that of Caroline Estopinal, whose backyard reception was inspired by the one from Father of the Bride starring Steve Martin. Instead of renting china, Caroline and her mom scoured thrift stores and rummage sales collecting assorted patterns of antique china. This was an homage to her grandmother who loved dishes.

{photo credit}

Caroline’s cake was another favorite of mine, frosted in an irregular pattern like how she imagines it would have looked had her grandmother decorated it. Such a sweet, sweet tribute!

I’m not planning a wedding anytime soon, but this book will be a wonderful addition to anyone planning a wedding or just daydreaming about someday. I’ve already dog-eared several of its pages for inspiration and I’m sure I will refer to it again. The cover price is $11.99, but it’s worth every penny. Let me know if you pick up a copy and what you think of it! You won’t be disappointed, but act fast because it’s only on shelves until Friday the 22nd!

We’re a little bit country….Wedding edition

This past weekend, I attended the wedding of my aunt and what a fun event it was! Held outdoors at our family farm in the country, every element was just as sweet as it could be. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect…one of those bright fall days, not too hot and nary a cloud in the sky.

No southern wedding would be complete with sweet tea (made by the groom!) and other yummy baked goods (courtesy of my Me-me). With an outdoor setting such as this, simple is always better. A burlap table cloth, pumpkins and other natural elements really created the scene.

Hay bales covered with quilts served as seating and the backdrop, a gorgeous yellow field. One really fun thing about this wedding was the casual feel. I guess I’ve never attended anybody’s nuptials in blue jeans before, but there is something so nice about being comfortable and leaving your high heels at home.

Yes, this is an operational outhouse…can’t say that I used it, but it made for a cute picture! I actually have another country wedding that I want to share with y’all, but I don’t want you to feel overloaded on weddings, so I’ll hold off on it for a bit. Have you ever attended a wedding in the country? Maybe you’re planning on having one! It definitely makes for a memorable experience!

Only in the south: Wedding food!

I recently attended the wonderful wedding of a dear couple and was thrilled to see that they definitely stuck to their southern roots in choosing the food. I’ve already mentioned my love of the humble egg and I cannot tell you how much it made me smile to see these deviled treats at the reception! I told y’all that eggs were chic!

Another sweet touch was the groom’s cake, or I guess I should say, cakes! This particular groom has a sweet tooth for cake of the pineapple upside down and lemon poppy seed varieties, so instead of having just one cake…there were several. All iced beautifully and tasty as can be! It is things like this that make a wedding memorable…little touches that convey the personalities of the bride & groom.

{the happy couple}

sweet southern couple: At the fair

First of all, I guess I should apologize for the influx of fair-related posts in the last 2 weeks, but when I saw these images I just knew I had to share them. I had heard about a local couple having their engagement pictures taken at our county fair, but I had no idea how incredible the photos would turn out. The sweet bride-to-be is simply glowing and her groom looks pretty happy too. I love the retro feeling captured in these. So many engagement pictures are stuffy and formal, but not these! How could you not have a great time doing a shoot like this? I think they belong in a magazine!

{so sweet}

{i know what he’s thinking: she’s the prize!}

{what a perfect shot}

 

[All images by Daniel Sutton of Creative Push Photography]