Southern Glam Meagan

Southern Country Club Wedding | Valdosta Country Club

June 24, 2016

There is something truly special about the South that makes me fall head-over-heels in love. The traditions, love, manners, culture, food, and those adorable sweet accents make my heart incredibly happy. If you throw a Southern Country Club wedding into the mix, all bets are off. My heart almost burst with happiness on Annabelle and Wade’s wedding day in Valdosta, Georgia. You might remember their swoon-worthy engagement photos also taken in South Georgia. Get ready y’all, this wedding was gorgeous from start to finish!

I sipped my coffee on that cold December morning and went over the timeline one final time before heading over to the Valdosta Country Club to begin setting up. The wedding of the year was definitely not one to take lightly as over 400 guests were expected to attend this Southern Country Club soiree; it was set to rival the royal wedding and let me tell you, it did! With Amanda Sumner Photography behind the lens, this Southern Glam wedding that would have made Princess Kate pea green with envy. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Henry!

There were two First Looks on the timeline, the first one beginning with Annabelle showing her gorgeous wedding dress to her bridesmaids. I remember Annabelle texting me the day she purchased her dress and stating, “I’m going to have alterations remove the train.” After swallowing hard, I managed to squeak out, “Are you sure?” And she excited replied back, “Absolutely! I want to twirl!”

The covert gown had been kept under wraps until the big reveal on the wedding day. The bridesmaids’ reactions and Annabelle’s flawless twirl were priceless.

It was soon time for the second First Look to commence as Annabelle announced she was ready to see her man. Dapper Wade was waiting for his bride outside on the golf course. All the ladies inside eagerly watched Annabelle walk up behind him and happy tears flowed outdoors AND indoors when Wade turned around to see Annabelle for the first time.

Seriously, how sweet are these two?

More twirls. That Annabelle sure did know what she was doing when she gave me a minor heart attack over her train removal.

A large wedding party is to be expected in a Southern wedding. The Barbour + Henry bunch (that was over 20 people) were an absolute pleasure and I enjoyed getting to know each of them.

The final touches were placed at the Country Club and the wedding party headed over to the church so the future Henrys could tie the knot.

The already beautiful church was decorated with lovely greenery and Christmas trees. Traditional Christmas hymns were played before the processional started which perfectly tied the season into the special wedding day. Annabelle’s brother-in-law Adam walked her down the aisle and there was not a dry eye in the church. Be still by heart!

Mr. and Mrs. Henry were officially married! After an incredibly sweet ceremony, it was time to celebrate back at the country club.

Party “Turn Down for Wade” was in fully swing with a packed dance floor up until the last dance.

Annabelle and Wade’s Southern Country Club wedding was a dream and I am so grateful to have been part of their special day. Congratulations, sweet Henrys!

See their amazing wedding video by Talmond Films

#TurnDownforWade #BelleWaded4MrRight

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Ceremony Venue: Valdosta First United Methodist Church

Reception Venue: Valdosta Country Club

Photographer: Amanda Sumner Photography

Wedding Planner: Meagan Phillips of Southern Glam Weddings & Events

Florist: Nature’s Splendor Flowers & Gifts

Videographer: Talmond Media

Band: Str8up

Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals from Anya Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff from White Weddings

Groom’s attire: Jos. A. Bank

I Love Sprinkles Tampa Cupcakes

May 1, 2016

Sprinkles Cupcakes opened a location in Tampa on Thursday in Hyde Park Village and I attended the bakery’s grand opening …twice! I love Sprinkles Tampa! Yes I do! Yes I do! The Cupcake ATM is opening in a few weeks (which you may remember that I became obsessed with in Beverly Hills last year.) For “official research”, I tested the original Sprinkles Red Velvet Cupcake, a Sprinkles Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcake, and a Sprinkles Vegan Red Velvet Cupcake. Let me tell you, the Gluten Free Sprinkles Red Velvet tasted just as phenomenal as the Original Red Velvet. The Sprinkles Vegan Red Velvet was out of this world! The icing tasted just like the original cream cheese icing but with a hint of cinnamon. YUM! YUM! YUM! Sprinkles Tampa for the win!

I about died when I heard the Sprinkles jingle play in the store!

So much deliciousness!

Here’s a tip: Sprinkles will tell you that placing your cupcakes in the refrigerator isn’t recommended because they do not use preservatives in their baking and could dry out the cake. BUT, I felt that the Vegan Red Velvet Cupcake’s icing consistency was too soft to the point that it was almost melting off the cake. I put it in the refrigerator because I had other cupcakes to “research” and the following day, it was PERFECT! The cake was still moist and the icing had firmed up nicely.

Going to Sprinkles twice in one day may be a bit crazy. However, when Sprinkles Cupcakes tells you that they love you on Twitter, it’s all worth it!

Another tip: Sign up for Sprinkles Perks before going and you’ll get a free cupcake! Sign up here: Get a Free Sprinkles Cupcake. There may be a line out the door, but I promise you it’s worth it! Sprinkles Cupcakes are Southern Glam approved!

Brides: 3 Recommendations in Differentiating a Venue Coordinator Verses a Wedding Coordinator

April 10, 2016

As a wedding planner and wedding coordinator, I have heard many brides and grooms state they do not need to hire a wedding coordinator because their venue comes with one. With over six years in the wedding industry and the owner of a wedding planning company, I have found two articles that differentiate these two vastly different vendors and explain the benefits of hiring both for your wedding.

In the first article, “Wedding Coordinator vs Venue Coordinator” by Lauren Grove of Every Last Detail the focus is on educating brides and grooms on the differences of wedding coordinators and venue coordinators. The article provides examples as what a typical venue coordinator is responsible for on the wedding day as well as the longer lists of the responsibilities of a wedding coordinator. Lauren Grove, stresses the importance of hiring both types of vendors as their job duties are different and both benefit the couple in various ways. She points out the many newlyweds are often regretful of not hiring a wedding coordinator before their wedding day.

Image courtesy of Richard Harrell Photography

In the second article, written by Carly Chaney titled, “Venue coordinator vs. a day-of coordinator: What’s the dif!?” was featured on OffBeat Bride. It radiates the same message that Lauren Grove’s article portrayed in highlighting and educating the differences between wedding coordinators and venue coordinators. Carly stresses that wedding coordinators works for the family while venue coordinators works for the event venue. This is a key point as typically venue coordinators do not attend dress fitting, recommend vendors, nor create timelines. These duties are typical of a wedding coordinator. The article recommends hiring both vendors for a successful wedding.

Image courtesy of Richard Harrell Photography

After reading these two articles along with my experience as a wedding planner and coordinator, I have listed three action items I would recommend you should take if you are contemplating whether to hire a wedding coordinator in addition to your venue coordinator:

Ask Questions – Ask questions to your venue coordinator to understand their capabilities and limitations. For example, what will happen if my wedding dress bustle breaks, will you be there to assist me?

Plan Accordingly – You will want to know early on in wedding planning if you need or desire to have a wedding coordinator so you can budget accordingly.

Set Expectations – Be fully aware of what the venue coordinator will provide to you in terms of service so should you choose not to hire a wedding coordinator, you are confident in your decision.

In your current stage of wedding planning, determine if your venue coordinator will fulfill your needs and desires on your wedding day. If not, you need to hire a wedding coordinator