Southern Weddings V3 hits newsstands tomorrow and I am thrilled to finally, after months of bursting at the seams, reveal our cover! One little tweet lead to 200+ submissions lead to 15 gorgeous shoots and finally produced this stunning photograph from Joey + Jessica that stole our hearts!
I will admit, having 15 teams of wedding pros vying for our cover was a huge risk. I am frequently fueled by my gut instinct and there were many moments I thought, I think my gut needs some Tums! We had no idea what these shoots would produce. A great cover isn’t something that can be forced or perfectly calculated. It just has a magic about it. Our V2 cover, shot by genius Jeremy Cowart, was not at all what we had planned and turned out more stunning than we could have dreamed. Jeremy found that rich warm barn wall and Adair kicked up her skirt… voila! It’s like finding the perfect wedding dress. You just know when it’s The One.
So, a major office dance party ensued the moment Joey + Jessica’s images came across my desk. It was like a high-speed domino effect: I saw the shot, did a happy dance (really, I did), instantly got on the iMac and mocked up the cover, texted it to Emily, Whitney, Marissa, Katharine, my husband and my mom. This was IT!!!
What we wanted: real, approachable, effortless, authentic and attainable. You can read all about the inspiration here and grab a copy of V3 on newsstands or online for exclusive behind-the-scenes info. We want to feature real brides and women who look like your best friend or the girl next door. We steer clear from anyone too “model-y” or high fashion. I want brides to genuinely connect with every page and for each image to make them feel more confident. Paulina, our cover girl, was the perfect fit. Her natural braid, barely-there make-up and genuine smile made me melt. To FINALLY get to show this to you makes me nervous, grateful, excited and want to yell a huge YEEEHAAAW in the middle of this conference room! As we say in the South, she’s a pretty as a red wagon full of speckled pups.
I had to just take a big leap of faith and trust that we were going to find the perfect face for V3. The results, as you will see in the pages of the magazine, are phenomenal. Not only did we get a gorgeous cover, but 15 stunning shoots packed to the brim with gorgeous goodness. Wait till you see them all! WOW! Huge thanks to all of the photographers and wedding pros who worked so hard to make this our biggest and best issue yet! We are so grateful for the gift of the amazing photographs that brides all over the world will drink in. Thank you!
From Joey + Jessica: Our original inspiration for the Southern Weddings V3 cover shoot was to create a bride that was real and obtainable to viewers. There are so many lovely brides on the covers of numerous wedding magazines, but they don’t seem real or seem to speak to the modern, savvy, unique and often DIY bride. A lot of “real life” brides that we encounter want to be themselves on their wedding day, only a little bit more dressy. If a woman never wears her hair in an up-do, then she more then likely will not want to on her wedding day. We kept all of these things in mind, and created a summer bride that is casual, sexy and unique. For the overall look and feel of the shoot, we wanted to depict the classic Southern Summer, think Fried Green Tomatoes and The Notebook. Romantic summer picnic and sweet, flirty moments.
On the day of the photo shoot, the temperature was about 98 degrees without a cloud in sight. We set up a tent beside the wheat field for shade and styling and began shooting. Everything went smoothly! We had great assistants, models and a fabulous stylist we have worked with several times. We were shooting in a tall wheat field that was full of grasshoppers, beetles and worst of all, wolf spiders! There was no way of getting around seeing them, but they didn’t seem to be attracted to us, so we went about our business. The day was winding down, the sun was setting and we were shooting the last few frames on our lovely bride. After we had finished, we all were heading back through the tall wheat field we had been shooting in the entire day. Joey and I looked down to see that 6 wolf spiders the size of clementines underneath the top layer of organza on the Melissa Sweet gown! If this wasn’t bad enough, one of the spiders had a nasty looking egg sac attached to its back. Yuck….yuck yuck yuck! Thank goodness our lovely bride, Paulina, is a country girl at heart and didn’t freak out as we slowly flicked each spider out of the dress. Needless to say, we checked the dress about a thousand times before sending it back to the boutique. Hey, even wolf spiders can’t deny the allure of a Melissa Sweet gown. Thanks to the lovely ladies at Southern Weddings for giving us this awesome opportunity to create beautiful photographs for one lovely, uniquely Southern magazine!
A peek at the final product:
Tell me a little bit about you, what you shoot, where you are based, how long you have been shooting, etc? We are located in the great state of North Carolina. We love Southern culture and are proud to be from the South, so we try to bring that to our photography. We have the pleasure of working with various editorial/commercial clients and unique wedding clients around the country. We have been working together for about six years now, but have only been in business with each other as Joey + Jessica since the beginning of 2010.
How did you two meet? We actually met each other in high school and shared art classes together. We were both voted most artistic by our Senior class and began dating shortly after in college. The rest is history!
Did you ever think you’d be on the cover of a national magazine? It has always been in our goals along with other editorial projects. When the opportunity to create a cover for Southern Weddings V3 arose, we were more than excited to jump on board. So, thank you Lara Casey!!
What was your reaction when you found out? We were really excited, and really proud of our team. Although we were confident we would get the cover ( the power of positive thinking y’all! ), it was still a great, rewarding moment when the Southern Weddings ladies sent over a mock up of the cover. From Lara: We devised a very sneaky plan and did a live Skype call with them. We had the whole office there to reveal the big news. Too fun!
What were the models reactions? Our models for the shoot were Paulina and Rocky. Paulina is new to modeling and was excited that she had already landed the cover of a national magazine. Rocky was happy because his job was to hang out with a pretty girl all afternoon and now he’s in a national magazine… not a bad job if you ask us.
Who did you tell first? I think the first people we told were our parents. They were really happy for us and proud to see all of the hard work payed off.
Do you shoot all film? Yes, we shoot predominantly on film. For the tech geeks out there, we shoot with Nikon (35mm), Mamiya ( 120/220 ) and Calumet ( 4×5 ). We shoot with Kodak, Fuji and Ilford films.
How did you feel about the shoot when you saw the images? We were very proud of ourselves and our team. The photographs were exactly what we had in mind in our initial concept board and it was rewarding to see it all come to life. Paulina made for the perfect V3 cover girl!
Which image from your shoot, besides the cover, do you love the most? The close up shot of Paulina with the peony in her hair. Love that image and it was one of the last shots taken that day. It was such a real moment and has such a fresh, romantic quality to it.
How did you celebrate? We celebrated by going out to dinner with our family. This is one of the many goals we have, so we wanted to acknowledge we obtained it and then use the excitement to tackle the next project.
What is your advice to other photographers when faced with opportunities like this? Ie take a risk or live in fear? Definitely take the risk. Anyone who is successful didn’t get there by playing it safe. This industry is unbelievably competitive. We are so young in the game, but we are hungry to crush our goals, make new goals and crush those too. Some of the biggest, most important decisions in your life are often the scariest and most difficult to go after. If it isn’t a little scary, it probably isn’t that important to you. : )
Here’s a few questions for you Lara….
What was it like giving up the control of the cover image of Southern Weddings V3? This is your baby here, and an incredible risk to take by giving this opportunity to photographers you’d never worked with. I am extremely very a lot so much buckets full wildly passionate about helping young artists develop their unique voice and realize their value. So many people gave me huge opportunities when I just started – I still feel like I’m just starting – that changed me forever. If I can give that gift to someone through my consulting work, Making Things Happen, publishing them, encouraging them, a simple conversation, or just by giving them the courtesy of an email reply, I am all IN! I replied to every single cover submission and image submission that came to my desk for V3. Worth all 1000-something emails. I may be super busy at times, but if I’m given the chance to help someone harness their innate gifts, I’d work 24/7 and not get tired. So, yes, it was a risk. And, yes, 100% worth it!
Did you have a back up plan in the chance you didn’t receive a cover image that suited V3? A back-up plan usually becomes a full-time plan. Don’t quote me on that in every situation, but when you really want something, you have to have faith that it is already taken care of and focus on making active steps to make it happen.
What’s next for you, what can we expect to see in 2011? I actually have very little confirmed on my calendar for 2011 (partly on purpose after the crazy schedule I’m about to endure till Christmas), which just means there’s something big I’m supposed to fill it with. I pray to be open to whatever God wants for me and I am just happy right here in this moment. It has been a crazy year. If you’ve been reading my Tumblr, you’ve gotten a small peek into my daily life and the creation of this issue. I’m so grateful for every blessing. Thank you, Joey + Jessica, all of the cover finalists, my radtastic team, all of the incredible friends I am celebrating with at Engage 10 today, and to everyone who has supported this magazine. We’re small, y’all. We don’t have a parent company or a high-rise office of a staff of more than I can count on my hand. We’re just a few young Southern gals with a big dream. Today, I’m reminded that anything is possible if your heart is in it. Our hearts are definitely in V3. There is love between every page.
What’s your favorite thing about V3? Well, besides the cover of course, I just cannot pick one favorite. There really was so much love put into this issue. So, I will share a clipping of one favorite page… our gratitude section. Today, I am very thankful.
xo
LC
P.S. Be sure to follow @LaraCaseyReps on twitter for Engage!10 conference highlights, @LaraCasey for all the Engage!10 fun, and @iloveswmag to watch our big V3 launch unfold!
A BIG day deserves a BIG GIVEAWAY! I’m giving away 10 copies of V3 (give them to your friends, brides or someone who just needs some pretty on their desk!) with love notes from all of us and $50 iTunes! To win one of these prizes, tweet a link to this post with the phrase “I love the @iloveswmag cover!” and/or leave a comment here with your twitter name and what makes you happiest in life! Easy! It’s time to celebrate y’all!!! So, what do y’all think of the cover?!
keep reading
91 Comments
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I absolutely ADORE the cover and the concept behind it. You are right…it *is* attainable and exudes a soft, relaxed yet is still uberbeautiful!
Awesome job, ladies (and guys!)…cannot wait to get my hands on it!
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There’s nothing happier than a beautiful plan coming together!
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Thanks so much for the opportunity Lara! We think that you all have created a magazine that is unlike any of the other publications out there, it’s truly unique. Loved all of the southern quotes, and felt that there is something to read on every inch of the page.
You ladies are rock stars. -
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I’m first here too! Lara…the cover is beautiful and the story looks amazing! Your team has done another great job and I’m super excited to snag my copy as soon as i see it in Publix or the bookstore!
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Just beautiful! Still waiting for my copy… but this little sneak peak made me happy. Twitter… @ElleBea
If the cover is this good I am almost scared of the goodness inside! -
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So…yeah, I just tweeted and wanna win something! I love prizes! Twitter is @thesmileyeffect and what makes me happiest in life? Discovering new things, whether its a great book, great deal or great food at a local restaurant. 🙂
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My favorite thing in life that makes me happy is spending time with my husband on our days off. Right now we are enjoying fall in the Midwest and all that goes with that – pumpkin picking, fresh apple cider & doughnuts, yard work to prepare our yard for next spring, ooh and nesting a bit as we prepare for our first child’s arrival this winter. As long as we spend time together, I can’t think of a better thing!
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I am LOVING that cover and I can see why it was so hard to keep it under wraps. I live in a barn by a hayfield and for me those images just SCREAM “Happy future life!!” So exciting! I tweeter and Im giddy, and Im about to go do what makes ME happiest: play with my rowdy boys before we get to work for the day.
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The cover is incredibly playful and lovely! SO EXCITED to get mine in the mail! My mail-person thinks I’m stalking them ha! Find me Tweetin’ away @kathollander
What makes me happiest in life? Finding the joy & love in the little things. Life is too short to miss out on every ounce of fun!
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Just got a chance to read this post and I love love LOVE the cover! Lara, you’ve done it again with a gorg. approachable, REAL looking cover. People are going nuts i’m sure over this mag and will continue to!
What makes me happiest in life? Enjoying the simple joys with my family. Taking walks enjoying the fresh fall weather, apple picking with my husband and 6 month old son, singing and teaching my students to perform so that they can feel that they are the amazing, special people I know they are, designing and creating fabulous works of art for our brides to treasure on their wedding day and long after…oh I have so much to be grateful for that makes me truly happy and fullfilled!
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LOVING the new cover! It’s so fresh. Love the peony in her hair, too. Great job girls! Definitely tweeted it – @paperzest. Can’t wait to see it!
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yay! Your cover is so so sweet! I cannot wait to see what’s inside!!!
My family makes me happiest in life- thank goodness they are always around. =)
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little teary eye here… love the warmth of the colors and the girl next door feel, loving this concept for the bride on cover to be real and not americas next top model
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Love the cover story and the q&a! Great idea and it gives such a personal tone.
What makes me happiest in life? My relationship with the Lord!
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What makes us happiest in life is seeing our fantastic photo school buddies Joey + Jessica have a gorgeous cover on a gorgeous magazine. Go armadillos!!! We <3 ya'll and can't wait to see you again soon:)
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LOVE LOVE LOVE the cover! What makes me happiest in life? Spending time with my husband and our family. It’s the little things that matter most in life, and these are the moments that make my heart the happiest 🙂
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What makes me the happiest in life? Happiness. Being happy myself, seeing others happy, making others happy. It all makes my heart happy 🙂
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I tweeted using my brand new account! I truly do love the cover.. I cannot wait to boogy to B&N tomorrow for my very own copy!
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The things that make me happiest in life: Running, Shopping, Accomplishing goals and dreams I’ve thought of for years and spending time with friends and family.
I seriously do love this cover – it’s the last reason I needed to purchase this magazine ASAP!
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I am so in love with V3!! I can’t wait to see an actual copy…but I’ll just have to control myself until tomorrow.
What makes me the happiest? Leaving church after an awesome service.
Twitter: InSeasonEvents
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Spending time with my family makes me happiest. My parents, 10 siblings, husband of 1 year and new puppy make me feel like nothing else in the world 🙂
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Fabulous work; this cover is absolutely beautiful! It’s so encouraging to see someone investing into the skills and talents of others! One of the things that brings me the greatest joy in life is spending time with my husband, who supports me in my talents and reminds me to be confident in everything I do!
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having faith that things will work out and good health makes me happiest. -Chatti
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I can’t wait for V3! Love the cover. Twitter: Amandaphotog. Lazy fall Sundays with my fiance make me happiest.
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hooray for a fab cover! twitter: marydaph I’d have to say love creating… design, photography, art, etc wrap it all up and keep me busy for days.
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Wow! Both the cover and the process that led to it are beautiful. Nice job, everyone. Congratulations! What makes me happiest in life? My family. They’re everything. I love them. 🙂
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oh this is great! I tweeted! @Laurel16
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i am happy when i hear that trust, faith and hard work had paid off to create something beautiful that could never have happened if not for that leap.
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I love it! One of the things that makes me happy is fall. The crisp coolness of the air, leaves fall, pumpkin spice lattes, cardigans, boots…ahhh, I love it!!
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The cover is absolutely stunning, and so are the spreads that I took at peak at on Lara’s blog! If the cover doesn’t make someone want to buy it, that “someone” is crazy. Good work ladies!
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I have tweeted the line, though I really wanted to change “love” to “adore” – it is perfect!
The thing that makes me happiest? Living behind my camera, knowing God is in it too. It takes my breath away.
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I adore the cove so much. So soft, beautiful, and real. Love.
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I LOVE the glimpse you have offered and can’t wait to see more!! What makes me happiest in life? The grace and mercy of God.
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LOVED the cover! I got it yesterday afternoon in the mail and was SUPER excited! incredibly beautiful! ya’ll produced something quite beautiful. what makes me happiest? my two month old little boy learned how to smile…it’s the best feeling when I go to pick him up and see a HUGE smile spread across his face.
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Love the cover image! So pretty, feminine and soft…and the “Carolina” feature looks downright divine. Can’t wait to dig in when my issue of V3 arrives!
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What makes me happiest? Having my hubby all to myself for the day when we can sleep in, have breakfast together, take a drive, and cozy up next to the fire on a cool fall evening! p.s. LOVING the new magazine and all the prettiness!!
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Absolutely love the cover! My family makes me the happiest but to say something different it would have to be the color green! 🙂
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I take it back. To spell my name correctly, on a public blog, and having the link work for my twitter username would make me SO happy right now. 🙂
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My two daughters make me happiest in life..!
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Being by the beach makes me happiest. 🙂
Looking forward to the new V3! -
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Oh— this is just lovely. I’m so excited that I pre-ordered a copy! Can’t wait for the sweet surprise in the mail. Your giveaway of 10 copies really got me thinking…It would be a really GREAT idea to give these to my clients! 🙂
So what makes me the happiest? Making people cry! I mean that in the most sweetest and sincerest way…I love giving and when I can make someone so HAPPY that they cry— I know I accomplished my goal. Putting a smile on someone’s face and making someone’s day by a not-so-ordinary gesture really can CHANGE things— I live for those moments and those very moments are what keep me going.
Thanks Lara and Katharine and Emily and Whitney and Marissa and Emily! Well done. You are a true inspiration.
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STUNNING! You guys never cease to amaze me. I’m in love!
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My hubby make me the happiest in life..!
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Clearly “I love the @iloveswmag cover!”. As a wanna-be-someday bride, this cover makes to squeal. Simple, souther, elegant beauty with a side helping of sass. Well done ladies.
As for what makes me happy? I don’t know where to begin, but I am in-between weekends of bridesmaid duty for dear friends, so that definitely makes me happy. Back-to-back weekends filled with lots of sweet, happy moments.
~@kristinneal
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What makes me happiest in life is to see my parents still deeply in love after 30 years. They are my role models for true love.
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love love love the V3 cover and thinks it is perfect! And to answer what makes me happiest in life, that has to be the beautiful love Christ my Savior, friendships that last a lifetime and then some, and giving so that others may have.
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The V3 cover = perfection. (One of) The thing that makes me happiest in life is my beagle snuggling next to me as I fall asleep at night.
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The cover is so fresh and approachable! Great work! As for what makes me happiest, probably just spending time with husband- whether we are cooking together, watching a movie, or maybe he’s watching me paint- just having him near me makes me giddy. @ckhail
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I am a friend of Paulina and I am so proud of her and she is just FANTABULOUS on the cover and all the shots! I can’t wait to see what else she does she is as beautiful inside as she is outside and happy to see her fulfilling her dreams! The photographer did a wonderful job, it was a great layout!
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Got to say that I am already having trouble holding back the joy that I know will explode when I get to hold my newborn son in my arms for the first time! Can’t wait! We’re so close!
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The whole project is so inviting, natural and warm. One of those “warm fuzzies”! Joey & Jess are always so inspiring and open to letting the moment happen. It was a pleasure working with the models and team. I loved being able to add to the project with hair and makeup. An amazing magazine, don’t miss this!
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Smiles, success, love and happiness of the people closest to me make me happiest.
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What makes me happiest? Reminding myself how lucky I am by the things that are around me this very moment: family, friends, a new husband, a job I absolutely love and am blessed to have. It’s easy to always be thinking about the what if’s and future but remembering how blessed I am now makes me most content and happy.
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Beautiful fresh imagery Lara, congratulations on another job well-done. 🙂
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What makes me the happiest is when I strike the right balance – my kids/husband, myself, the job I love, my friends, church. When I can tend to it all I’m so at peace.
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What a beautiful, engaging cover – congrats on completing this tremendous issue! With everything that can distract us from the things that matter these days, I find that I’m happiest in the moments where I step back, exhale, and give it all to God.
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Cover image is so delish! I love that this magazine is so approachable and loveable. Once a magazine goes corporate it loses so much charm, its really quite sad. But you can feel the passion on each and every page of Southern Weddings {{Smile}} What makes me happiest is a job done to perfection, bursting at the seams happy people and clients around me, the gift of life and creativity, forgiveness and every facet it encompasses. And of course my family and close loving relationships.
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What makes me happiest in life is my love from God and being surrounded by my family.
Love love love the cover.
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i have really enjoyed viewing the mag online and cannot wait to see it in person. stunning photos! having a newborn daughter at home makes me happiest… yeah beatrice elise!
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Bravo, ladies! The cover is stunning and the back cover is just too cute for words! I can’t wait to dive into what’s inside. Congrats on a slam dunk!
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The cover is simply beautiful. Spending time with my God and my family makes me happiest in life! Twitter: @danaeason_
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Random acts of kindness make me happy!! 🙂
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That cover brightens my day! Making a difference in the world each and every day makes me the happiest. It can be a tiny difference in someone’s day….that hello or smile to make a difference.
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Ice lattes, fall weather (like today!) and my 2-year-old red-headed daughter make me happier than anything else in the world! @tilleyphoto
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I received V3 this week, and the cover is gorgeous! Love the field setting. The bride is a natural beauty. Some of my happiest moments are spent with the family watching fall SEC football – love my Gators – and spending lazy Sunday afternoons with my two beautiful little girls who I know are going to become amazing Southern women.
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Happiness is having all my ducks in a row & time spent in nature.
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I LOVE the cover! So much beautiful, gorgeous, and thoughtful work produced for this issue. Congratulations team SW Mag! 🙂 Spending time with my husband and family makes me happiest. Now that I’m far away from my family, I cherish each and every moment we have together when we get to hang out.
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loveLOVElove the V3 cover!! you accomplished exactly what brides want & need to see – someone real, happy, and naturally beautiful!! my happiness comes straight from my family. they are so involved in mine + my husband’s life, and as a photog duo we are together 24/7. our marriage is so strong because of our partnership, best-friendship, and family!
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My husband, my son, and photography make me happiest in life! I love the cover, and the whole entire issue! Gorgeous. (@hmayophoto)
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I tweeted about your amazingly beautiful cover! Find me on twitter @hellodollface. Two things that make me so happy in this life are the grace that God gives me, and the incredible love my husband pours over me. I’m undeserving of both!
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The cover just makes me smile 🙂 and reminds me of bright, warm summer days. Happiness makes me happiest – when my fiance is happy, I’m happy. I can’t help it. Even when we fight I can’t look at him or I’ll smile and start laughing! Haha!
Twitter: kckowalski
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Love, inspiration, and faith make me the happiest… all three come into my world in the smallest of packages (a gorgeous wedding magazine that has the love of its authors on every page) through my husband (his heart never ceases to amaze me) and through the constant beauty & miracles that surround us!
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What makes me happiest is when I recieve mail from family and friends.
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What makes me happiest in life is knowing that God has sent me the man of my dreams and on June 4, 2011 I will become his wife! Congratulations on V3, a job well done. What a gorgeous cover!
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What makes me happiest in life is a spontaneous fall camping trip with my husband…just us, a tent, some food, and the stars. Love it!
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My favorite thing in life, by a long shot, is my daughter’s laugh. It keeps me going even on the worst days!
Twitter is @ScobeyPhotog
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Laughing usually makes me happiest… but recently my new bf has been making me happiest… he isn’t even afraid of my love for SWs!!! What a keeper.
Twitter: AshleyHH12
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Gorgeous cover! It’s so genuine and romantic! The thing that makes me happiest in life is seeing my friends become successful and happy in their own lives, and helping them achieve their dreams! Thanks for the chance to win!
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I love the cover! Making other people happy is something I love!
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What makes me happiest, is sitting our back porch (it overs a lake and a preserve- very nice), with my puppy and fiance, drinking cocoa and trying to figure out why I’m the luckiest girl in the world, that I get to have all this. (Hussy318)
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What makes me happiest? Perfect weather, no work, and spending time with my wonderful boyfriend all in one day!
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Love the photo with the butterfly!