Southern Bride & Groom Magazine Reveals Our New Name: Heart of NC Weddings
After 33 years as Southern Bride and Groom, our magazine has a new name that perfectly matches our brand and our heart-led mission. Heart of NC Weddings is the new us, and we’re here to stay! Today, we’re proudly revealing the 2020 winter/ spring cover – and the freshly printed publication will follow in a couple of weeks. This name change is all about matching the name on the cover of our magazine to who we are on the inside.
If you are a long-time fan of Southern Bride & Groom, this may seem like a bold move. We have, after all, been the go-to wedding magazine for the NC Triangle for over 30 years. Why change something that is working?
What’s in a (new) name for Southern Bride & Groom?
A new name has been a long time coming. As magazine publishers, we believe that the power of words cannot be underrated. The words “Southern Bride and Groom” have a wonderful history for our team. But in the end, they don’t match who we are, what we do, and the diverse community we serve. So in fact, it’s quite simple: we want our name to match the brand that we’ve proudly evolved into. We want the story of who we are to resonate with readers and fans, as well as folks who pass by our magazine on a stand. In other words, we want our community to know this is a magazine for ALL OF US.
And so, after careful consideration, we have chosen a name that takes ownership of our niche: a local, community wedding guide for the North Carolina Triangle Area. This is the HEART of what we do! We serve NC – our home – recommending our friends, our peers, our collaborators. Equally important, we wanted the name to indicate that we are inclusive to all styles and types of weddings here in our community.
Are we still Southern? Of course! But North Carolina includes all cultures, all faiths, all styles, and all combinations thereof – not just “bride + groom” unions.
The inaugural Heart of NC Weddings 2020 cover is by Danielle Flake Photography. The shot was at Rose Hill in Nashville NC. The bride is wearing Leanne Marshall from Gilded Bridal, and she was styled by Makeup for Your Day and Bailey's Fine Jewelry. Her gorgeous bouquet is from Watered Garden Florist.
Heart of NC Weddings SAYS IT ALL
Southern Bride and Groom’s new name, Heart of NC Weddings, truly is the perfect encapsulation of who we are! While our magazine can be inspirational to anyone in the south, our content and resource guide is directed to couples in NC. Beyond that, Heart of NC represents our geographic location of central North Carolina. After all, we are based in Raleigh-Durham.
“Heart of” also represents the “best of” NC wedding vendors. The family of vendors who are part of this publication are talented beyond words. Therefore, the name Heart of NC Weddings is largely about the dedication and love that these mostly small, locally-based professionals bring to the couples they serve. They give each wedding their heart. We, in turn, work hard to showcase their creativity and products in our magazine and blog.
Most importantly, Heart of NC Weddings is about the reason for the season. In other words, it’s about the love that brings two people together on their wedding day. We believe that couples deserve to have their best day ever – regardless of how that looks to them. If we can make that journey a little easier and more joyful for these couples, then we’ve done our job well.
Richard Barlow Photography, our second cover photographer, snapped this shot of our Heart of NC Weddings team celebrating our new name reveal with confetti!
THANK YOU to our vendor friends and family, who have been part of our community over the years. Thank you especially to those who have stuck with us through the Southern Bride and Groom new name transition. We would not be here without you! Heart of NC Weddings will carry on the tradition of featuring top tier wedding professionals in the Greater Triangle Area, as well as favorite NC wedding destinations.
THANK YOU to our readers – the engaged couples who use our magazine and blog to find vendors to guide them to their day. Thank you to mothers of brides and grooms, bridesmaids, groomsmen, and newlyweds who read our magazine. And also, thank you to any other fans who have shared our resource with their friends. We want you to know that we will continue to share our favorite local vendor finds, beautiful weddings and daily inspiration.
THANK YOU to our team, who has helped us get here today. Our team is tiny but mighty, and it’s amazing what we’ve accomplished this year together! As Southern Bride and Groom, or as our new name Heart of NC Weddings, we know who we are. We are here to bring ease to the wonderful NC couples as they journey towards the most wonderful day of their life. And of course, we are here to support the local small businesses that make up our local community. We do this meaningful work together – and you mean the world to us!
With love and warmth,
Jenna Parks,
Publisher
About the Heart of NC Weddings 2020 Winter / Spring cover
This cover photo was snapped by Danielle Flake Photography during our Heart of NC Weddings fashion editorial shoot at Rose Hill. The radiant bride wows in a Leanne Marshall gown from Gilded Bridal, a salon in downtown Raleigh. She was styled by two of our favorite Raleigh wedding vendors, Makeup for Your Day and Bailey’s Fine Jewelry. Her colorful bouquet is from Watered Garden Florist. We couldn’t think of a more inviting first cover for the release of the Southern Bride and Groom new name. Heart of NC Weddings shines above this stunning bride! Congratulations to the team who is on this cover, and kudos to all who were involved with this shoot.
We also would like to thank Richard Barlow Photography, for our reveal photo shoot. He is the one who made the magical confetti shot come to life, shown above.
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