Shop Local & Savannah Weddings
When having a destination wedding in Savannah, why not include lots of details from local companies in your wedding!? Here are just a few of our favorite ideas to inspire you for your Savannah wedding!!!
I don't know about you but one of me & my boyfriend's favorite things to do when we visit new cities is to check out the local breweries. He is a lover of good craft beers and I love exploring new places. So far I've checked out breweries in Asheville, Jacksonville and Birmingham. But that being said, my favorite local brewery that I would highly recommend is Service Brewing Co. It is a really awesome brewery with some delicious brews and a fantastic atmosphere. Also, you can special order kegs through the local liquor stores or you can buy cans as well for your wedding. Service Brewing Co was started by Kevin Ryan, who had been in the US army for quite some time before getting out in 2011 when his fiance, Meredith Sutton, bought him a home brewing kit and the rest is history. Service Brewing Co opened and highly values service to country and community. (1) The best part about Service Brewing Co? The cats of course.... they have 2 cats who were rescued during the renovation at the brewery and they were named Black Hawk and Chinook. I am not going to lie when I say walking around the brewery tour after having a flight of beer it was almost impossible to not keep taking pictures of the adorable furballs...
Who doesn't love some sweet honey to bring out the Pooh Bear in us all. Winnie the Pooh will always have a sweet spot in my heart since my dearest first dog was named Winnie. But anyway, back to honey... which goes oh-so-well with one of the best Southern treats, buttery biscuits. At our friend Sarah's wedding we put together a mini biscuit bar with delicious biscuits from Baker's Pride and an assortment of honey varieties from the local store. This was a huge hit and guests flocked the table like a swarm of bees. At Daniela & Pedro's wedding she gave away mini honey jars to guests for the favor. They were not only adorable but also delicious and she even had custom labels put on them for an added sentimental touch. Yum yum yum. The company was founded by Ted Dennard, a head beekeeper who has been working with bees for over 35 years, opening the store in 1999. The store has a large variety of flavors of honey to choose from such as my favorites - lavender honey and all of the whipped honey, as well as other products ranging from barbecue sauces, chap sticks, lotions, and so much more. (2)
Another favorite local treat that I love oh-so-much and may have been spotted on multiple occasions playing tourist at their downtown shop...? Byrd's Cookies. These cookies are sooooooooo good and the lil mini cookies are so addicting it's sometimes hard to have just one (or seven or more.) But really, they're a bite size of deliciousness. My personal favorites are the key lime ones and I love the savory pecan cheddar bites. These make an awesome cookie bar or perfect for welcome bags for out-of-town guests or just for you to have in your possession at all time to snack on.... but really, they're yummy and if you haven't checked out their downtown shop yet I would highly recommend going in for some free samples. YUMMMY. Byrd's Cookies goes way back and is a part of Savannah's history. Opened in 1924 by Ben T. Byrd Sr. Originally personally delivered to neighborhood markets, they soon gained popularity and were a trademark for tourists to try when visiting Savannah. Let's be real... if a cookie has survived 91 years of baking, it is obvious that the cookies must be seriously damn good, and I can honestly say that yes, yes yes yes they are. (3)
Okay is it just me or are you starting to see a trend here? I either a.) love sweets, b.) Savannah loves sweet, c.) both (or as my boyfriend makes fun of me for pronouncing it "bolth.") But really, Savannah has some awesome local companies that are perfect for stocking the desserts at your wedding. And for you ice cream lovers out there Leopold's is definitely the way to go. Leopold's goes even farther back than Byrd's Cookies. Hmm, I wonder if the founders of Leopold's were friends with the founders of Byrd's??? Hmm..... But anyway, Leopold's opened it's doors in 1919 by 3 brothers from Greece. The shop used to be at the corner of Gwinnett & Habersham at the intersection of 2 streetcar lines - the perfect spot for riders to jump off grab an ice cream and return on their journey. (4) Leopold's today often has a long line out the building and their ice cream flavors are delicious, scrumptious and absolutely amazing. We love the weddings with the ice cream bicycles or you can get an ice cream cart. I don't have pictures yet but our couple, Capree & Kyle, had the most delicious mud pies from Leopold's at their wedding. Another couple, Melissa & Andrew, had an ice cream cart at their ceremony for after the ceremony was over for guests to enjoy and oh my gosh it was amazing. Definitely a fabulous idea, especially if you aren't a cake lover.
Last but not least, of course we had to include ourselves in our top favorite places to shop local in Savannah for destination brides! Yup, that's right... destination brides!!!! You do not have to be local to Savannah to buy your wedding dress at our shop! I can't even tell you how many brides from afar have said yes in Savannah at Ivory & Beau. We ship your dress to you as soon as it's in and then if we have connections in the bridal industry in the city you live in we can offer recommendations for alterations. Easy as eating ice cream, cookies and honey if you ask me. Two of our lovely brides who lived elsewhere but were planning their Savannah wedding are Emily & Danielle! Emily bought her Sarah Seven gown at our shop after she had booked us for wedding planning and florals. Her and Robert came from New York for their industrial wedding at the Railroad Museum. Danielle bought her Ti Adora gown at our shop and then later hired us to do her florals for her destination Savannah wedding. The bride and groom came all the way from Alaska for their wedding. We love our brides who are getting married in this fabulous historic city who also find ways to support small businesses in the city!
Are you planning your destination Savannah wedding and in need of some planning assistance of floral design? Contact us for details on how we can help!!! And if you want to schedule an appointment to shop bridal we can do that too! We can't wait to hear from you!!
{Photo Credits} Ivory & Beau's "Stairway to Matrimony" Shoot, photography: Mackensey Alexander // Ember & Adam's Wedding, photography: Mackensey Alexander // Service Cats via Service Brewing Co. // Biscuit Bar via Sarah & Joe's Wedding, photography: Alexis Sweet // Biscuit Favors via Daniela & Pedro's Wedding, photography: Izzy Hudgins // Leopold's Ice Cream Pictures via Ivory & Beau's "Pool Party" Shoot, photography: Apt B Photography // Emily, photography: Mackensey Alexander // Danielle, photography: Maiigo Photography
{Information Sources} (1) Service Brewing Co. About Us // (2) Savannah Bee Company // (3) Byrd's Famous Cookies // (4) Leopold's
