Katharine Waterman

What’s Your Story? How did you arrive at SW? Alright, I’ll admit it: I’m (brand) new to the wedding world, but when my boyfriend of four years and I decided to move to North Carolina for him to begin a five-year MD/MBA program at Duke, I jumped at the chance to join the talented and truly extraordinary women of Southern Weddings Magazine!  I had admired Lara and her team throughout my senior year of college and found myself visiting her blog and following her work when I was supposed to be studying for exams and applying for jobs.  In the middle of my job search, it occurred to me that the magazine and blog site I had been treating as my guilty pleasure might actually be the perfect job for me!  Simply put: I am a Southerner, love weddings and am happiest when writing.  I am beyond thrilled to be writing for the magazine I have admired for so long!

OK, give us the CV. Awards, Most Interesting Honors, Important Accomplishments/Milestones: In June, I graduated magna cum laude and finished in the top 15% of my class at Harvard College with a B.A in English and American Literature. In my sophomore, junior and senior years, I was named a Harvard College Scholar for finishing in the top 10% of my class.  My first foray into the world of publishing was as a monthly columnist for a financial magazine, Money Talks.

My biggest, best and most important accomplishments, however, are the very special relationships I have forged with my father and my boyfriend, Kyle.  My father has always been the most important person in my life and I am so grateful for the love and happiness he has given me.  Kyle, a Cincinnati native and the kind of man I was proud to bring home and introduce to my father, is my best friend and the love of my life!  We met on our very first day of freshman year at Harvard and have been together ever since.  I always tell him he was the very best part of college, and I couldn't be more sincere.  Now, he is one of the brightest spots in my life.

I feel so blessed to have both of these men in my life!

What are your favorite flowers? Roses and gladiolas!  One day, I would like my own bridal bouquet to have ivory and pale pink roses.  Gladiolas remind me of my daddy; they're always his first choice!

What is your day like? On weekdays, I wake-up at 7:30 to squeeze in an hour at the gym or on a run before I start getting ready for work.  By 10:15, I am in the office ready for our SW Morning Check-Ins. Breakfast consists of sweet tarts, sour patch kids and red vine licorice.  I’m lucky to truly have the best job in the world, and really enjoy my mornings and afternoons editing wedding submissions and preparing text for our upcoming print issues.  After work, I spend low-key (and fun!) evenings at home in my new apartment with my roommate Krista and boyfriend Kyle.  An episode of Friday Night Lights or CSI: Miami is the perfect end to a long day!  Weekends are the ideal time for a quick trip to visit my family in Virginia.

You would be surprised to know that while I may be a relative newcomer to the wedding industry, I'm no stranger to writing about them!  My senior honors thesis, Marriage and Pursuits of Happiness in Selected Works of Jane Austen’s Fiction, was what first sparked my interest in pursuing a career in publishing and the wedding industry.

I am committed to seersucker, Bowtie Fridays and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

My father changed my life when he was told me as a young child that “Watermans do not change their names.”  To this day, I am convinced I will never change my name, even once married!

What do you enjoy about working at SW? I am lucky enough to be doing what I love and loving what I do.  What used to be my past-time and guilty pleasure is now my fulltime career!

Favorite Non-Wedding Sites: People.com, Usmagazine.com, perezhilton.com

Favorite Restaurants: Chili’s, Outback and, my all-time favorite, Chowning’s Colonial Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Favorite Foods: CANDY, pasta, steak, macaroni and cheese, cookie dough.

Name some fun random factoids about yourself: Born in New Orleans, Louisiana and raised in Williamsburg, Virginia; addicted to sugar; cooking/kitchen impaired and directionally challenged; oldest of 4 children (Avery III, Christian and Bissy); in love with my cowboy boots and country music.

What I love about ____ that she may not know:

Lara: Lara is a triple threat: intelligent, ambitious and graceful. (She also has a great sense of style that I’d love to copy!)

Whitney: She just may be the sweetest person I know!  I am already looking forward to many years of friendship.

Emily: I am amazed by Emily’s own blog, Peach and Pearl.  No, really, go check it out!  She does the most fantastic work!