Category: Blog and Tips

The South is steeped in elegance, beauty, grace, and – the part your grandmother will never let you forget about – tradition. It should come as no surprise that the Lowcountry alone hosts thousands of weddings every year, and that even some of the most famous couples, like Justin and Hailey Bieber, have said their …

However laid-back the lifestyle is, we Southerners are known for going big on three things: our hair, our portion sizes, and Christmas. From the endless tins of Christmas cookies left on your front porch to the annual festivals whole towns know and love, there’s nowhere quite like the South at Christmastime – especially when it …

It’s that time of year again: party planning season. Decking the halls and donning your ugliest Christmas sweater is the fun part, but whether you’re hosting Friendsgiving at your house or have family flying into town for the holidays, cooking for a crowd is never easy. While everyone is mixing and mingling in the living …

Southern hospitality is more than a catchphrase for Lowcountry locals – it’s a lifestyle. If you’re from out of town, the saying likely conjures up images of rocking on the front porch, sipping sweet tea, and sit-down family dinners. But the roots of this down-home friendliness run deeper than inviting friends over every once in …

From creamy pimento cheese to crispy fried pickles, the South undoubtedly has some of the most decadent, delicious, and downright bizarre cuisines in the nation. Born from a rich mix of culinary traditions and ingredients you might not find outside of the bottom states, Southern food is truly unlike anything else – which tends to confuse visitors.

Farmer’s markets are summertime staples, especially here in the Lowcountry. Between the sunny weather, fresh foods, and some good old-fashioned Southern gab, shopping the stands harkens back to a time when goods were bought and sold between friends and neighbors. We love our Bluffton Farmers Market vendors here at The Cottage, but we get it: …

We’re big believers in #PhoneEatsFirst. While there’s no way to capture the taste of a perfectly made meal (yet), a photo of your plate will help you remember one of the most important parts of your Lowcountry vacation: the food. Some food photos elicit envy and hunger pangs, but we’ve all seen (and perhaps even …