June 2019

We are so excited to be able to bring this wedding to the blog now that it is featured in the Charleston Weddings Magazine. The father of the bride is my children’s pediatrician, and the wedding was held right here in our backyard, so it was special to me for many reasons… Corbin Gurkin took all of the gorgeous photos. The bride chose a Guipure lace covered gown by Vollaro available through Maddison Row here in Charleston, SC. Bring a traditional Southern bride, we chose to monogram her satin bouquet wrap in her favorite “something blue “color.

Being that it was a summer wedding, hearty boutonierres were best… And, since the bride’s family owns an angling store, locally made Brackish Bowties made perfect sense with their classic tuxedos.

For the mothers and grandmothers not wanting to carry any flowers or pin anything onto their lovely dresses, we made floral bracelets for them to wear… Kind of our version of a corsage!

The wedding ceremony took place at the church that the bride grew up attending, St. Philip’s (which also happens to be my church).  An illustration of the historic steeple graced the cover of the classic ceremony programs.
Afterwards the bride and groom received guests at Lowndes Grove Plantation… True Southern sports fans, we flew flags for both alma maters- Clemson University, and The Citadel. And, custom cornhole boards for both schools graced the front lawn for those wanting to squeeze in a quick round during cocktail hour.

Charleston’s “haint” blue, also the bride’s favorite color, was chosen as the palette. Luckily the perfect dresses were available at Bella Bridesmaids.
Each bridesmaid carried a custom monogramed bouquet.

Guests enjoyed classic favorites like prosciutto wrapped melon and tasteful sips at cocktail hour.
Where else can you enjoy a lawn party than a glorious home overlooking the river banks than Charleston?  A hanging swing bed allowed guests a fun take on al fresco seating…

We designed an entire “garden” tent for our bride, featuring greenery swags, twinkle lights, potted centerpieces, and a fountain (which served an over the top shrimp cocktail).

Jim Smeal’s sweet cake was perfectly pretty for a Southern garden with gum paste flowers and an elevated basketweave…Of course displayed on a garden table with fresh greenery.

Since this wedding was more of a Southern stations style vs a seated dinner, it gave us plenty of room to set up sitting vignettes and lounge seating.. This included lots of nooks and large “bars” for service, so that no one had to stand in line.

Even as the sunset, Lowndes Grove sparkled at night… With fairy lights on the lawn lighting the way for the send off… I love this sweet pic of the bride visiting with her grandparents at the reception.

The bride and groom were sent off with glowing sparklers and departed in a classic Rolls Royce that we dressed up with ribboned greenery…

6.25.19   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Cakes, Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Press, Reception, Weddings | 1 Comment
Jun 18, 2019

We love getting our highlight films from recent weddings… This couple was SO FUN, which you will see from the video, and this wedding was so lovely… We can’t wait to share the photos once they are available from the photographer… Cheers to Lauren and Clay!

Thank you to Siegel Films for the amazing video…

6.18.19   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Charleston, Entertaining, Event Design, Parties, Reception, Uncategorized, Videos, Weddings | Comments >>
Jun 11, 2019

photo by Corbin Gurkin

Today’s inspiration comes in the form of summer flower arrangements. Some of my favorite elements of summer florals is that anything as far as colors go- brights, pastels, solid colors, or mixtures with greenery.  Plus, as with any season, there are some blooms you can only get this time of year… it’s a shame not to use them! We hope you enjoy this eye candy and hope it inspires some of your designing.

Photo by Corbin Gurkin

Blooms like ranunculus and roses are typically available throughout the year, but particular varieties or colors are periodic, so we consider that when designing. I love how the bright pink ranunculus pair with the coral charm peonies that we try to use every chance we get!  Delicate sweet peas, astilbe, and maiden hair ferns scream airiness in summer arrangements, and we anchored these with hearty lemon leaf for the high humidity of the outdoor summer event.

photos 1 &2 Corbin Gurkin; photo 3 Liz Banfield

Of course, we have to discuss summer bouquets.  These can afford everything from wildflowers of pale delicate blooms, to bold pops of vibrant flowers, to a composed ethereal blend of whites and greens that looked picked right out of a summer garden.

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Photo by Corbin Gurkin

Pale peaches, creams, and whites work nicely with the verdant backgrounds in summer and open the gates to what’s available. Being from the south, we try to use our local hydrangeas every chance we can while they are available…

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Photo by Corbin Gurkin

Colorado wildflowers determined what was used in these arrangements for an August Aspen wedding. Hellebores, thistle, fern fronds, and delphinium came together with larger blooms like peonies, tulips, roses, etc. for a perfectly blended palette..

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Photo by Corbin Gurkin

Fresh lavender was added to these ethereal pastel centerpieces… French garden was the look we were going for, so with the addition of collected variegated ivy out of an actual garden we brought Provenance to Newport…

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Photo by Corbin Gurkin

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Photo by Corbin Gurkin

I mean, a super lush centerpiece of elegant white peonies is not only a showstopper, but the fragrance is spectacular. Perfect for an indoor display.

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photo by Elizabeth Messina

6.11.19   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Event Design, Flowers, Weddings | Comments >>