October 2019

Oct 29, 2019

We so loved our time in upstate New York, for this glamorous couple’s wedding weekend. Troutbeck provided a spectacular setting, and while we can’t wait to share more of the wedding details later, we thought some of the details from the sweetest rehearsal dinner would be fun. Um, and how fabulous is our bride’s pant set? Jose Villa was with us all weekend to capture all of the gorgeous imagery.

We worked with Heirloom Fire catering out of the Berkshires . Their process and aesthetic was so perfect for this, and we loved their whole feel.

They set up their entire cooking get up so that guests can watch and be part of the experience. It’s like a super chic campfire… The proteins are grilled or smoked onsite, carved, and served up family style preciously from foraged greenery.

The most beautiful red snapper was grilled and filleted on site, and many of the guests enjoyed speaking the the chefs about their process.

Their tomatoes rivaled some of our most beautiful down here… pretty as a picture.

A blueberry buckle was grilled in cast iron skillets and served family style at the end of dinner.

In lieu of individual cards, Lettered Olive created a watercolor of the tables with guests names placed at the corresponding seats.

Wooden farm tables were softened with linen table runners, collections of Italian terra cotta pots filled with various herbs, and curated wooden pedestals for the family style platters.

Lettered olive printed the evening’s menu on cotton napkins which were dotted with fresh rosemary. Leather drink coasters were imprinted with guests’ names, acting as place cards. Dreamy…

A good time was had by all..

Also loved this delicate pour over coffee experience available upon guest request after dinner. Everything that Heirloom fire did was so thoughtful, and added details to service and presentation which is sometimes hard to come by in the event catering world.

After dinner, the intimate friends and family crowd were joined by the remaining wedding guests for a Welcome Party tented on the adjacent lawn. A modern jazz band from Elan Artists, more fun late night food, and desserts were provided.

Of course, we had the prettiest s’mores station!

10.29.19 | TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Food and Drink, Parties, Rehearsal Dinner, Travel, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Oct 22, 2019

Southern Soiree

I had the best time planning this wedding… I mean, I love Denia, and miss working with her! A fashion designer and co founder of Dee Hutton based in New York, Denia and Craig knew that coming to Charleston to get married was the perfect plan. With many personal touches – the upscale “party animal” theme, and the gowns (both bridal and bridemsaids) designed by the bride, this was a magazine worthy collaboration. It was a also a feature on Brides magazine. Photos by Corbin Gurkin.

The bride’s bouquet looked just gathered from the garden, with simple long stemmed roses and greenery, hand tied with silk ribbon. A whimsical ring bearer “pillow” makes for a sweet detail, and tailored white roses served on a brass tray made even the groomsmen feel special!

The bride designed her own dress with a wow factor in mind, the train was reminisce of a royal wedding! The train was over 7 feet long and when spread 13 feet wide… breathtaking.

Not wanting your typical bridal party look, custom individual dresses were designed for each member of the wedding party by the bride herself, totally pulling off an uber glam look.

One of the things that drew the bride to the Fenwick Hall location was the brick facade and the grounds giving the feel of grand homes from a bygone era.

A bridged aisle was created over the reflecting pond with a lush floral arch full of magnolia greenery and lilies at the ceremony site.

The mother of the bride surprised the couple with a gospel choir singing “You Are the Best Thing” for the couple’s recessional.

The reception kicked off with a cocktail hour under the spanish moss. The guests got the first nod to the animals with the escort card display, being watched over by good luck elephants.

The party continued with dinner under the stars. Long family style tables filled the glowing gold and white tent. As a surprise to the bride, golden pears held the place cards at each guests’ place setting. The table numbers were caligraphied carafes of wine…

Oh this gold giraffe, it now lives in our office, but it definitely lived up to it’s party animal reputation that night… At one point in the evening the bride was actually riding it!

Guests lounged under the stars, enjoyed dancing, and cakes well into the night.

Dessert for the evening- cake and ice cream. A Cake bar with different varieties along with Graeter’s ice cream allowed guests a smorgasboard of options.

A TapSnap photo booth allowed guests cute take home photos and also provided the guests sign in book… guests could leave a copy of their photos along with personal notes to the couple.

A beautiful end to an amazing evening….. Luckily this bride was in our life again as we planned her best friend and business partner’s wedding. Stay tuned for the details on that one coming soon!

10.22.19 | TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal Style, Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Fashion, Flowers, Photographers, Reception, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Oct 15, 2019

Decorating with Greenery

photo by Corbin Gurkin

If you are looking for wedding inspiration, there is no question that decorating with greenery right now is hot, almost unavoidable, therefore clients are asking for it. We are huge fans of decorating with greenery due to it’s heartiness allowing some decorating in advance and the ability to go far on impact and less on cost. Here are some of the many ways we have incorporated it into some of our designs.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

This chuppa fashioned from magnolia leaves is balanced with a sweet floral swag, and could easily be replicated on a smaller scale by gathering greenery available in your neighbor’s or your yard.

photos by Tec Petaja

Greenery on large scale can be quite impactful… Full, lush, and oversized centerpieces were perfect on this stark modern rehearsal dinner table. And, as part of a lighting installation fill in a clear top tent and soften the space in this wedding dinner tent.

photos by Liz Banfield and Tec Petaja

Place settings are a fantastic area for using greenery… We used a stem with waxy leaves as a place card that tucked nicely into the napkin as an embellishment. For a rehearsal dinner, a leaf was hand painted and wrapped around the menu cards. Finally, as a modern day “doily” a fatsia looks chic on a charger for a party with a tropical vibe.

photo by A Bryan Photo

Greenery for sure adds depth and dimension to floral bouquets, but i LOVED the ones we did that were all greens… Something different and unexpected and still super stylish.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield photo by Liz Banfield

This labor of love took the rustic cakes to the next level. The linen was covered in galax leaves hand glued over a couple of days, but it was well worth it!

photos by Liz Banfield

So simple and easy, yet looks so thoughtful once it’s executed. Using many different types of leaves (aspidistra, fern, monstera) for decorating passed hors d’eouvres and cocktails is a favorite of mine. I love the idea of using leaves instead of doilies to hold food items into place. Also makes for unique presentation.

photos by Corbin Gurkin, Liz Banfield, Corbin Gurkin

A favorite spot of our is on chair backs. Just a simple swag on the back of the bride and groom chairs (or a monogram made from greenery), against wooden chairs adds a thoughtful touch. For a Christmas wedding, greenery wreaths and embroidered ribbons dictated the table numbers for dinner.

10.15.19 | TARA GUÉRARD
Charleston, Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Reception, Weddings | Comments >>

October 2019

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