Category Archives: Bridal

We have been waiting to share this oh so pretty Winter wedding at Montage Palmetto Bluff with you for a while, and since it’s was just featured on Martha Stewart Weddings, we finally can! Filled with so many custom details, the tailored crispness of the color palette and seaside location created a perfect “winter” wedding in the Lowcountry. Photos by Corbin Gurkin. Lettered Olive did an amazing job of creating a fresh and young take on a traditional wedding invitation suite… While the rectangle shape, paper, and black calligraphied ink fall along the modest vein, an embroidered emerald green velvet belly band, gold edging and a whimsical monogram add a modern vibe..

With the wedding take place at a full service resort, simple wedding welcome gifts fit the bill… Take home dopp kits, and Christmas plaid koozies were tokens of appreciation complimenting the snacks and bottled waters.

The bride wore a gown by Oscar de la Renta, and shoes by Jimmy Choo.  The lace long sleeves were stunning!  The couple opted for a first sight moment before the ceremony in the Chapel.

We wanted to set the tone for the English garden feel early on, so the exterior doors of the chapel were adorned with boxwood greenery, and a floral archway.The architectural lines of the grand windows in the chapel essentially created a “trellis” for us, so filling it with flowers seemed the natural thing to do.  Adding a bridal white aisle runner helped absorb the sunlight on the wooden floors and soften the grand space.

Green and white flowers are my all time favorite palette to work with… And, with the Emerald green bridesmaids dresses, it couldn’t have been more perfect. Dainty Lily of the valley for the bride and groom, and lush and wild mixtures of hearty and dainty for the girls. The old Plantation ruins served as the backdrop for the cocktail hour… Guests were able to enjoy a lovely lowcountry day and sunset before heading into the dinner and lounge tent into the wee hours. You  know I love to make sure the exterior of our tents are just as pretty as the inside… it’s’ the first thing your guests see, wow them before they even walk in the doors… And, for this tent, we wanted to bring the outside in, so along with the greenery garlands draped from the ceiling, and garland covered lanterns, a greenery trellis wall served as the background focal point for the large tent.Small greenery wreaths with embroidered banners served as the table numbers.  Velvet menu books emblazoned with gold name plates were big wow getters on the tabletops. Simple touches like tailored linens with contrasting piping really finish the look. Mixing the flower and candle heights and holders give a layered look that’s not messy…

Again to break up and soften the extra large tent space, carpeting was laid, and a raw wood “shiplap” wall was built… Shelving to hold the glassware has the tent looking more like a custom built home than a wedding tent!
A patterned dance floor in the wedding colors became the focal point of the lounge and worked so well with the velvet upholstered sofas and benches… A textured white cake layered with Jim Smeal’s artistic gum paste flowers provided a stunning centerpiece…

And for those who prefer to take their cake home with them, waxed bags printed with the couple’s custom monogram were passed out late night sweet treats. The band performed behind a silhouetted wall, keeping in line with the super finished aesthetic.

After a sparkler send off, the couple drove off into the night in a greenery draped golf cart… the true goodbyes came after the couple hosted their guests for a brunch the following day.

12.10.19   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Cakes, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Press, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>
Nov 19, 2019

photo by Corbin Gurkin 

It’s not just for the ring boxes anymore. We can’t sing our love of velvet enough…As far as we’re concerned we use it on linens, tent/wall draping, even wrapping bouquets!  Velvet is hot hot hot in wedding design right now, so we wanted to show you have we have used it in the past! 

photos by Corbin Gurkin and Liz Banfield

One simple but sweet way to use velvet is on the bouquet wrap. I’ve had great luck finding beautiful velvet options at my favorite vintage ribbon shop in New York.  For the wedding on the right, we even had the wedding’s custom monogram embroidered on her ribbon.

photo by Liz Banfield

One of our first forays into velvet was this collaboration with Velvet Raptor. For an early spring wedding with rich earth hued tones complimented with a pop of pastel, ombre menu booklets were finished with etched bronze name plates. Guests all kept their menus from this one!

photos by Corbin Gurkin (1,2) and Liz Banfield (3)

Our sister printing company, Lettered Olive, has had the opportunity to design paper goods using velvet elements.  Our menu books are so luxurious! For a December wedding, embossed velvet ribbon was an unexpected belly band on the invitation suite. And for another holiday season wedding, and slight hint of velvet on the reply envelopes offer a soft surprise.

photo by Liz Banfield

For a couple’s wedding welcome bags, we custom made velvet travel shoe bags so guests would actually want to take them home. And of course, stuffed with all sorts of goodies and treats for comfortable hotel staying.

Photos by Corbin Gurkin (1,2) and Liz Banfield (3)

And of course, one of our favorite areas for velvet and then more velvet is in the wedding design itself. A giant reception bar was covered in velvet fabric matching the custom built velvet seating. We found super perfect green velvet couches at our local rental company (Snyder Events) to create our reception lounge. And, for a glittering New Years eve wedding and special touch for our couple, we made velvet chair covers embroidered with their names…

11.19.19   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Event Design, Fashion, Flowers, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>
Oct 01, 2019

Photo by Liz Banfield

Designing flowers for our fall weddings means incorporating different color palettes, and using different materials. Above, traditional airy whites and creams find contrast in seasonal greenery. Greenery being a loose term in that it doesn’t all have to be green, rusty foliage offers a delicate balance.

photo by Corbin Gurkin 

I like being able to get creative and come up with something a little unexpected, which for us lately means softer colors or bringing in a metallic like rose gold or copper. For the Maid of honor in this wedding, darker blooms in the same family as the pastels were added for an ombre feel but as a special nod.

Photo by Liz Banfield

Without seeing the same old idea of it, this bouquet really says “harvest” to me.  I love the blush and beige tones and the mix of different blooms. The succulent addition is a great and fun alternative for greenery.

Photos by Corbin Gurkin

For this grand fall fete, a bouquet to match the grandness of the bridal gown was in order. There was a lot of “old world” feel to this wedding, so I thought a formal but very simple long stemmed bouquet could carry it’s weight with the dress. Long stemmed roses, and natural greenery with a few berries speckled in tied off with vintage silk ribbon.. if it’s possible for these two words to go together I think it’s full of an airy heaviness indicative of fall in Charleston.

photo by Melanie Mauer

Photo by Liz Banfield

For both of these bouquets, textured looks was the dominate design element. Our bride’s bouquet add berries on the vine, wild clematis, and drapey greens gave a gathered from the garden look. The bridesmaids worn black gowns, so the shades of creams and beiges really popped. Flowers only available in this season like Anenomes and craspedia balls bring in a different look.

Photo by Corbin Gurkin

Deep wines and burgundies mixed with purple or pinks is one of my favorite color palettes… and I love the just gathered wild flower look that many people associate more with spring, but just as spectacular in fall.

Photo by Corbin Gurkin

A delicate pale palette can still work in Fall, dahlias and anemones are blooms true to the season, and adding in a hint of golden tones warms the collection.

10.01.19   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Event Design, Flowers, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>