Category Archives: Cakes

Sep 11, 2018

Crazy Rich Asians is breaking box office records worldwide (if you haven’t seen it, it’s fantastic), and with it’s fabulously over the top wedding scenes, it got me thinking about all of the ways we have used an Asian flair in our designs. It can be a very strong theme in printing. For one our recent weddings, the rehearsal dinner was taking place in a meditation garden, so watercolor bamboo made for pretty envelope liners.

photo by Liz Banfield

We don’t back away from our chance to use orchids (of any variety) in our flower works. A colorful mix of Phalenopsis orchids made a vibrant centerpiece for an escort card table. We also use the dendrobium orchid variety as a garnish in champagne glasses… photos 1&2 by Liz Banfield

Of course, food is an obvious place where couples can incorporate their favorite Asian dishes. To put a more formal twist on a sushi station, Sushi chefs prepared fresh rolls for guests, and plated them with chopsticks making it easier for guests to enjoy. And for a couple of weddings with Asian stations, pre setting the dish in take out containers with chopsticks made it super easy for guests to grab and go (cutting down on lines) and adding a decor moment. photos by Corbin Gurkin

We also had a recent groom who loved loved loved Chinese food, so his groom’s cake was a larger than life to go container with fortune cookies and sweet fortunes on top… Cake by Jim Smeal

photos by Liz Banfield

We have had many a wedding where saturated hues and asian flair was blended into the decor… Red has long long standing roots of meaning good luck and fortune in Chinese lore. Whether from lanterns, to red florals, to interior design elements like furniture and textiles we have woven the feel into these weddings yet without it feeling too “themey”.

photo by Liz Banfield

And of course, sending guests off with something “to go” is a fun last thought and easy detail if you don’t want to go overboard.

9.11.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Cakes, Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Food and Drink, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Aug 08, 2018

Beauty on the Beach

It’s Wedding Wednesday, our favorite day of the week! Today, we’re going back to a couple celebrating their anniversary this September. This beachfront beauty took place at the amazing Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, SC. Liz Banfield was the photographer for this big day.

The bride had studied art history and worked in galleries, and the main inspiration for the wedding design came from the bride’s favorite Van Gogh painting. Lettered Olive incorporated the design into all of the printed materials along with developing complimentary patterns, which were great for designs elsewhere.

We try to have Cacky of Cacky’s Bride Aid on hand for dressing all of our brides- if you can afford this on your day, it’s more than worth it! The bride’s strappy Chanel sandals worked all night from bridal gown to getaway dress. The bouquet was a textured mix of roses, berries, leaves, and astilbe.

Bridesmaids wore a mix of colors and styles from JCrew, and Amsale through Bella Bridesmaids. The bride gifted the groom his Hermes tie for the big day.

The groom is an avid golfer, so having his ceremony on the famed Ocean Course overlooking the greens and the water made for a very happy day.

Guests were graciously greeted on the porch after the ceremony for cocktail hour, the ocean breeze made it a perfect and comfortable place to sip and snack.

Cocktail hour was also full of fun details like servers in custom elephant printed ties and white glove service. Elephants are the brides favorite animal and signify good luck! And, signature cocktail was a replication of the bride’s favorite drink at the country club her family belongs to…

The escort card display was a new take on a traditional display. Gold caligraphied cards affixed with a mongramed wax seal were nestled in boxes of ruffled blooms.

Lots of yummy details made for beautiful and luxurious dinner tables. The bride and groom sat at chairs with embroidered toppers that made the logo used on their invitations.

Jim Smeal is the mastermind behind the cakes mimicking the favorite painting, and we SCORED when we found these elephant cocktail tables perfect as cake stands!

As the sunset during dinner, the after party tent and porch lounge was a glow and ready for the revelers.

In the dance and lounge tent, an extra long printed fabric bar was a super glamorous backdrop . Bar stools anchored either end, so guests wanting to take a cocktail break could still look in on all of the dance floor action. I loved the seafoam carpet we found, I really like the polished look it gave the tent.

Favors were locally made Rewind candles, and custom printed matches with the couple’s favorite photo from their engagement session.

Guests signed a book complied from engagement photos… a perfect coffee table book for their new home.

After a change into a Christian Dior dress the bride found while in France with her family before the wedding, the couple departed by a rose petal toss. Cones of printed paper holding petals were passed out to guests on the way out…

8.08.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Cakes, Charleston, Dresses, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Aug 01, 2018

Wedding Wednesday with a Vintage Touch

We were so thrilled to see this wedding feature on 100 Layer Cake this week. . Elizabeth Messina was here to shoot with us, and as you can imagine the imagery is pretty spectacular, her style was the perfect fit for this ethereal bride.

The couple was wed at the French Huguenot Church in downtown Charleston, one of my all time favorite churches (the Guerards were one of the first Huguenot families in Charleston).

We try to encourage our clients to do a “first look” when appropriate. It still allows for the moment that a groom sees his bride on their wedding day, but on a more intimate level, which some of our brides find really relieves a lot of the pressure of walking down the aisle in front of all of those guests. And, it allows for some one on one time with the photographer to really capture some great shots together and with the wedding party without missing out on your party after the ceremony!

Vintages touches throughout the stationary by Lettered Olive really set the stage for the wedding day feel. Custom antique postcards were crafted and a logo with a vintage lace border was used throughout the wedding design. We even made a custom cornhole game for guests to play during cocktail hour!

Lettered Olive also crafted a custom “Charleston” map which was printed on the guest welcome bags. All of the wedding weekend locations were noted.

Antique keys and tags engraved with guests’ names, and attached to paper cards with table numbers, adorned a moss covered board for guests to find their seats at dinner.

Large wooden bed swings hung from live oak branches overlooking the river during cocktail hour.

As a special treat for the groom and his friends, a true Southern bourbon bar was on hand.

Lush greens, pale pinks, and creams dotted all of the florals we designed.

Draping covered in green garlands helped to give a landscaped garden feel to the dining room.

Moss and ivy topiaries on longer tables were perfect accents to the floral centerpieces on the square table. I love giving a dining room a layered look by working with different sizes, shapes, heights, and textures.

Jim Smeal did his version of a naked cake decorated with champagne grapes…

What else other than a vintage Model T could be more perfect for this couples’ departure.

8.01.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Cakes, Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Photographers, Press, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>