Category Archives: Entertaining

Nov 27, 2017

We hope you enjoyed our wedding Wednesday post on Gaby and Ward’s super glam Kiawah Island wedding last week. Today, we’re sharing a quick post on their rehearsal dinner because I think it’s always fun to see how the whole weekend comes together in photos. Thank you again to Corbin Gurkin for the sweet images.

Gaby and Ward welcomed friends and family at the Ocean Room at Kiawah Island for their simple supper. The rooms itself lends itself more to the masculine feel, which works out since the rehearsal dinner is typically hosted by the groom’s family. But of course, we have to make sure the bride is happy too! Hence, the mixing of dark grays and browns, textures, and the pop of pink flowers.

One long table was the perfect way to set the tone for the blending of families…

The menu cards were flipped over and hand printed with each name doubling as place cards… Love this easy space and cost saving detail. And, you know how I love to adorn napkins… simple ribbons with a camelia tucked in made a pretty detail.

A sweet and attentive groom takes care of his bride’s tears, due to her father’s toast.

Brides, it’s so great to have your wedding photographer on hand friday night as well, because you can get some lovely photos together before the big day… Love it.

11.27.17 | TARA GUÉRARD
Charleston, Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Parties, Rehearsal Dinner, Uncategorized | Comments >>

Nov 14, 2017

At The Kid’s Table

Photos courtesy of Southern Living Magazine

Yesterday’s post focused so much on planning a holiday or dinner party that would most likely be a grown up function, I wanted to make sure to share a few idea on setting up a kid’s table, and making it chic enough that adults and older kids would feel just as special sitting there too! For a photo shoot with Southern Living Magazine many years ago, we created a formal Thanksgiving spread at our home in Flat Rock, NC. I wanted the kids’ table to still feel formal, but important pieces that I would be heartbroken if ruined were reserved for the adults. One fun detail we did was have the kids’ names etched on glasses, so that it served as a place card and also something they could keep at home.

Photos by Liz Banfield

For younger kids, offering games or activities at the table may give the grown ups time to enjoy dinner and conversation. For this party, we served all of the kids’ meals on little trays so they would be done in advance and served while the adults were serving themselves. I also love the idea of getting inexpensive wooden ornaments or figures at a craft store (or online) and handwriting on them for place cards! You could even do trees, stars, or angels and the kids could have them for Christmas ornaments a month later!

Photo courtesy of One Kings Lane

There are so many sources for nice melamine or bamboo placesettings and utensils that you could consider dressing up your disposables to cut back on all of the clean up- a kids table is a perfect spot for this! Here, having bowls of fruit or other goodies on the table if the food is still being served can help those hungry tummies. We have a local chocolatier that we placed at each placesetting that had the kiddos excited.

Something we have done at several of our weddings that would be a good idea “steal” are gift boxes/baskets at the kids’ table. We have filled these with mini puzzles, crayons/coloring books, or an assortment of toys to keep kiddos busy during dinner.

11.14.17 | TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Event Design, Press, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, Uncategorized | Comments >>

Nov 07, 2017

Totally Into Table Numbers

Photo by Corbin Gurkin

In honor of our recent appearance in the Martha Stewart Weddings feature on creative table numbers, we wanted to share a few ideas from our weddings that were a bit hit. Because, you know we can’t resist every little detail. For a fall wedding in Aspen, Colorado, die cut wooden cards were perfect for our sophisticated rustic wedding. Lettered Olive does all of our printing (and can do yours as well), but you can also find many of these on Etsy.

Photo by Liz Banfield

Many years ago (before you were readily able to find agate slices) we found this green agate at the gift market show in NYC. So, we scooped up enough to have our caligrapher hand paint the table numbers on them.

Photo by Liz Banfield

One thing we always have to think about when designing our tabletops is how crowded they may end up- for example, if we do offer bread service we incorporate it into the meal because there is never room for the b&b plates! To eliminate crowd on these tables, we ordered metal house numbers to hang from the overhead chandeliers…

Photo by Liz Banfield

For a beachfront wedding in September that was high on style and metallic accent colors, we had sheets of metal cut and our calligrapher painted the table numbers on them. These marble card holders in a neutral color we found have proven to be so useful and versatile.

For a golf themed wedding hole flags printed with the table numbers were a thoughtful addition to the tables and offered a bit of height in the tent…So cute, right?

Photo by Liz Banfield

For those that prefer something a bit more along the traditional route, cards that were painted with the numbers were draped by ribbon from the chairs.. We just hot glued button mums to the ends of the ribbon to hide the cut ends and jazz them up a bit. You could use many different flowers or other decorative items here.

11.07.17 | TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Event Design, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>