Event Design | Tara Guérard Soirée

Category Archives: Event Design

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 >>

Sep 05, 2018

A Brunch Wedding in Savannah

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We are fortunate that living in the South allows us to do winter weddings with almost as much ease as Spring weddings (it’s 60+ here in Charleston today!). When you have a back drop as graceful and stunning as the Ford Planation in Savannah, Georgia, you get year round spectacular events! For this Sunday brunch wedding, our bride and groom opted for a chic blue and white toile as the pattern du jour. The toile was worked into everything from the invitations to the umbrellas, table linens, and even tray liners. Winter white peonies and ranunculus were mixed with festive greens for centerpieces and bouquets which set a romantic mood and the cake was topped with seasonal fruit to finish it off. (All photos by Adrienne Page)

Of course there were plenty of personal touches as well. Our bride wore a vintage family veil, and received a beautiful bracelet to wear that day as a gift from the groom. The bride’s mother made homemade banana pecan bride and peach chutney which we packaged with custom designed tags by Lettered Olive and guests received as their welcome gift.

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Set under live oaks and overlooking the river, the wedding ceremony was anchored by a simple greenery covered chuppa. Guests then joined the couple on the back lawn of the Plantation for an al fresco brunch reception.

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The menu consisted of favorite Southern brunch delicacies with a twist, such as Quail and Grits -alongside Shrimp and Grits, Ford Eggs Benedict, as well as a Bloody Mary Station with pickled veggies and Artillery Punch (a famous Savannah celebratory cocktail). One long table topped with umbrellas in the signature pattern for shade allowed for guests to mingle easily. The bride hand wrote notes to all of her guests thanking them for being there, which also doubled as place cards.

As they said their goodbyes, guests tossed white rose petals out of paper cones made from the blue and white toile pattern while the couple drove off in a classic black vintage car. This winter wedding couldn’t have been more perfect!

9.05.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Reception, Recipes, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Travel, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>