Category Archives: Event Design

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Today’s wedding Wednesday post celebrates one of my favorite types of wedding to design and plan- a wedding in the client’s home. There is nothing more special for a bride to get married at the home where grew up, or where the parents have created a home.  And, how fantastic for a bride to get ready for the day in a place where she is comfortable! We look forward to heading back to our client’s home in October, when we will be doing another wedding at their home for this bride’s younger sister!   Liz Banfield provides this lovely imagery.

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Wedding party Collage

This bride wanted a formal and classic feel for the day. Guys wore white dinner jackets, which was the perfect compliment for the blue and white color palette accented with green. All white flowers were still lush and full of texture.

Ceremony floral Collage

The aisle began at the front door making for a grand entrance for all of the wedding party attendants.

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Flooring was laid over the front yard and covered with seagrass making for a natural extension of the surroundings. Wrought iron chandeliers full of greenery and flowers blanketed the ceremony “alter”.

Ceremony Collage

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I always encourage clients who are hosting the wedding at their home, to open it up. Invite the party in! Use your silver and serving pieces, there is no more perfect occasion to do so!

Cocktail food Collage

Since, this wedding had hundreds of guests in attendance, we needed to be strategic in the layout and serving of food. With an overall garden theme, cocktail shrimp served in a garden fountain just seemed like the perfect fit!

Cocktail detail Collage

Large food stations with individual composed dishes were arranged throughout the grounds. For me, seated dinners provide such a template for design and decor that you sometimes can’t achieve as well with stations or buffet style parties. So, we really work to dress up and design our stations and bars. Umbrellas were filled with greenery, flowers, and candle lanterns. Custom fabric and toppers finish off the tailored feel we were going for…

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Garden Collage

The mother of the bride is an avid and accomplished gardner in her own right. A couple of weeks after the wedding, the local Garden Tour was set to make it’s final stop at her property… so, we already had surroundings that most people would only hope to have.

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Cake Collage

We decided to house the cake in it’s own “greenhouse”. The home had a Cistern type building on the grounds that made a beyond elegant backdrop for the cake. We designed a flower installation to accent the amazing detail of the cake florals made by Jim Smeal.

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©LizBanfield.0933.8027.13.2013.27 Late night Collage

To keep guests sustained and entertained well into the evening, late night food stations with mini donuts and hot pretzels were set up and servers passed root beer floats around the dance floor (which also provided a refreshing treat on the dance floor).

Going away Collage

Sparklers and fireworks provided a photo worthy send off of the couple…

4.11.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Reception, Weddings | Comments >>
Apr 10, 2018

photo by Corbin Gurkin 

It’s Spring officially (sorry Northeast friends) and for us that means one of our very favorite items for floral design are here- blooming branches!  Quince, pear, cherry, even dogwood are just some of our favorites, and we are lucky enough to use them at least one or twice a year for clients.  Come with us to see all of the ways we like to use them, maybe they will help inspire you!

photo by Corbin Gurkin

For this ceremony in Charleston, two urns of blooming pear branches anchors a soft but bountiful centerpiece… We like the height they give in this church with large vaulted ceilings.

photo by Liz Banfield

For a springtime backyard affair, we wanted the tents to feel like indoor gardens. So, we filled large terra cotta pots with hydrangeas and huge cherry blossom sprays. Live sculpted boxwood in planters were also used throughout.

photo by Liz Banfield

Love love love this wedding where we were able to use the branches trimmed down in the centerpieces… it added such an airy component.

photos by Liz Banfield

But, really our favorite is in ceremony decor… They would be just as stunning on their own or partnered with floral pieces.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

Of course, we aren’t above making them ourselves… for this bride who really wanted some drama to her ceremony decor but was in the off season, we painted small tree branches, and glued live miniature orchids to create our own blooming branches!

4.10.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Event Design, Flowers, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

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Today’s post showcases the rehearsal dinner of our couple featured recently on our blog and in Martha Stewart Weddings. The Wedding Eve party consisted of a more intimate rehearsal dinner for extended family and wedding party, then, the couple welcomed their out of town guests for an after dinner cocktail and dance party. Brides gorgeous waterfall gown by Nardos Imam, and photos by Corbin Gurkin.

Scenery Collage

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With gorgeous scenery and urban setting, the Huguenot Loft in Greenville, SC was the perfect “modern rustic” setting for the event, since the wedding the following day would take place at the family home of the bride. The converted mill built in the 1800’s already had great features for us to build upon like exposed brick walls, antique plank flooring, and exposed wooden ceiling beams. A simple palette of white and green was perfect for the Spring season, while the added wooden details (like in the menus, farm tables, and chairs) gave a masculine touch. Simple but perfectly detailed linen runners edged in green ribbon matched the ribbons giving a pop of color to the place settings.

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An after dinner lounge offered guests a place to catch up and convene over cocktails.

Black and white Collage

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After a 3 course dinner by a favorite local caterer, the couple welcomed guests with an after party. Sliders, BBQ Biscuits, and an abundant cheese display, along with Zac Brown cover band- 20 Ride kept guests partying late into the evening!

4.09.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal Style, Entertaining, Event Design, Rehearsal Dinner, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>