Category Archives: Event Design

Mar 10, 2016

Tara Guerard Soiree by Corbin Gurkin

image by Corbin Gurkin

Just a short and sweet post today on some of my favorite recent place settings. One thing we really take pride in is setting a table. It makes the guests feel welcome and is a beautiful way to add in some eye candy. I love too when we see or hear from guests keeping the menus, place cards, etc. to take home.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Corbin Gurkin

image by Corbin Gurkin

Tara Guerard Soiree by Adrienne Page

image by Adrienne Page

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

image by Liz Banfield

Tara Guerard Soiree by Corbin Gurkin

image by Corbin Gurkin

Tara Guerard Soiree by Corbin Gurkin

image by Corbin Gurkin

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

image by Liz Banfield

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

image by Liz Banfield

3.10.16   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Event Design, Food and Drink, Photographers, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile We are so excited to share images from this stunning soiree shot by Perry Vaile photography. And, thank you to the Over The Moon Blog for their recent feature.  We loved loved loved working with this amazing and fun couple on their wedding last year at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, SC.  The laid back vibe of the couple was translated into a elegant but chill affair for their friends and family.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

The welcome gift by Palmetto Bluff and Soiree included homemade biscuits, butter, and jam, and homemade granola! A perfect little breakfast in bed for the guest cottages.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

We found this amazing marble paper that the bride loved as well, so we had fun finding different ways incorporating it throughout the wedding- kind of like a treasure hunt. Here, they line the pages of the ceremony programs by Lettered Olive.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

The bride and her ladies in dresses by Kate McDonald.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

How amazing is this mother of the bride in her Kate McDonald dress? Stunning!

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

The Chapel on site at Palmetto Bluff is a sweet site on it’s own, but we added a lovely photo backdrop for the vows by mimicking the arch of the window with greenery and simple flowers.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

Local gospel accapella group, the Plantation Singers provided music for cocktail hour  on the lawn overlooking the May River.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

You know how we love to design bars using different fabrics, or materials to make for a interesting installation. Thick lemon leaf creates a natural feel but statement piece for guests.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

Comfy seating viognette on the lawn for cocktail hour..

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

Dinner was held under a sail cloth tent with a mixture of long and square tables.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

One of my favorite design elements to the dinner tables were the clipboards containing the vellum calligraphied menus and place cards backed with the marbled paper.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

We wrapped glass candle cylinders with the marbled paper and had our calligrapher paint on the table numbers in metallic gold.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

A sweet little detail for the couple of the evening!

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

Guests moved into the ballroom after dinner for a full on dance party.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

We created sweet little seating spots on the porch outside the ballroom for those guests that wanted a quiet retreat from the action inside.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

Tara Guerard Soiree by Perry Vaile

After a quick change into a shorty jumpsuit, the couple departed by sparkler send off on a tandem bicycle back to their cottage!  Congratulations Caroline and Wyatt!

3.09.16   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Event Design, Event Planning, Fashion, Photographers, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Travel, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>
Mar 08, 2016

So, today we are going to show you (yes, you can do it!) how to make a beautiful spring wedding bouquet. If you are a DIY bride but intimidated by everything you see on Pinterest, or an eager bridesmaid ready to learn a trick of the trade and surprise your friend getting married, get ready because after this “how to” you’ll be making Soiree bouquets!
Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy Cuneo

Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy Cuneo

First steps are to gather your materials. All of these flowers were purchased at our local wholesale florist (you don’t have to have an account, you can buy walking in off of the street).  Sometimes I just go in an see what they have available with no wish list. You will also need stem wrap- which is a stretchy tape like material to bind the stems together, and scissors. Tara’s Tip: Oasis brand makes yellow handled scissors that are the best for cutting through thick stems. Remember too, to always keep your flower cutting scissors separate from your ribbon cutting scissors.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy Cuneo Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy Cuneo

Your first step is to “clean” your flowers. Remove all leaves, thorns, etc. I group all of the flowers I’m working with together so I can keep track of the distribution of them as I’m composing the bouquet.  FYI, bouquets will take more flowers than you think!  It’s always better to have more more more to allow for any breakage and you can use for boutonierres, flowers for the moms, or even flower girl petals and accessories.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy Cuneo

Start with the prettiest flower in the center then use different flowers to add texture all around. Try not to get too matchy matchy, a fresh out of the garden look is the goal! If you have a smaller flower like tea roses or sweet peas, I do like to use a cluster of those together to give them a little bit of bulk.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy Cuneo

  Tara’s Tip: Do your bouquet in front of a mirror. You can see it from both sides and watch that the shape stays how you want it.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy Cuneo Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy Cuneo

Make sure you hold the bouquet in your hand and that all stems as you add more remain facing the same direction, and be careful as it gets more full it can come undone easily. Start to wrap the stems at the hearty part of the stems right below they start to bend a bit by being grouped in the bouquet.  You will need to hold the stem wrap in place as you first start to secure it. Stretch it a bit to activate it’s stickiness and wrap it ontop of the starting end (if you pull too tight it will tear). Then you can spin the bouquet to wrap it for a total of 2-3″ of tape to ensure it’s secure.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy Cuneo

Use your good scissors to trim all of the stems to the same length.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy Cuneo Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy CuneoI love ribbon, so I’m always on the hunt for different or special pieces. Wrap your ribbon starting a little above the top of the tape- make sure you leave about 5″ of a tail for you to come back and tie. Wrap around to the bottom of the tape and then back up the opposite side, meeting the first tail end.  Tie together in a square knot. To give the ends a finished look, fold them in half- cut on an upwards angle to give the “innie” pointed look, and cut on a down angle to give the outie look.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Lucy Cuneo

Voila!   Thank you for the lovely images, Lucy Cuneo.

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