Category Archives: Event Planning

Mar 24, 2020

One of the most popular topics that remains at my speaking engagements or questions we receive are how to look at food serving and displays in new and different ways. So, we’re sharing some ways we have styled food or incorporated it into the decor… Like above- for a wedding with stations and over 400 guests, we had to make the food accessible and interesting. We took a garden fountain from a hardware store, sealed and treated it with food safe materials, and then turned it into a cocktail shrimp focal point.

photos by Corbin Gurkin and Liz Banfield

We find cocktail hour and passed hors d’eouvres an easy place to get creative. Of course, the trays you use can be customized and you’ve seen us talk about printing paper liners to fit your look.. but ask your caterer about different ways to present the food. Here, mini tacos are served in lime wedges that can also be used to squeeze atop the taco for a bit of extra flavor, chicken and waffles are much more elegant in mini waffle cones; and ceviche in scallop shells makes such a pretty presentation.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

I feel like a big part of my job is to make sure that guests have a fun and and seamless experience. So, again, for receptions where the guests aren’t served a plated dinner, finding easy and creative ways to serve the food is important. Here, shot glasses are pre filled with hummus and veggies for a quick pick up option.

photos by Nickie Stone and Corbin Gurkin

photos by Liz Banfield

Another popular item we are playing with are cheese or antipasta displays during cocktail hours, or even as late night food around the dance floor area. We have been using different pieces of furniture to create a display, which works well for a self serve function. We have also built tall lucite tables with butcher block tops for some cocktail hour antipasta displays, I love how guests can access them from all angles. And we have a marble topped push cart that we use often for serving, so doing a classic glamorous cheese cart after dinner is one of my favorite things to do!

photos by Tec Petaja

I love this new twist on a classic celebration food- caviar.. For a recent cocktail hour, we recently designed a beautiful self serve station including all the varieties of accompaniments, and even chilled vodka.

photo by Elizabeth Messina

Sometimes food can make an impact just being used in an unexpected way… For a bride whose father grew watermelons- we had our ice sculptor put slices in ice for a pop of color on a seafood display.

photos by Tec Petaja and Corbin Gurkin

Speaking of seafood displays, oysters are a long standing wedding food, especially in Charleston when we can get local ones. They can be a challenging food to serve because you have to find a nice way to present them and to deal with the shells when finished. We built wooden oyster tables that allow us to serve oysters on the half shell over crushed ice – of course with mini tabasco bottles and lemon wedges… Catering here by Cru Catering.

photo by Liz Banfield

This couple chose pies over a traditional wedding cake.. Individual pies in an array of flavors were displayed on tiered stands, with printed flavor flags!

photo by Virgil Bunao

For one wedding, a bride wanted to have a self serve champagne station with different mixers and embellishments… A rented bakers rack made a pretty and unexpected buffet set up. If guests have to serve themselves, then better make it thoughtful, right?

3.24.20 | TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Food and Drink, Parties, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Mar 17, 2020

Glorious Greens

Happy St. Patrick’s Day… We are throwing it back to this gloriously green wedding we did several years ago at Lowndes Grove Plantation. This venue is a fave because it allows us to create different spaces and designs based on historic architecture, tented courtyards, and glorious trees overlooking the Ashley River. Liz Banfield provides all of the lovely images.

For the lush and natural garden feel the bride wanted, Lettered Olive created a printed “nature” paper along with die cut patterns to use on the wedding invitations. Canvas garden totes made the perfect unexpected guest welcome bags. For an outdoor afternoon ceremony, ceremony programs doubled as fans.

A varied mixture of white and green florals provided lush texture and I loved how the bouquets incorporating both colors looked against the bridesmaids’ green dresses and the bride’s dress.

Heel savers were provided so ladies could easily enjoy the ceremony on the lawn. Natural woven bags full of rose petals were provided for guests to toss at the bride and groom after they were married and coming back down the aisle.

Antique church pews mixed with rustic chairs overlook the greenery covered alter.

Guests were treated to cocktail hour bites and sips by Patrick Properties Hospitality Group. The seafood station was housed over ice blocks full of green leaves for added decor.

The couple met while on a Peace Corps tour in Africa, so we had African made fabrics brought in for different areas of decor, like these dinner escort cards.

Dinner took place in the oyster tabby tented with a clear view of the sky.

The African fabric brought a varied mix tied to the dinner chairs. Branches calligraphied with guests’ names provided the natural place cards.

Like life floral vines covered the wedding cake from Jim Smeal’s artistry.

The after dinner lounge and bar provided a perfect space for guests to retreat for dancing after dinner.

An after dinner dessert station featured individual treats full of fall flavor… Servers passed mini cones to guests on the dance floor need a little treat to call off…

A vintage convertible in the perfect shade of green provides a photo worthy getaway for the bride and groom!

3.17.20 | TARA GUÉRARD
Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Weddings | Comments >>

Feb 25, 2020

Designing a Bar

photo by Jose Villa

I guess one of the design elements we are most known for are our bars. I’ve preached for years that a bar makes the party, it must be big enough to accommodate lots of bartenders (so that there are no lines) and easy to get to, sleek and clean on top (don’t display those beer bottles and plastic straws!), and of course look amazing. We typically like to add some lower lighting through lamps, lanterns, candles, etc. depending on the look, and also custom printed cocktail napkins from Lettered Olive. For the cocktail hour bar above, custom printed fabric featuring a design used throughout the wedding decor covered the bottom and was topped with cut butcher block for a designer yet approachable feel. Umbrella trim from Boutique Tents.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

Of course, not only must they be good looking, they also must be functional. We either build or rent different types of shelving or units that dress up the glassware storage- get creative, it doesn’t have to be just a table with a white polyester linen on it. And, sweet details like matching bow ties or aprons for your bartenders pretty much nail it every time.

photo by Ryan Ray

One of our recent and most liked bar comes from a wedding we did at a plantation here in Charleston. A large square bar (so that it’s approachable from many different sides) is covered in custom printed fabric. Sleek marble on top gives it a elegant finish, and a floral topped glass storage unit takes this bar to an over the top decor moment. We also made custom lamps to hang from trees which swayed along with the spanish moss.

photos by Corbin Gurkin

For a summer time coastal wedding, live greens and florals were the way to go here. The couple’s name was even spelled in fresh blooms on one of the reception bars. Ombre rose panels were so fun yet impactful.

photo by Liz Banfield

This client loved the wall mural at the famed Bememlmen’s Bar at the Carlyle Hotel in New York. So, we created our interpretation and had it printed on fabric to cover the bottom of this oval bar topped with custom cut copper. This was definitely a reception showstopper.
photo by Lauren Bailey photo

For a light and airy tented reception at a historic property in Atlanta, GA, a white wedding bar was topped with delicate greens to add a little element contrasting the starkness. A cluster of woven lampshades draped from greenery garlands gave it a modern garden look.

photo by Tec Petaja

2.25.20 | TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Events, Food and Drink, Interior Design, Photographers, Reception, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>