Category Archives: Event Planning

Jul 02, 2018

This wedding has us all getting ready for beach season! This couple married overlooking the beach on Seabrook Island, where the bride’s family has a home. You could see the love between them, and having fun was their top priority. Good thing everyone kept their cool when a blackout happened that day causing the entire island to loose power- which means A.C. (at the end of July in Charleston no less). Adrienne Page provides the lovely images.

Accessories collage

Wanting something different, when we found the fabric we were going to use throughout the wedding decor, we decided to have clutches made for the bridesmaids to carry as well.

Flower girl collage

The flower girls wore crowns made with the same summer flowers, and were gifted Charleston Sweetgrass baskets.

Ceremony collage bridesmaids

Bridesmaids wore mossy green linen shift dresses by JCrew, and carried airy summer bouquets fit and hearty enough for a seaside ceremony.

wreath

The flowers were a mix of summer blooms like zinnias, dahlias, lisianthus, and maidenhair fern.

Food collage The guests dined at stations with Lowcountry and Mexican influences. When doing stations, I like when the dishes pre composed and already plated, so that guests can easily grab a dish and eat it while maybe having to stand or with a drink in hand. Desserts accompanying the cake were Caramel Flan, and mini Churros in Chocolate.

favors

Favors were little peach baskets filled with local South Carolina peaches.

Printed Collage

Lettered Olive designed a logo that was used throughout the wedding printing that included die cut shapes and signage mimicking the logo. A green “burlap” pattern was also created to bring in the wedding palette and materials.

Reception Collage

A lounge was created on the porch for guests to enjoy the beach views. Sea elements were a small detail- coral votives and the centerpiece stems were covered by mixed shells resting in the vases.

Cake

The wedding cake by Jim Smeal featured burlap rings with green growing vines…

Lanterns

Going away Collage

For the couple who were moving to Texas after the wedding, we surprised them with Texas state flags that guests waved as the couple departed by golf cart.

7.02.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal Style, Cakes, Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | 1 Comment

Jun 18, 2018

Monday Music

photo by Liz Banfield

We have many brides that are seeking something new and different beyond a string quartet, dj, or live dance band to play a special song or tribute to someone or something on their wedding day. Maybe it’s a piece from their heritage or a type of musician they were exposed to growing up. At any rate, we love helping bring these wishes to reality. Here are just some of the interesting variations we have been lucky to work with over the years. For the couple upstairs living abroad, but having grown up in the South, a Jazz horn section led the couple out to their send off for guests to toss rose petals.

photos by Adrienne Page, Perry Vaile, and Liz Banfield

For ceremony music, we’re seeing a lot of what we call “Tradition with a Twist”… For an outdoor ceremony on a bride’s family farm, Bagpipes worked so well to announce the bridal processional. They weren’t too loud, and with the scenery were quite awe inspiring. Our favorite string ensembles come from Charleston Virtuosi (they have a New York Virtuosi, and several international posts). We love their professionalism and creativity- they can play “virtually” anything from Coldplay to Lady Gaga to the Beatles. For another outdoor wedding, we had 12 string musicians play the processional as guests were escorted to their seats… it made quite an impression. photos by Gayle Brooker, Corbin Gurkin, and Perry Vaile

We love incorporating a choir into ceremonies… Some of the more unique ones that we have used are Gospel Choirs, and Childrens’ Choir.

photo by Perry Vaile

In this wedding ceremony, the Lord’s Prayer was sung acapella by a gospel choir member.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

photos by Liz Banfield

For receptions, cocktail hours, and rehearsal dinners, we have clients that really like to customize or do something totally different. We have had Jersey Boy impersonators (due to the bride and groom’s first date to the Broadway musical), Tone Loc for a fun loving couple’s surprise to their guests’, and even an Elvis impersonator!

6.18.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Charleston, Event Planning, Parties, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Jun 13, 2018

Vineyard Vows

Martha’s Vineyard is one of our favorite spots out of town for weddings. We can’t wait to be up there again at the end of the summer! But for today’s wedding Wednesday, we’re sharing this July wedding from 2010. Blue and white ikat was the design inspiration along with wooden and natural elements playing off of the family barn where the reception was held. Photos by Adrienne Page.

We love incorporating local flavor in the wedding guest welcome bags. The oh so perfect Martha’s Vineyard bags from Maptote; also included were custom printed playing cards with the wedding emblem, locally sourced and bottled waters, vintage island post cards, Cape Cod chips, and homemade sea salt caramel bars.

A gift from the groom- a vintage Hermes enamel bracelet perfectly finished the bride’s ensemble.

Martha’s Vineyard has so many glorious roadside flower stands, for all of the bridal party flowers, we ordered nothing ahead of time and shopped these stands for all of the personal flowers that day. For the brides’ something blue, all of the mother’s and grandmother’s monograms were embroidered on her bouquet ribbon.

The ceremony took place up on a bluff overlooking the farm, so guests were able to take in the property on their stroll to the ceremony.

The bridesmaids wore Lela Rose bridesmaids dresses (Lela, also in attendance is friends with the groom and his family in Dallas). All white bouquets from roadside farmstands were a contrast to the bride’s colorful bouquet.

Massive clusters of baby’s breath created a natural and whimsical feel for the simply elegant ceremony.

The father of the bride had an affinity for vintage barns, and had this one moved down piece by piece from Canada. It was the perfect spot for the wedding dinner.

Cocktail hour took place below in the stable area below the barn with seating throughout. Individual wooden signs let guests know where they were seating for dinner.

Menus were printing on large wooden signs, much like the one we made for the stone wall entrance.

Little wooden stirrers tied to the napkins with blue baker’s twine were sweet place cards.

After dinner, guests partied in the “boogie tent” and lounge for the rest of the evening. A stylish blue lounge provided a serene place for guests to enjoy cake, a cheese cart, cocktails and a reprieve from dancing.

After a birdseed toss (friendly for the environment of the farm), the bride and groom departed by a vintage Woody and spent the night in town before heading off for their honeymoon.

6.13.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Parties, Reception, Travel, Weddings | Comments >>