Category Archives: Event Planning

May 09, 2016

Our precious pets can’t be forgotten on our wedding day! They are just as much a part of our family as our wedding party, so why not find a way to have them there. Today, we’re sharing some of the ways that our clients have had them with them in the past.

hillary dogs

photo by Liz Banfield

This couple had matching Goldens and knew they had least had to have one photo. The problem with having them as part of the ceremony was that they would jump all over the bride’s dress and wreck havoc during the ceremony. So, we hired dog wranglers to have them onsite after the ceremony for photos and then get them home safely and fed for the evening.

sheep at wedding

photo by Adrienne Page

This was a fun request, the mother of the bride had collected these plaster sheep and wanted to incorporate them at the wedding. So, we had them “grazing” on the front lawn of the reception space and made lovely garland wreaths for them.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

This sweet pup was at the party all evening…

photo by Liz Banfield

For the couple with matching Australian Shepards, we did a photo shoot with them and a standup chalkboard. The message read “save the date” which was used for a save the date postcard, and then “just married” for the favor boxes. Favor boxes, were take home wedding cake in wooden boxes with brass engraved “doggie” tags.

photo by Liz Banfield

Bubba the pug had to make his appearance at this couple’s wedding, whose parents also have pugs, definitely making it a family affair.

labs

photo by Adrienne Page

These sweet labs were with the bride and bridal party as they were getting ready on the wedding day. Not to be excluded they too were getting fancy with the girls.

5.09.16 | TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal Style, Event Planning, Photographers, Spotted!, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

May 04, 2016

Wedding Wednesday on the Farm

As we are looking forward to our upcoming wedding in Newport, Rhode Island, it reminded me of this splendid affair we did at the family farm of the bride in Martha’s Vineyard. The property was breathtaking, and the father of the bride had a century old barn moved to the farm from Canada. They host guests every fourth of July for dinner in the barn and festivities on site, so what a better way to celebrate than by hosting the wedding there as well. Adrienne Page captured all of the images.

Bridal Collage

The bride had all of the women in her family’s initials embroidered onto her bouquet ribbon. The groom gifted his bride an enamel Hermes bracelet on the wedding day along with words to his future bride.

The guest welcome bags contained locally bottled waters, vintage Vineyards postcards, snacks included homemade caramel bars, and custom printed playing cards (the couple and their families enjoying playing several card games) all in a Martha’s Vineyard maptote.

Ceremony Collage

The baby’s breath en masse made a statement for the ceremony aisle. The natural beauty of the land was the best backdrop.

Flower girl Collage

All of the flowers used at the wedding were purchased in town at the farm stand based on what was available. Bridesmaids wore dresses by Lela Rose, a friend of the bride and groom who attended the wedding.

Cocktail hour Collage

Natural wood was a design element the bride really wanted incorporated, so we painted many wooden signs placed throughout the party. And, the seating chart was fashioned from calligraphied wooden paint stirrers.

The bride and her mother work in the interior design field, so they selected many of their favorite design coffee table books and had guests pen notes to the couple in lieu of a guest book.

Dinner was held inside the vintage barn that was moved to the property from Canada.

Dinner Collage

All of the wooden flooring, beams, etc inside the barn were all original. We printed the menu on large wooden signs to match the rustic feel of the barn.

Placesetting Collage dinner

Lounge Collage Cake table

Nighttime Collage

Guests enjoyed a cheese cart that was served after dinner in the “Boogie Tent”, full of local cheeses, fruit spreads, and honeys guests could select what they want and servers plated cocktail plates for them.

Getaway Collage

In order to keep foreign grasses or plants at bay, guests tossed bird seed to the couple as they departed by a vintage “woody” owned by a fellow islander.

5.04.16 | TARA GUÉRARD
Books, Bridal, Bridal Style, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Parties, Photographers, Reception, Travel, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Apr 20, 2016

Tailored Chic Wedding Wednesday

After bringing you this lovely bride’s advice in our Real Bride to Bride advice series, and looking through her photos, it made me remember what fun we had planning and designing her day and wanted to share for this Wedding Wednesday. Corbin Gurkin always provides such stunning imagery (like the portrait above), and I loved how tailored and chic the navy and white was paired with citrusy spring colors.

Bride and Groom Collage

Lettered Olive created a fresh take on traditional invitations- with going navy versus black and hand caligraphied text versus a stock font. An image of Hibernian Hall was letterpressed into the background of the reception card as a nod to the venue.

church Collage

Simple greenery en masse made a super chic design element for the church. Lemon Leaf garland was woven into the exterior gates at First Scots Presbyterian Church, and bouquets of lemon leaf and boxwood branches lined the ceremony aisle. The alter was adorned with large arrangements of greenery proving that you don’t have to spend a ton on flowers to get an impactful look.

Exterior Collage

Guests were greeted at Hibernian Hall with draped gates, planted boxwoods and lanterns on the large steps (to later provide a glowing design into the evening for the porch lounge seating), and a custom designed monogram flag.

Hibernian Collage

Delicate but sophisticated seating viognettes were set up surrounding the dance floor and stage making guests feel right at home. For a cake and dessert table, garlands of greenery and bright florals created a gorgeous display.

Food Collage

Since this was a cocktail type reception, we really wanted to make the food displays on point. Composed hors d’eouvres were artfully displayed for easy pick up, and different areas throughout the evening provided an evolving menu- like late night hot biscuits. Rolling carts with cronuts and iced coffee shots were wheeled out to guests late into dancing for a sweet sip.

I love a clean but ample bar- no bottles, or mixers on display… glassware is presented in bookcases or cabinetry as it would be at home, and a butcher block wooden top and custom fabric give it that chic and tailored look for guests spending time in conversation while getting cocktails.

Getaway Collage

Custom confetti poppers sent the bride and groom off in the vintage convertible. The couple grabbed the flag from the front gates and waved it during their send off! Congratulations to Annie and Davis who are expecting their first child, which always makes me feel like we did our job!

See more from this wedding over at Charleston Weddings Magazine.

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