Category Archives: Event Planning

Dec 29, 2015

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Corbin Gurkin

As 2015 comes to an end, I’m reflecting on what can only be described as an amazing year. Amazing clients, amazing venues and locations, amazing photographers, and amazing feats performed by the Soirettes. I’m sharing a little snippett or two from each wedding and look forward to what 2016 brings! Our first photo is from a wedding in Aspen, Colorado shot by Corbin Gurkin.  I truly appreciate the change in scenery that the mountain backdrop offered us, and we were able to embrace different design elements that we are often reinventing at our coastal venues.

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

This fun, funny, and vivacious couple had a truly reflective and personal wedding at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, SC. There are so many charming details at this venue alone and throw in a couple full of personality and it made for a perfectly charming event. We’ll be featuring more from this wedding shot by Perry Vaile in the new year on a Wedding Wednesday.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Liz Banfield joined us for this simply elegant affair in Sea Island, Ga. An iconically classic location lent beautiful scenery to this sweet couple as they celebrated with friends and family. We always love being at Sea Island.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Corbin Gurkin

A celebration at the brides’ family home in Greenville, SC was a fabulous way to start off the year. I can’t wait to share more of this wedding when we are able to, Corbin’s photos are amazing as always.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Elizabeth Messina

Brief showers during a cocktail hour provided for some sweet shots by Elizabeth Messina. This affair overlooking the water at Lowndes Grove Plantation included a satellite bar on a deep water dock on the Ashley River.

Tara Guerard Soiree

This bride (one half of design house Dee Hutton) designed and created her own wedding dress. With a flair for the dramatic, a fitting fete at Fenwick Plantation outside of Charleston was the perfect place for this dress to make it’s debut. Look out for a feature on this wedding in Brides Magazine in the new year.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Corbin Gurkin Tara Guerard Soiree by Corbin Gurkin

This sweet couple celebrated with a wedding and reception in the heart of downtown Charleston. Corbin Gurkin was on hand to capture all of the ivory and gold details .

Tara Guerard Soiree by Corbin Gurkin Tara Guerard Soiree by Corbin Gurkin

Wrapping up the year, this wedding at home took place overlooking the Battery in historic Charleston. Shot by Corbin Gurkin, you can see more the beautiful summer details in the recent Charleston Weddings Magazine.

12.29.15   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Events, Fashion, Photographers, Press, Reception, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

Today we are sharing the wedding of one of the sweetest couples we’ve had the pleasure of working with. The bride planned her wedding in the middle of her second year of law school and while her fiancee was running for a local office and you would never know she had any stress! After attending one of her best friends’ wedding that we planned in Charleston, she asked us to come to her home state of Arkansas, for her New Year’s fete at Marlsgate Plantation. Liz Banfield was with us to capture it all.

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

Classic blue and white was an early design decision made since the bride hade an affinity for Carolyne Roehme. We also knew we wanted to approach the wedding from more of an interior design perspective than a wedding design perspective. We were lucking enough to scout the perfect fabric that kicked off the design theme and we used that throughout including wrapping the bride’s bouquet. To give it an even more tailored look, we added blue fabric buttons.

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

We, along with Lettered Olive, really enjoyed working on all of the printing… The guest welcome bags were custom made shoe bags so that guests could travel home with them, full of local Mountain Valley Spring Water, mini blue champagne splits, and bags of rice produced by the bride’s father’s business.

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

We were so fortunate with the weather, it had rained and rained for days leading up to the wedding, and then on the big day, the sun just came out and shone. This looks like it could be a summer day in Charleston, but it was 40 degrees and wet! We had to wrap our sweet bride up in between photos to get warm again. P.S. her Carolina Herrera dress was unbelievable and literally looked as if it was custom made for her. Pleats of silk faille ran the length of the dress, but it still flowed so light, loved loved loved it.

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

After the ceremony at a local historic church, the guests gathered for a tented affair on the plantation grounds. A framed fabric covered board held all of the caligraphied escort cards for dinner, and a fabric covered box we crafted for guests to drop notes they wrote to the couple.

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

The dining room at this wedding was really magical. There were so many candles glowing in the room and the white carpeting really transformed it into that “winter wonderland” feeling. The linens were white suede with thick blue roping along the bottom. They draped on the tables so beautifully and made the perfect palette for the blue and white china. But, a scene stealer were the wrought iron chandeliers that were part of the plantation property. We loved that we were able to hang them in the tent and use real candles with them.

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

Abundant centerpieces of garden roses made the room naturally fragrant… the letterpressed menu cards were slipped inside printed folders that were used for the save the dates and welcome booklets and were then caligraphied with each guests name.

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

Champagne was passed as dinner was ending to accompany the cake cutting. The detail on this wedding cake was amazing, such a centerpiece of the room!

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

The after dinner lounge was an amazing hang out for the guests. We did a woven checkerboard ceiling in the wedding colors, and had the coziest gold suede furniture throughout. Custom pillows were made from that same awesome blue and white fabric.

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

The couple opted for a traditional send off of a rice toss (for obviously family business reasons). We hand stamped muslin bags with the couples’ monogram, we really loved how these turned out.

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

Tara Guerard Soiree wedding by Liz Banfield

12.02.15   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Cakes, Event Design, Event Planning, Food and Drink, Interior Design, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Weddings | Comments >>

color-meanings

I was a psychology major at the College of Charleston, so when the Editor in Chief of Brides magazine brought up the meanings behind colors it got me thinking. Especially since I have an entire year ahead of me designing different shades of blue weddings.

Cake by Liz Banfield/ Tara Guerard Soiree

Jacoby tent by Liz BanfieldI love that there are so many different versions and variations of blue. Tiffany blue is a perennial favorite and one that works with many accent colors. Typically we see Tiffany blue used more during Spring or Summer months and I see “smart” “calm” and “faith”.

blue bridesmaid by Liz Banfield Blue tables by Liz BanfieldPeriwinkle, another blue lighter on the spectrum and still wildly popular is appropriate for any season. It says “natural” “stable” and “smart” to me.

Bridesmaids in navy by Corbin Gurkin

place setting and flowers by Corbin Gurkin navy table by corbin gurkin navy and gold cake by Corbin Gurkin

What can I say about classic navy? Navy has been gaining lots of legs in bride requests and surprisingly many of my navy weddings while historically has been in Fall and Winter, recently have been more in Spring! I love pairing the navy here with creams, pale peaches, and gold to lighten and brighten it up.

Pink dresses by Liz Banfield Pink wreath by LIz Banfield Pink boutonierres by Liz Banfield Pink tent by Liz Banfield

Probably the most popular wedding color at the end of the day, I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t think pink when it comes to weddings. With shades from “blush” to “bashful” pink can go bold or soft, and can be girlie or sophisticated. I think it’s probably one of the colors best represented by the emotions above.

Green tent by LIz Banfield Green place setting by Liz Banfield Green bouquet by Liz Banfield Green boutonierre by Liz Banfield

By far for us, the final most popularly requested color would be green. The consistent qualities I’ve experienced with my couples wanting this color are the “natural”, “balanced”, and “eco friendly”… I love how you can use literally all year round, from casual to formally elegant, and pairs with anything from gold to black!

11.23.15   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>