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.
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.
The flower girls wore crowns made with the same summer flowers, and were gifted Charleston Sweetgrass baskets.
Bridesmaids wore mossy green linen shift dresses by JCrew, and carried airy summer bouquets fit and hearty enough for a seaside ceremony.
The flowers were a mix of summer blooms like zinnias, dahlias, lisianthus, and maidenhair fern.
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 were little peach baskets filled with local South Carolina peaches.
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.
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.
The wedding cake by Jim Smeal featured burlap rings with green growing vines…
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.
This wedding… Oh, this wedding. Full of so much prettiness and personal vibes. Flowers were the main focus and we used them for so many little details. Sara and Dominic decided that a destination wedding in Charleston would be the perfect option for their NYC guests (and its where the mother of the bride lives), and Lowndes Grove Plantation was the spot they landed on, and we certainly know why. Liz Banfield captured all of the gorgeous shots.
After the teal and gray color palette was set, Lettered Olive created a sweet scroll design used throughout all of the wedding printed materials.
Charleston Maptotes were stuffed with custom water bottles, a local Rewind candle and printed matches, and many snacks and sweets.
For the gray, white, and teal color scheme, tulips, roses, ranunculus, orchids, and luxe lamb’s ear made pretty bouquets and boutonierres.
The bride’s lush bouquet was hand tied with a monogramed vintage ribbon.
One of the sweetest moments of the day, was watching the Mother of the Bride walk her daughter down the aisle and “give her away”.
For the ceremony, the Ashley River provided a gorgeous backdrop to the orchid draped chuppa. Outdoor lounges were set up for guests to watch the sunset over the river later in the evening.
One of our favorite special decor tricks is using food safe flowers like dendrobium orchid blooms added to champagne- it just elevates the already elegant cocktail.
Wanting the pop of color, but not wanting to obstruct the view through the clear topped dinner tent- teal fabric boxes were created to then hang the chandelier. 3 extra long tables set up in rows made the tent feel much more like guests were having dinner in an elegant dining room then a sea of tables in a tent.
Orchid strands provided a special standout for the bride and groom chairs. Gray taper candles from Creative Candles, mixed with gray porcelain votive holders gave a more thoughtful look than just white. And dinner menus were housed in silver boxes with hand written name cards serving as place cards.
Instead of one large traditional cake, Jim Smeal made individual tiers in different flavors guests could chose from- the flowers on top dictated the difference. We built a special tiered display with the cakes already plated and easily self served.
A large printed bar flanked the exterior of the lounge tent allowing guests sweeping views of the river and a place to grab a drink with fellow guests
After a quick change into a sparkling shorty stunner, the bride and groom departed in a vintage convertible to sparklers… I know we’ve seen sparklers over and over, but they really do make gorgeous photos, don’t they?
Recognized as one of the nation’s leading tastemakers, Tara Guérard has earned a widespread reputation for her ability to create spectacular settings celebrating life’s most anticipated occasions. As the visionary and founder of Tara Guérard Soirée, she is best known for her distinct style that honors the storied traditions of Southern hospitality paired with a modern aesthetic and flair for the unexpected.
