Category Archives: Parties

Dec 17, 2018

photo by Nickie Stone

With the holidays quickly creeping up on us, we’re sharing a few tips and modifications on designs we do for our clients that you can easily do at home for your holiday tabletops. Feel free to leave any questions or comments you may have if not covered here.

For this first takeaway, I love the idea of a roll or bread piece served on the plate with a name “flag” in it- something so simple and easy that is just a nice little touch for guests sitting down.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

This I love as a sweet touch for all of the upcoming holidays, a fresh sprig of rosemary laid out on napkins, you could also tie together a small bundle of fresh thyme with butchers twine in lieu of rosemary.

photos by Adrienne Page

We used this concept to display escort cards for a wedding dinner, but for a smaller gathering or dinner party, taking corks that you have around the house or from what you will be serving and placing handwritten name cards at each seat would be just so.

photo by Liz Banfield

Now, this is a really easy one – one even the kids could get involved with… finding a leaf or piece of greenery from the yard and writing names with metallic markers on them is truly a simply elegant design.

photo by Liz Banfield

I’ve been seeing different variations on this our and around a bit, but for the glam hostess, finding agate slices is fairly easy these days. Painting or writing with white or metallic on them for menus or place cards also makes a sweet take home surcie for the guests.

photo by Adrienne Page

Lots of ways you can do this at home… Finding different vessels from around the house and filling them with small bouquets of flowers, or greenery makes for a pretty addition to to a formal table, and it also means you can do less in the center. You could also use thing ribbon or twine to tie name cards around the vases.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

This idea would be a nice detail for a buffet type setting where it’s hard to find a lot of decor opportunities. Pre wrapping the silverware in cloth napkins will make it easy for guests to carry along with a full plate. Wrapping them with pretty paper, scraps of special wrapping or wallpaper will give it a finished touch.

photo by Gayle Brooker

For a simple, lovely, inexpensive, and easy centerpiece idea- purchase phalenopsis orchid plants at your local store (Trader Joe’s has great ones!), and put them in pots covered in moss. This is such a small task but really gives a formal and elegant touch… You could even spray paint the pot to match the color scheme.

photo by Liz Banfield

For a client whose rehearsal dinner fell on New Year’s Eve- we took silver strands from decorations we purchased online and decomposed them… tied to each each seat with name cards gives a festive feel!

12.17.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Parties, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Nov 13, 2018

A Thanksgiving Table

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( all photos by Southern Living/Laurey W. Glenn)

This Thanksgiving table scape photo shoot that we did with Southern Living Magazine a few years back is one of my favorites. I host Thanksgiving every year at our family’s cottage at Flat Rock in the NC Mountains so it was even more special this year as my family got to enjoy our photo shoot set up! I pulled some of my favorite shots, but you can see all of the details on Southern Living. The china is from my husband’s family so I went somewhat unexpectedly with the pink and gold color theme from the china’s pattern.

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I had a yummy suede linen made to fit our dining room table with a large cabled piping in the pale pink. And these “petal pink” taper candles from Creative Candles were the perfect added touch of color to offset not having any flowers in the centerpiece.

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There are fabulous antique markets and thrift stores up in the Hendersonville/Asheville area near where we are in Flat Rock. I found old clear glass candlesticks and painted them gold with craft paint. The apples are fall harvest NC apples that were so lovely on their own, I hated to paint them, but they sure did turn out beautifully. All SO easy to DIY and inexpensive!

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I love my etched glassware, which doubles as a perfect place card and surcie. I also believe you can never have enough embroidered napkins! These are from Lettered Olive and Elizabeth Joyce Monograms.

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Because it happens to work well in our space, and makes it easier for me as the hostess finishing up a large dinner, I always set up a self serve bar. I stock it with the cocktails, proper glassware needed, and cocktail napkins or any other tools needed to properly mix and serve.

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Another inexpensive DIY trick that we did here, is to get affordable cotton cocktail napkins (like these from CB2.com) and iron on monogram letters (available online and at most fabric and craft stores).

11.13.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Etiquette, Food and Drink, Interior Design, Parties, Shopping, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Nov 06, 2018

Scenes From a Dinner Party

I can’t believe the holidays are already around the corner, oh my! I recently held a small gathering at my home for my husbands’ friends and was able to use the tabletop design as almost a trial run for my Thanksgiving tabletop. I wanted to share some of the details with you as you are starting to plan some of your holiday designs. Thank you to Aaron and Jillian Photography for capturing all of the pretty images.

For the holidays, as well as heading into the 2018 wedding season, I’m loving copper as the new metallic. I also love these brown herringbone napkins. They are neutral enough to mix with whites or creams, and they offer so much texture. I love picking up napkins whenever I’m sourcing or shopping. They are easy to collect and always a great way to to add details to place settings. Hand written place tags thoughtfully tied elevate your holiday hosting.

I also love animal elements when they can be mixed in tastefully… I use a lot of hide rugs, and printed pillows in our lounges when the design calls for it. I’m loving bringing in feathers in subtle ways too. These candles are fab and have been a great addition, we even lined the back of an invitation recently with feathers! Also, people sometimes shy away from greens in their floral design. But, during the holidays I love creating pieces out of greens en masse.

Depending on your table size, I like opting for one large arrangement in a special piece (a silver bowl from your collection, or a ceramic/glass piece found at an antique store), or for longer tables, several small continuous arrangements so guests can converse across the table. Simple florals gathered with greens from the yard/garden can still make a huge statement. And, if you have a Trader Joe’s nearby check out their selection, they tend to have a pretty lovely variety at their great prices. Cheers to happy holiday season with friends and family.

11.06.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Parties, Uncategorized | Comments >>