Category Archives: Parties

Sep 12, 2018

Today we are sharing a recent wedding we did at the historic Union Station in Dallas, TX…This bride was far from traditional and didn’t want to have many of the elements you think of when you think of weddings, no cake, not a lot of fanfare, and just wanted to celebrate with her fiance, family, and friends. So we designed a modern inspired party, we hope you enjoy. All photos by Sarah Kate Photography Lettered Olive created a designs that included an illustrated skyline, watercolor ombre palette, and marbleized modern details. The custom drawn Dallas skyline doted the save the “weekend” cards, while a simply stunning invitation featured modern fonts lightened up with a watercolor marble designed. Hatch Cove design hand lettered the outer envelops in the ombre palette. The ceremony programs were 2 sided cards, with the evenings timeline, seating chart, and highlights printed on the back side.

Printed canvas shopping totes were filled with goodies and snacks, a custom designed “Emergency” kit, and watercolor illustrated weekend information card…

Lettered Olive left many details throughout the wedding. Printed tray liners added decor for the passed items… Custom cocktail napkins featured whimsical designs, and the letterpressed coasters allowed guests to dance without loosing their drinks.

Shades of grey and blue set the tone for the winter affair, white and grey flowers accented with greenery and berries completed the architectural look of the bouquets. Lots of softening was needed to turn the century old train station into a dreamy ceremony space. Carpeting was laid and fabric panels were draped to create a cozy space… We printed fabric with the marble design from the wedding invitations and created panels to set a backdrop.  Of course, lots of lighting and candles added to the ambience.

We did something a little different for this wedding… The bride wanted everyone to have a seat but not have a served dinner. So we set up enough tables for everyone to have a seat (which was assigned), but guests enjoyed a “progressive” dinner throughout many different food stations.

Because of the sprawling space with high ceilings, tables alternated in shape and size between family style rectangles and smaller squares.  The longer tables got lamp light and floral pieces, while the smaller tables got a mixture of glass cylinders and natural greenery.

Keeping in the realm of a modern watercolor look, ombre tiles of acrylic in the color palette were fashioned into signage for the stations, giving a more formal feel to the seated/station setup. We love doing bar signage – always a better idea than displaying all of the bottles and offerings on the front of the bar.
Along with a lounge around the dance floor, guests could lounge outside on the balcony complete with heaters and cozy blankets…

One of our favorite bands, Simply Irresistible, had guests dancing all night…

The Grand Staircase was filled with greenery and candlelight as guests saw the couple off to a late night after party….

9.12.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Event Design, Event Planning, Food and Drink, Parties, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>
Sep 10, 2018

Come by our new office on Queen Street for a pop up shop from Lela Rose’s Pearl line… Our friends from New York are coming down to debut their line in Charleston… We hear there will even be a match your margarita to your dress bar!  Come shop with us next week.  And, we are sharing details from the last time Lela Rose was in Charleston for a book signing brunch we hosted at my Charleston home.
taraweddingweeklelabrunch-48

We loved having Lela Rose in town for Charleston Wedding Week. I’m a big fan of her designs, and she’s a fellow Southerner! In order to celebrate the release of her new book- Pret-A-Party we decided to throw a Biscuits, Bloodys, and Book Signing party in her honor. Love having Friday a.m. parties now, going to make it my new thing!

Bike Collage taraweddingweeklelabrunch-35

taraweddingweeklelabrunch-11

Perfect for a ladies’ brunch, little Callie’s Biscuits in a variety of flavors- ham, jam, and cinnamon.

Food Collage taraweddingweeklelabrunch-31

We set up a Do-It-Yourself Bloody Mary bar with every addition you could think of- peppers, pickled okra, shrimp skewers, even bacon slices. For those needing to go back to work we had a juice bar with fruit and veg garnishes as well. Just putting in simple containers with nice signage makes for a lovely focal point.

Lela Collage

 

9.10.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Announcements, Books, Charleston, Entertaining, Event Planning, Events, Fashion, Flowers, Food and Drink, Gifts, New York, Parties, Shopping | 1 Comment
Aug 21, 2018

2014_annie_davis_0874

photo by Corbin Gurkin

We’ve recently been getting several questions and comments on our bars that we build and style, so I thought sharing a post with tips and suggestions would be a great post for Tip Tuesday. The first tip I can start with would be to keep the top of the bar clear and clutter free… Meaning, no plastic straws, cut fruit/garnishes, and the bottles of every brand and type of liquor you are serving. The tables supporting the tops of the bars are the perfect place to stash all of these necessities.

sobiloff-bar

photo by Liz Banfield

One of our client’s favorite design elements are our fabric covered bars. It’s a great way to take a be space that is less than pretty and make it pop with pretty. It also provides a great area to bring in a design element used elsewhere in the event design. Spoonflower is a great resource for printing fabric (or wallpaper which you could also use). We have used a variety of different materials for toppers too- marble remnants, butcher block, copper sheeting, even inexpensive laminate.

wooden-bar

photo by Corbin Gurkin

photo by Corbin Gurkin 

Another design idea that has given our bars major wow factor, is using natural elements en masse. Chopped wood gives a luxurious fall backdrop, and greenery simply stapled on the base covers the bar with affordable glamour.  We have even used a tree that was blown over in a recent hurricane to jazz up a rehearsal dinner bar space!

davis-bar

photo by Corbin Gurkin

For an outdoor bar, using two interior lamps changes the feel of the bar instantly.  Anchoring the top with lamps (hello, TJMaxx) offers the perfect lighting solution with a glamorous glow all night.

lizbanfield-low_res-0675-8046-09-2013-27

 photo by Liz Banfield

If you don’t have the manpower to construct the bars on your own, but have access to a good party rental company, they can be a great resource. These two half moon bars from  Snyder Event Rentals put together give a space big enough to serve hundreds. They are formal, sophisticated and EASY. I’ve even seen patterned paper or fabric put  in the squares for added design.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

I’m a big fan of bookshelves housing the rental glassware, votives, and signage decluttering the serving area, and offering guests a nice visual.

2014_annie_davis_0206

photo by Corbin Gurkin

For easy bar styling at home, arrange a buffet, console table, or dining table in an area away from the food to avoid crowding. Trays gathered from around your home (or home decor store) can be used to display pretty bottles, cocktail napkins, and bowls of cut fruit or garnish. We used washable dry erase markers to display handwritten beverage options and signature drinks on a framed mirror- EASY, inexpensive and clever!

photo by Gayle Brooker

Decant your wine collection, and display them with handwritten tags for a self serve wine bar.  I love this especially for your holiday get togethers.

bourbon-bar

photo by Corbin Gurkin

A simple linen and embroidered fabric swatch (which is so easy to have made) along with a table lamp give a home made bar a custom and tailored look.

8.21.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Food and Drink, Parties, Photographers, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>