Category Archives: Reception

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We are fortunate that living in the South allows us to do winter weddings with almost as much ease as Spring weddings (it’s 60+ here in Charleston today!). When you have a back drop as graceful and stunning as the Ford Planation in Savannah, Georgia, you get year round spectacular events! For this Sunday brunch wedding, our bride and groom opted for a chic blue and white toile as the pattern du jour.  The toile was worked into everything from the invitations to the umbrellas, table linens, and even tray liners. Winter white peonies and ranunculus were mixed with festive greens for centerpieces and bouquets which set a romantic mood and the cake was topped with seasonal fruit to finish it off. (All photos by Adrienne Page)

bride-collage

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Of course there were plenty of personal touches as well. Our bride wore a vintage family veil, and received a beautiful bracelet to wear that day as a gift from the groom. The bride’s mother made homemade banana pecan bride and peach chutney which we packaged with custom designed tags by Lettered Olive and guests received as their welcome gift.

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Set under live oaks and overlooking the river, the wedding ceremony was anchored by a simple greenery covered chuppa.  Guests then joined the couple on the back lawn of the Plantation for an al fresco brunch reception.

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The menu consisted of favorite Southern brunch delicacies with a twist, such as Quail and Grits -alongside Shrimp and Grits, Ford Eggs Benedict, as well as a Bloody Mary Station with pickled veggies and Artillery Punch (a famous Savannah celebratory cocktail). One  long table topped with umbrellas in the signature pattern for shade allowed for guests to mingle easily. The bride hand wrote notes to all of her guests thanking them for being there, which also doubled as place cards.

going-away-collage

As they said their goodbyes, guests tossed white rose petals out of paper cones made from the blue and white toile pattern while the couple drove off in a classic black vintage car. This winter wedding couldn’t have been more perfect!

9.05.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Reception, Recipes, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Travel, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Bride and groom color

Today for Wedding Wednesday, we head to Sea Island, Georgia for this natural beauty. This was one of my favorite weddings to design, I love the location, and this bride had fantastic personal taste and style (see her custom made Austin Scarlett gown). Liz Banfield took all of the pretty photos. Since there are so many pretty images, we’re going to make this into a 2 part post. But, you can see more in the meantime over at Martha Stewart Weddings.

Stationary Collage

For the couple’s save the date, Lettered Olive designed a custom monogram incorporating some of Sea Island’s local flora and fauna.  That theme plays throughout much of the rest of the paper and wedding designs.  Ceremony programs were passed out to guests on trays lined with printed paper used in the programs and matched the invitation liners. Notice the Elvis Presley stamps on the reply cards- a nod to the bride’s hometown of Memphis, TN.

guest bag

Guest bags were a canvas zipper pouch full of a mix of goodies and items from the groom’s native, Australia, and the U.S.- including a homemade chocolate chip cookies made by one of the bridesmaids’ mother.

flower Collage

Orchids are a favorite of the bride’s and her mother also had them at her wedding, so it was nice to continue that tradition.  Special family members like grandmothers wore wrist flowers versus having to carry something.

Church exterior

Church Collage

bride and groom church window

The ceremony took place at a chapel at Frederica, and with the architectural elements of the church, Liz was able to get some spectacular images.

door and draping

Guests made their way to the Ocean Forest Golf Club for cocktails, dinner, and dancing.

Cocktail Collage

Edwards fountain

Sea Island is known for the Spanish influence in its architecture… The Club opens up onto a courtyard with a grand fountain, since our cocktail hour was to take place there, we incorporated the fountain by making cushions for guests to sit on and enjoy.

Cocktail hour Collage

The elegant cocktail hour included little enclaves for guests to grab a drink and sit and enjoy conversation.

bride and groom walkingBride and groom portrait

The couple takes advantage of the sunlight and scenery to get portraits and some moments alone to take in the day.

Place card Collage

Since the venue itself is full of pretty scenery and architecture, we really wanted to incorporate some of it into the design elements. During cocktail hour, guests picked up their escort cards at a table anchored by a  simple but lush floral arrangement. Escort cards are held in place by pieces Georgia granite.
Dinner tent overall

 

The dinner tent was swathed in blue fabric, reminiscent of the traditional porch ceilings in the South.  To bring the natural feel of the overall wedding design to the tent, trees were “planted” throughout and created a wall between dinner and the dancing portion of the tent.

Dinner Collage

Guests dined under strands of orchids accented by candlelight. Taking a note from the centerpieces, fern fronds decorated each place setting… Modern brass flatware keeps the table elegant but not fussy.

 

Cake Collage

wedding cake

The wedding cake by Jim Smeal included intricate patterns similar to the windows at the Chapel where the couple were married. The hand made icing flowers add that feminine frill just perfect for a wedding cake.

Bride and groom first dance

The couple takes the floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

Cocktail bar

Ok, now this is one of my most favorite things we’ve ever done!  We created a half moon cocktail bar with copper tops. Then, we had Spoonflower print fabric with the brides’ favorite painting from the St. Regis bar in New York.  I mean…

Nighttime Collage

Landscape lighting sets a moody tone for guests dining and dancing into the wee hours. To announce the bride and groom’s departure, a Dixie jazz band paraded everyone out to the front of the venue for the send off.

B&W couple

After a quick change in to a departure dress by Anaesia, guests tossed rose petals at the bride and groom…

Car Collage

A vintage convertible decorated with lush greenery made for a one of kind getaway..

 

8.15.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal Style, Event Design, Event Planning, Fashion, Flowers, Food and Drink, Photographers, Reception, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>
Aug 13, 2018

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Today we are sharing a  Big Greek wedding  from about 12 years ago.  I love this sweet bride and I just bumped into her recently in New York, which reminded me to share her big day. Margaret Anne Florence, an actress (she has been on everything from Inside Amy Schumer, to 30 Rock, to Guiding Light, and most recently CMT’s Sun Records), married fellow South Carolinian, Peter Saichos in a traditional Greek celebration! We don’t have the opportunity to do too many Greek weddings, so we had a lot of fun with this one!

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

We do have a Greek Orthodox Cathedral here in Charleston, which in and of itself has some beautiful architctural details. Margaret chose a purple and bronze color palette, so we brought in orchids and lilies (favorites of the brides’) which also helped lend to that color palette.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

The bride’s bouquet was an arrangement of white Casablanca lilies and purple dendrobium orchids blended for a pop of color.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Jim Smeal provided a perfectly lovely cake in the palette used throughout the wedding.

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

In addition to the wedding cake, we of course had to serve traditional Greek wedding desserts like homemade Baklava, and the Almond Pear (Amigthalota) which are a staple of the wedding celebration. Get the recipe here.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

To dress up the tradition of Ouzo shots- we made a large display with shot glasses chilling in crushed ice. Then, we froze the ouzo bottles in ice with orchids frozen inside for a wedding design element.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Guests lounged on lavendar fabric benches by candlelight in glowing orchid filled cylinders.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Guests left with personal boxes of Jordan Almonds, and we prepacked rose petals in the wedding colors for guests on their way out to properly send off the bride and groom.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

A classic T Bird adorned in strands and strands of the orchids made for a perfect getaway for this couple- classic and fun loving…  Thank you to Liz Banfield for the photography.

8.13.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Charleston, Event Design, Flowers, Food and Drink, Parties, Photographers, Reception, Recipes, Weddings | Comments >>