Category Archives: Reception

Aug 08, 2018

It’s Wedding Wednesday, our favorite day of the week! Today, we’re going back to a couple celebrating their anniversary this September. This beachfront beauty took place at the amazing Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, SC. Liz Banfield was the photographer for this big day.

The bride had studied art history and worked in galleries, and the main inspiration for the wedding design came from the bride’s favorite Van Gogh painting. Lettered Olive incorporated the design into all of the printed materials along with developing complimentary patterns, which were great for designs elsewhere.

We try to have Cacky of Cacky’s Bride Aid on hand for dressing all of our brides- if you can afford this on your day, it’s more than worth it! The bride’s strappy Chanel sandals worked all night from bridal gown to getaway dress. The bouquet was a textured mix of roses, berries, leaves, and astilbe.

Bridesmaids wore a mix of colors and styles from JCrew, and Amsale through Bella Bridesmaids. The bride gifted the groom his Hermes tie for the big day.

The groom is an avid golfer, so having his ceremony on the famed Ocean Course overlooking the greens and the water made for a very happy day.

Guests were graciously greeted on the porch after the ceremony for cocktail hour, the ocean breeze made it a perfect and comfortable place to sip and snack.

Cocktail hour was also full of fun details like servers in custom elephant printed ties and white glove service. Elephants are the brides favorite animal and signify good luck! And, signature cocktail was a replication of the bride’s favorite drink at the country club her family belongs to…

The escort card display was a new take on a traditional display. Gold caligraphied cards affixed with a mongramed wax seal were nestled in boxes of ruffled blooms.

Lots of yummy details made for beautiful and luxurious dinner tables. The bride and groom sat at chairs with embroidered toppers that made the logo used on their invitations.

Jim Smeal is the mastermind behind the cakes mimicking the favorite painting, and we SCORED when we found these elephant cocktail tables perfect as cake stands!

As the sunset during dinner, the after party tent and porch lounge was a glow and ready for the revelers.

In the dance and lounge tent, an extra long printed fabric bar was a super glamorous backdrop . Bar stools anchored either end, so guests wanting to take a cocktail break could still look in on all of the dance floor action. I loved the seafoam carpet we found, I really like the polished look it gave the tent.

Favors were locally made Rewind candles, and custom printed matches with the couple’s favorite photo from their engagement session.

Guests signed a book complied from engagement photos… a perfect coffee table book for their new home.

After a change into a Christian Dior dress the bride found while in France with her family before the wedding, the couple departed by a rose petal toss. Cones of printed paper holding petals were passed out to guests on the way out…

8.08.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Cakes, Charleston, Dresses, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Aug 06, 2018

Our Favorite Tents

photos by Corbin Gurkin

We have several requests recently to share more of our tented receptions, so today is the day! The top photos shows you a bit of what we started out working with, a large white frame tent with clear plastic walls. Then, as you step inside you can see how we transformed the space. We started with white carpeting to soften the space and really give it a feel more like a living room or interior space and not a tent. Then, a romantic drapey ceiling in crisp blue and white brings the ceiling down and of course hides all of the ugly insides. We have to have pretty fabric walls too!

photo by Liz Banfield

This seaside reception tent was quite unique for a number of reasons. One, we raised the floor up several feet so that guests’ view wasn’t impaired by the sand dunes. We also left the walls open on this one so that the seabreeze could float thru throughout the night, and for the ocean views. Then, we tried something new by creating the ceiling liner out of actual woven seagrass… It was a conversation piece throughout the night for sure!

photo by Liz Banfield

In Charleston, we have only a few months out of the year that using a clear top tent is ideal. When it’s only slightly warm, the sun bearing down on the clear plastic can really heat things up acting as a “greenhouse”. For this early April wedding when temps were still mild, we didn’t want to block out the uniqueness by covering the ceiling in fabric. So, for this garden inspired fete, a woven greenery ceiling allowed for sunlight and stars to peek through.

photos by Corbin Gurkin

For this winter wedding, heavy textures like wood, suede, and greenery were used to create this space. Of course, the outside has to be as pretty as the inside. For this grand entrance we built an awning, added custom doors, and several container plants. The oversized tent, once inside, featured hardwood floors, a garden greenery trellis backdrop and garland draped ceiling, and even a huge wooden wall behind the bar.

photos by Corbin Gurkin

For this Aspen wedding, natural elements blended with tailored prettiness. Guests walked thru a lantern lit walkway to the tent at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Hardwood floors gave way to white couches and cowhide throws. The dance floor and ceiling added softness with blue and white draping and a striped showcase floor.

8.06.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Event Design, Event Planning, Reception, Weddings | Comments >>

Jul 25, 2018

Down on the Farm

Fall weddings are on the horizon, so it’s perfect timing to share our Kentucky farm wedding recently featured on Carats and Cake. I loved working with these clients from the beginning. Just the fact that a hurricane (of all things) is what we had to contend with during production going into the wedding weekend, and they didn’t loose their cool, made all of the hard work even more worth it. Thank you to Melanie Mauer for the weekend photos.

What Lettered Olive designed for our clients is still one of my most favorite. The watercolor design of the antique barn on the property graced the save the dates. The invitations incorporate metallic copper ink and guinea feather accents- stunning! And, the wedding welcome box featured a custom barn emblazoned on the front and was filled with goodies perfect for a Kentucky celebration.

Our bride, owner of popular Lexington boutique, Morton James, of course stunned in a gown by Vera Wang. A gathered from the garden bouquet of garden roses, ranunculus, hellebores, and foliage was both a lush and lovely accessory.

While in the planning stages with the couple, who were making plans to build on the property and move the barn, I knew we had to use it as the backdrop to the ceremony. It’s so perfect. We created a huge greenery wreath to act as our “alter” decor. Guests walked straight into the barn for cocktail hour. A huge square shaped bar anchored the room, and guests enjoyed small bites by Apiary Fine Catering and Events. One of my favorite elements to doing destination weddings is finding new and incredible vendors to work with… They are truly one of my new favorite caterers, our vision synched up perfectly!

Because of the torrential rains all week, the ground remained pretty soggy for the wedding day. We were able to build a weathered wooden boardwalk for guests to make their way from the barn to the dinner and reception tent without getting too bogged down.

The sailcloth tent was breathtaking with greenery draping, oatmeal linen, and wildflower bouquets anchoring wooden lamps. We found super fabulous feather candles so perfect for this event. Copper table top details included hand painted table numbers, copper foil printed menus, and even copper water cups. The place setting featured menus tied with twine and imprinted leather place cards… oh and a little guinea feather for good measure.

The simply stunning four tired cake by Martine’s Pastries was embellished with fresh blooms used throughout the wedding. Since the rent of wedding decor fell in line with the rustic feel, we wanted the lounge to be more on the feminine and airy side.

Of course, being in Kentucky there had to be a bourbon and cigar lounge for after dinner.. Guests enjoyed our dessert cart with a variety of treats passed throughout the dance lounge.

The couple was sent off by fireworks as they enjoyed S’mores by the the fire pit with friends late into the night.

7.25.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Event Design, Flowers, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Weddings | Comments >>