Jun 25, 2018

Greenberg white dinner jacket

photo by Adrienne Page

You see and hear so much about fashions for the Bride, Bridesmaids, and Mother of the Bride that it may seem that the groom is often overshadowed. Of course all eyes on him as well (people always look to see the look on his face when the bride is walking down the aisle ) and he is in all of the photos too!  There are many options for the men out there, these are just some that our grooms have sported over the years. Since we are considered a “coastal climate” and here in the South we like our formality and traditions when called for, we see white dinner jackets quite often. White dinner jackets came to be when gentlemen in warmer climates wanted an alternative to the heavy dark tuxedo jackets.

photo by Liz Banfield

“Evening Dress” is considered the most formal attire and only appropriate for evening weddings beginning at 6pm or later.

Kerr ties

photo by Liz Banfield

A dark gray suite with a coordinating tie is the perfect solution for those not wanting black tie. Get a custom tailored suit, though, as a nod to the formality of the occasion.

Kassen grey suits

photo by Corbin Gurkin 

Lightweight grey suits are a great consideration for summer affairs outdoors or near the water.

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photo by Corbin Gurkin

photo by Corbin Gurkin

You can’t go wrong with a  classic formal tuxedo, but customize with accessories. The wedding party above sporting coordinating Ralph Lauren loafers. And, Brackish Bowties have become a statement piece for Southern grooms.

photos by Liz Banfield

For weddings with a noteable color palette, our grooms have opted to gift ties to their wedding party in patterns or colors that match…

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photo by Liz Banfield

 “White Tie” affairs call for a strict dress code of a formal tuxedo (usually a waistcoat) with a white cotton bowtie.  There are very specific guidelines on “white tie”, so make sure to research those to make sure you hit all of the proper notes.  We like this guide.

sanjay attire

photo by Liz Banfield

Finally, For Sanjay Gupta’s Indian nuptials full traditional Hindu attire was adorned- he even rode in on a white horse (a white elephant wasn’t allowed at the venue!)

6.25.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal Style, Etiquette, Fashion, Shopping, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

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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.

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After the teal and gray color palette was set, Lettered Olive created a sweet scroll design used throughout all of the wedding printed materials.

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Charleston Maptotes were stuffed with custom water bottles, a local Rewind candle and printed matches, and many snacks and sweets.

FLoral Collage

For the gray, white, and teal color scheme, tulips, roses, ranunculus, orchids, and luxe lamb’s ear made pretty bouquets and boutonierres.

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The bride’s lush bouquet was hand tied with a monogramed vintage ribbon.

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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”.

Scenery Collage

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.

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wedding Collage

Champagne Collage

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.

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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.

Dinner Collage

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.

Cake Collage

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.

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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

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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?

6.20.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Cakes, Charleston, Event Design, Flowers, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, Weddings | Comments >>
Jun 18, 2018

photo by Liz Banfield

We have many brides that are seeking something new and different beyond a string quartet, dj, or live dance band to play a special song or tribute to someone or something on their wedding day. Maybe it’s a piece from their heritage or a type of musician they were exposed to growing up.  At any rate, we love helping bring these wishes to reality.  Here are just some of the interesting variations we have been lucky to work with over the years.  For the couple upstairs living abroad, but having grown up in the South, a Jazz horn section led the couple out to their send off for guests to toss rose petals.

photos by Adrienne Page, Perry Vaile, and Liz Banfield

For ceremony music, we’re seeing a lot of what we call “Tradition with a Twist”… For an outdoor ceremony on a bride’s family farm, Bagpipes worked so well to announce the bridal processional.  They weren’t too loud, and with the scenery were quite awe inspiring.  Our favorite string ensembles come from Charleston Virtuosi (they have a New York Virtuosi, and several international posts).  We love their professionalism and creativity- they can play “virtually” anything from Coldplay to Lady Gaga to the Beatles.  For another outdoor wedding, we had 12 string musicians play the processional as guests were escorted to their seats… it made quite an impression. photos by Gayle Brooker, Corbin Gurkin, and Perry Vaile

We love incorporating a choir into ceremonies… Some of the more unique ones that we have used are Gospel Choirs, and Childrens’ Choir.

photo by Perry Vaile

In this wedding ceremony, the Lord’s Prayer was sung acapella by a gospel choir member.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

photos by Liz Banfield

For receptions, cocktail hours, and rehearsal dinners, we have clients that really like to customize or do something totally different. We have had Jersey Boy impersonators (due to the bride and groom’s first date to the Broadway musical), Tone Loc for a fun loving couple’s surprise to their guests’, and even an Elvis impersonator!

 

6.18.18   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Charleston, Event Planning, Parties, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>