Tag Archives: charleston

Oct 16, 2017

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Happy Halloween! This was such a fun night for our couple from this week’s Wedding Wednesday. Their rehearsal dinner fell on Halloween, so they embraced it and threw a killer party at a Historic (and sometimes creepy) downtown venue, the Confederate Home and College.  Liz Banfield was there to capture all of the “gory” details.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Invitations by Lettered Olive were custom designed in an elegant macabre tone. The Spooks and Sprits afterparty for all out of town guests brought in a silver foil printed Raven as a darker nod to the wedding’s Bird and Branch theme.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

White painted pumpkins were the obvious choice for displaying the dinner seating cards.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Painted silver pumpkins gave a bit of elegance to the dining table centerpieces. Surrounded in a glass vase with candles placed on black linens gave the room quite the glow.

 

 

 

 

 

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Pretty tablescapes for dinner. Printed menus that doubled as place cards were served up in black envelopes with silver calligraphy.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

We had fun with the cocktail hour and appetizers, serving traditional fare like “deviled eggs” that also worked with the Halloween theme.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Black Chinese to go boxes were perfect for anyone wanting to take advantage of the Trick or Treat station offered.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

No Halloween is complete without candy, so we had a trick or treat station for guests to take home sweets. Lots of artifacts and creepy items in cloches helped accent the spooky decor.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Guests were encouraged to get into the spirit of the evening and wear some kind of costume to the afterparty. The bride and groom did a quick transformation after the actual dinner.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Even the servers and bartenders got in on the fun. Here a zombie bartender serves “Black Widow” cocktails out of silver pumpkins to willing guests.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Custom carved silver pumpkins like this one (which greeted guests to the after party) with the bride and groom initials were sprinkled throughout the venue and grounds.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Guests partied the night away in the foggy haunted graveyard. A chamber music quartet played appropriately spooky tunes

10.16.17   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Charleston, Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Events, Food and Drink, Rehearsal Dinner, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized | Comments >>
Apr 17, 2017

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For today, we’re sharing something short but sweet. A cheerful spring rehearsal dinner that was simple yet still a lovely night for the couple welcoming out of town guests to their wedding weekend. Playing off of the room (McCrady’s private dining and party space), we brought in details in yellow and gray for a neutral palette that still made little statements throughout the night. Photos by Liz Banfield.

Yellow Collage

For a splash of color and detail, bulk yellow millet was used to secure candles in clear glass. Large containers of “billy ball” escort cards made a show piece. Printed name tags were affixed to the stems for guests to pick up and find their seats.

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After dinner, guests moved next door for cocktails and dancing as remaining guests joined.

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As a special surprise for the bride, an in depth photo album from family and friends was shared and combed over throughout the evening.

Friday Collage

Cheers! We love sharing these little rehearsal parties lately, would you like to see more? Let us know!

4.17.17   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Events, Parties, Rehearsal Dinner, Weddings | Comments >>
May 16, 2016

Lowndes Grove Collage

photos by Liz Banfield

This Monday calls for a roundup of some of our favorite wedding venues in Charleston, SC.  We’re highlighting a few of our favorite ceremony (outside of the churches) and reception venues that we are lucky to work with here in the Lowcountry. Our first is Lowndes Grove Plantation located actually in downtown Charleston. We love working with each client to determine the best layout for their event, and play around with the different spots at the Plantation. Ceremonies can overlook the river, or have the house as the backdrop. Dinner and dancing in the tented courtyard is always a favorite, but we also love that the interiors and grounds provide such lovely scenes for photos.

Ocean Course Collage

photos by Liz Banfield

The Ocean Course at Kiawah is a stunning site. I like the way a party can progress through different stages at this venue. From a ceremony on the golf lawn overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, to cocktails on the upper lawn and porches, to dinner in a ballroom, and then dancing under a tent overlooking the property, you are able to offer your guests so much variety!

HIbernian 1 Collage Hibernian 2 Collage

Photos by Corbin Gurkin

The Hibernian Society in the heart of the Charleston Historic District has long been the scene of many Charleston parties… I like that it’s large enough to hold a sizeable party but it’s broken up as such that if you have a smaller group it won’t feel too huge. It’s got a great porch for creating seating areas that overlook Meeting Street, and the historic architecture lends it some unique value.

Drayton Hall Collage

photo by Liz Banfield

Drayton Hall Plantation is probably hands down my most favorite venue in the Lowcountry. However, they have cut back on their wedding business due to the effort they place on historic preservation.  The old oaks and riverbanks along with the Federalist style home offer spectacular scenery.

WAH Collage

photos by Corbin Gurkin and Gayle Brooker

The William Aiken House’s prime location on busy King Street make it perfect for the crown who wants to keep everything easy for their guests while offer something special or unique to those coming to Charleston for a different type of wedding. The historic home has large porches for partying and antique ballrooms where you are able to host your guests for dinner.

Runnymede Collage

photos by Corbin Gurkin

A recent favorite of many of our brides and us here at Soiree, is Runnymede Plantation. The home no longer stands, other than a few crumbling ruins, but the land and location along the Ashley River allow us to have fun and do whatever we want with decor, and we love that!

Boone Hall Plantation

photo by Liz Banfield

Finally, we’ve done quite a few weddings at Boone Hall Plantation in our many years, but this image from one we did  for over 1200 people really stands out!

5.16.16   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Charleston, Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Photographers, Reception, Travel, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>