Tag Archives: elizabeth messina

Jan 08, 2019

(Image by Jose Villa for Mrs. Box)

So, the holidays are a huge time for engagements- and maybe you are one of the lucky ones who received one of these beauties. Now, it’s time to be getting back to work and out and about to be sharing the good news and showing off your new piece. We’ve asked our Cos Bar resident beauty expert, Kori Mahoney for her favorite products and advice on keeping your hands and nails show off ready as the temps have finally dropped!

(Image by Elizabeth Messina)

For starters, using a coarse hand scrub (like the Cle de Peau Beaute body exfoliator or La Mer Body Refiner available here) to smooth the skin and get rid of any flakiness followed with a nice, non-greasy hand cream. There are so many hand cream options available, so it’s really up to you as far as what you like in terms of texture and fragrance.

(Image by Corbin Gurkin)

Look for those containing anti-aging benefits such as Vitamin C or sunscreen (even in winter months)! Kori recommends hand cream by Omorovicza and Rich Girl Broad Spectrum by Deborah Lippmann. Reapplying throughout the day, especially after hand washing is key. Sleeping in cotton gloves while wearing hand cream underneath can soothe severely dry skin.

(Image by Elizabeth Messina)

Don’t forget the nails! A manicure is where your personality can really shine through. We recommend a classic pale pink (such as Essie’s “Ballet Slippers”) for your wedding day, but you might choose a chic red nail for the early days of engagement (I LOVE the name of this Bobbi Brown- Scotch on the Rocks!). Have fun with it and remember that your hands will be in many of your wedding day shots. Have your nails done professionally for your special day and make sure to take your color and a fresh topcoat along with you in case of an accidental chip.

(Image by Corbin Gurkin)

1.08.19 | TARA GUÉRARD
Accessories, Beauty, Bridal, Bridal Style, Fashion, Photographers, Weddings | Comments >>

Aug 01, 2018

Wedding Wednesday with a Vintage Touch

We were so thrilled to see this wedding feature on 100 Layer Cake this week. . Elizabeth Messina was here to shoot with us, and as you can imagine the imagery is pretty spectacular, her style was the perfect fit for this ethereal bride.

The couple was wed at the French Huguenot Church in downtown Charleston, one of my all time favorite churches (the Guerards were one of the first Huguenot families in Charleston).

We try to encourage our clients to do a “first look” when appropriate. It still allows for the moment that a groom sees his bride on their wedding day, but on a more intimate level, which some of our brides find really relieves a lot of the pressure of walking down the aisle in front of all of those guests. And, it allows for some one on one time with the photographer to really capture some great shots together and with the wedding party without missing out on your party after the ceremony!

Vintages touches throughout the stationary by Lettered Olive really set the stage for the wedding day feel. Custom antique postcards were crafted and a logo with a vintage lace border was used throughout the wedding design. We even made a custom cornhole game for guests to play during cocktail hour!

Lettered Olive also crafted a custom “Charleston” map which was printed on the guest welcome bags. All of the wedding weekend locations were noted.

Antique keys and tags engraved with guests’ names, and attached to paper cards with table numbers, adorned a moss covered board for guests to find their seats at dinner.

Large wooden bed swings hung from live oak branches overlooking the river during cocktail hour.

As a special treat for the groom and his friends, a true Southern bourbon bar was on hand.

Lush greens, pale pinks, and creams dotted all of the florals we designed.

Draping covered in green garlands helped to give a landscaped garden feel to the dining room.

Moss and ivy topiaries on longer tables were perfect accents to the floral centerpieces on the square table. I love giving a dining room a layered look by working with different sizes, shapes, heights, and textures.

Jim Smeal did his version of a naked cake decorated with champagne grapes…

What else other than a vintage Model T could be more perfect for this couples’ departure.

8.01.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Cakes, Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Photographers, Press, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Nov 07, 2016

A Grey Area

photo by Liz Banfield

So much of our love for weddings has to do with design and creating the perfect experience for our clients and their guests. That of course involves senses- sight, smell, hearing, etc. which one usually associates colors and the emotions they evoke with, but I have always loved the pure beauty of black and white photography. You can still get so much emotion from the simplest and loveliest image even with no color. Here is a round up of some of our favorite images.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

Most photographers, print or digital, traditional or modern, etc usually provide a mixture of black and white and color images, but it’s worth discussing when choosing the perfect photographer.