Imagine my joy when I saw this Charleston Magazine with my sweet springer, Georgia on the cover! I had a blast working with our friends at Charleston Mag on this feature- Peter Frank Edwards, Melissa Bigner, and Darcy Shankland. For more tips and outtakes head over here.
I can’t believe the holidays are already around the corner, oh my! I recently held a small gathering at my home for my husbands’ friends and was able to use the tabletop design as almost a trial run for my Thanksgiving tabletop. I wanted to share some of the details with you as you are starting to plan some of your holiday designs. Thank you to Aaron and Jillian Photography for capturing all of the pretty images. 
For the holidays, as well as heading into the 2018 wedding season, I’m loving copper as the new metallic. I also love these brown herringbone napkins. They are neutral enough to mix with whites or creams, and they offer so much texture. I love picking up napkins whenever I’m sourcing or shopping. They are easy to collect and always a great way to to add details to place settings. Hand written place tags thoughtfully tied elevate your holiday hosting. 
I also love animal elements when they can be mixed in tastefully… I use a lot of hide rugs, and printed pillows in our lounges when the design calls for it. I’m loving bringing in feathers in subtle ways too. These candles are fab and have been a great addition, we even lined the back of an invitation recently with feathers! Also, people sometimes shy away from greens in their floral design. But, during the holidays I love creating pieces out of greens en masse.
Depending on your table size, I like opting for one large arrangement in a special piece (a silver bowl from your collection, or a ceramic/glass piece found at an antique store), or for longer tables, several small continuous arrangements so guests can converse across the table. Simple florals gathered with greens from the yard/garden can still make a huge statement. And, if you have a Trader Joe’s nearby check out their selection, they tend to have a pretty lovely variety at their great prices. Cheers to happy holiday season with friends and family.
Today, we are sharing a very easy and affordable way to turn your tabletop into holiday perfection. It’s so easy we were able to whip this up in our office before a little holiday Soiree lunch. We used things readily available, and often lying around. This time of year when decorating at home or the office, I’ve found that I often have to trim bottom branches of the tree, or pieces fall off the pine garlands. Taking these and doing something different with them instead of tossing them is what inspired this idea!
My kids love pears, so we always have them around the house. So, we took pears, and the extra tree trimmings and spray painted them gold. Of course, Copper (our new favorite metallic), rose gold, or silver would all be lovely as well. I took the color inspiration from the plates I wanted to use, so if you’re stuck making that decision, look there for an idea (or a napkin, table linen, or whatnot).
While you may not favor them for everyday table use, colored candles can be an easy way to add an out of the ordinary pop of color. I’ve been seeing them more and more at local gift store, etc, but our favorite source for them is Creative Candles.
The rest is up to your imagination to play… We took a very small dish for stacking our centerpiece, but a large clear bowl, or something with embellishments would all be really lovely. I always like mixing candles- votives with tapers, etc to fill up the table, use enough so that a bright overhead light isn’t necessary.
And, of course, there are so so many ways to embellish or “juge” up each place setting. I always find that this is one of the main ways at our weddings that makes guests feel special. Seeing their name written in a special way, or on a unique item (a leaf, a stone, or maybe even a ribbon used to tie the napkins). These looked great mixed on the table, and were straight from the yard- a simple camelilia bloom, or a sprig of your favorite greenery.
We’d love to see some of your favorite tabletop designs, share with us some of the ones you were proud of, or loved creating.
Recognized as one of the nation’s leading tastemakers, Tara Guérard has earned a widespread reputation for her ability to create spectacular settings celebrating life’s most anticipated occasions. As the visionary and founder of Tara Guérard Soirée, she is best known for her distinct style that honors the storied traditions of Southern hospitality paired with a modern aesthetic and flair for the unexpected.
