Tag Archives: monograms

Jun 07, 2017

6476_33.©LizBanfield

We hope you have been enjoying seeing some of our weddings from the archives. I can’t wait to share some of our more recent ones just as soon as they are published or released! Today, we are going back to a dreamy Lowndes Grove affair, swathed in pink and white, with a custom monogram using the “J” from the bride and groom’s first names. Thank you to Liz Banfield for the pretty imagery.

Bridal Collage

This gorgeous bride was perfectly polished on her wedding day with a floral chignon, Monique Lhullier gown, family heirlooms incorporated into her bouquet, and a six pence in her Christian Louboutins!

6474_32a.©LizBanfield Guest Bag Collage

Guests coming to Charleston for the weekend, enjoyed a jute bag perfect for toting around filled with custom bottled waters and locally prepared snacks. The J&J logo set the tone for all of the design elements to come.

6479_13a.©LizBanfield Church Collage 6532_50.©LizBanfield

I love that final moment the bride has with her father (or whomever the special person walking her down the aisle), to reflect on everything and take a deep breath before walking down the aisle.

6477_33.©LizBanfield escort card Collage

Meanwhile, over at Lowndes Grove , the house is open for cocktail hour- guests enjoy pink champagne, porches with seating to enjoying the sweeping river views, and bountiful appetizers.  We also find this is a great time and place to position items like the guest book (whatever that is for you), and the dinner seating card display while you have all the attention of the guests before dancing, etc.

6531_9.©LizBanfield

Our bride wanted a truly Southern and traditional feel especially in the dinner tent, and we think we delivered! Luxe draping accented with crystal chandeliers, a mixture of tall and low abundant floral pieces, and pretty pink ribbon woven into the chairs just for an added touch.

Tabletop Collage

The J & J was a perfectly pretty accent for the place settings… The head table received embroidered napkins for the couple to use at home after the wedding. Small letterpressed tags were tied just so on the napkins, and wax seals featuring the “J’s” sealed the escort card envelopes.

6476_01.©LizBanfield

Oh, one thing I loved for this wedding- we added a bit of tailoring to the linen linens by trimming them out with heavy satin ribbon.

6540_43.©LizBanfield

The cake by Jim Smeal took notes from the lace used on the bride’s dress, along with the J monogram. Piped icing in a formal pattern was piped onto the traditional cake stand (which we painted white to update the old school silver stands) was an added special touch!

Evening Collage

Another hit at this wedding were the place cards at the head table- etched glasses with each person’s name that they could take home.. LOVE!

6485_06.©LizBanfield

Lounge Collage

6482_27a.©LizBanfield

After dinner under a tent on the front lawn… A warm and cozy lounge tent with glowing lamplight, carpeting, and candlelight was the perfect spot for guests to party. An outdoor lounge overlooking the river gave those wanting to enjoy some space away from the party a chance to relax under the stars.

6489_35.©LizBanfield

The bride enjoys her first dance on a custom monogrammed dance floor.

Late night Collage

Late night yummies like sorbet cones, and mini ice cream sandwiches cooled guests off from a long night of dancing…

6500_21a.©LizBanfield

The bride and groom departed by a Classic Rolls and traditional rose petal toss….

6.07.17   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal Style, Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>
May 02, 2017

2015_Brooke_David_2301

Of course, when you get married you want it to be the best day of your life. And, you want your guests to have an amazing time that they will be talking about for years. Our job as a planner and designer is to suggest a flow of both the timeline and space so that everything works and has maximum impact. But, there are also very easy ways to leave your mark with little details- here starting with your printed materials. Lettered Olive started by combining all elements of design for us to pull out and use throughout the wedding decor- lace pattern from the brides’ dress, a custom monogram (this is what we really focused on as you will see), the color palette, and scenery from the wedding venue.

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Coordinating the presentation and items in your wedding guest welcome bags is a great way to brand your wedding and leave guests with lasting takeaways.  Baseball hats and frosted cups (everyone loves a frosted cup!) emblazoned with the couple’s monogram were treasured treats. Even the snacks and information were branded by stickers carrying the colors and monogram.

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To formalize the monogram in places like the ceremony and wedding dinner, the monogram received a formal border and was changed to a more neutral color.

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Guests love sitting down to a beautiful setting… This is always a great area to bring in pretty design pieces. The bordered monogram and calligraphy used in the early printed items are brought back on the menus.

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It’s easy to loose sight of places to brand your self later into the event, but printing pillows or fabric to use as a photo booth backdrop, etc is easy on websites like Spoonflower. Or at For Your Party.com print cocktail napkins or drink stirrers with a simple element to have at the bar. Favors and send offs are other areas to consider- we’ve printed custom lighters or matches for a sparkler send off.  All photos by Corbin Gurkin.

5.02.17   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal Style, Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Parties, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

kerr-pillows

Being Southern myself and having many Southern clients, monograms are a reoccurring theme for our wedding design. I do post on monograms a few times a year especially when we’ve used some recent pretty ones, but mostly just because I like them!  For a wedding we did in Texas Hill Country, antlers framed an intricate and modern monogram, which we used on pillows in the lounge tent, aprons for the servers, and on the printed materials.

mcclain-collage

For a couple with names both starting with “J”, an intertwined J&J monogram was a the perfect look. Floral J’s were hung from the ceremony church doors. Jim Smeal used the J&J monogram to decorate the couple’s wedding cake. We also did an amazing dance floor with J&J in the center…

lapide-place-setting

One of my favorite uses for monograms at a wedding is on the dinner or cocktail napkins. We then collect and dry clean for the couple after the event, and they have a collection for their new home!  Sometimes, just doing the head table is enough, other clients do the entire dinner and have a large collection for loss and stains.

drake-collage

At our New Year’s Oklahoma wedding, a modern L S monogram was created by Lettered Olive. We had the velvet ribbon on the bridal bouquet embroidered with it, along with chair backs for the head table at dinner. Monogram drink stirrers make a nice touch at cocktail hour, and for the shoe check during dancing, they provide a simple detail somewhere unexpected.

flower-collage

We find a way to use monograms in floral design more often. Monogram tags fill the center of wreaths hung on the church doors. And, for the posies carried by the Mothers of the Bride and Groom, the embroidered ribbon notes their special roles.

printing-collage

Printed materials are also a great place to use monograms. I love the colorful watercolor ones Lettered Olive designed for our recent floral and fauna bride, and a classically elegant monogram emblazons the front of ceremony programs.

10.03.16   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal Style, Cakes, Event Design, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>