Tag Archives: table design

Dec 17, 2018

photo by Nickie Stone

With the holidays quickly creeping up on us, we’re sharing a few tips and modifications on designs we do for our clients that you can easily do at home for your holiday tabletops. Feel free to leave any questions or comments you may have if not covered here.

For this first takeaway, I love the idea of a roll or bread piece served on the plate with a name “flag” in it- something so simple and easy that is just a nice little touch for guests sitting down.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

This I love as a sweet touch for all of the upcoming holidays, a fresh sprig of rosemary laid out on napkins, you could also tie together a small bundle of fresh thyme with butchers twine in lieu of rosemary.

photos by Adrienne Page

We used this concept to display escort cards for a wedding dinner, but for a smaller gathering or dinner party, taking corks that you have around the house or from what you will be serving and placing handwritten name cards at each seat would be just so.

photo by Liz Banfield

Now, this is a really easy one – one even the kids could get involved with… finding a leaf or piece of greenery from the yard and writing names with metallic markers on them is truly a simply elegant design.

photo by Liz Banfield

I’ve been seeing different variations on this our and around a bit, but for the glam hostess, finding agate slices is fairly easy these days. Painting or writing with white or metallic on them for menus or place cards also makes a sweet take home surcie for the guests.

photo by Adrienne Page

Lots of ways you can do this at home… Finding different vessels from around the house and filling them with small bouquets of flowers, or greenery makes for a pretty addition to to a formal table, and it also means you can do less in the center. You could also use thing ribbon or twine to tie name cards around the vases.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

This idea would be a nice detail for a buffet type setting where it’s hard to find a lot of decor opportunities. Pre wrapping the silverware in cloth napkins will make it easy for guests to carry along with a full plate. Wrapping them with pretty paper, scraps of special wrapping or wallpaper will give it a finished touch.

photo by Gayle Brooker

For a simple, lovely, inexpensive, and easy centerpiece idea- purchase phalenopsis orchid plants at your local store (Trader Joe’s has great ones!), and put them in pots covered in moss. This is such a small task but really gives a formal and elegant touch… You could even spray paint the pot to match the color scheme.

photo by Liz Banfield

For a client whose rehearsal dinner fell on New Year’s Eve- we took silver strands from decorations we purchased online and decomposed them… tied to each each seat with name cards gives a festive feel!

12.17.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Parties, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Sep 17, 2018

Fall Place Settings

photo by Corbin Gurkin

We are designing all of our fall weddings right now, and I’m loving coming up with new ideas and concepts for our table designs, specifically our place settings. Here is roundup of some of our past settings that we are taking inspiration from, and maybe you can too. One thing that we insist upon are perfect details. We love a linen napkin, sometimes with a custom designed embroidered monogram (a nice gift we give to the couple after the wedding for their new home). Beautiful printing details (we commission Lettered Olive for most of our designing needs) can also make all of the difference!

photo by Corbin Gurkin

For this light and airy fall fete, the finishing touch were sprigs of fresh rosemary, a perfect fall scent, and a punch of fresh greenery.

photos by Melanie Mauer

This early fall tabletop was all about layering and mixing elements. Copper metallic, embossed leather, colored linen, and pops of pinks and purples in the flower arrangements came together for a chic table look.

photo by Squire Fox

I love love love incorporating different textures in fall and winter designs (hence our recent post on velvet), and one of my favorites is suede. Nothing seems more luxurious to me as a wedding guest than having a soft cozy luxe velvet linen.

photos by Gayle Brooker

The feeling of this wedding can’t be felt from the photos, but it glowed golden and warm. So many elements contributed here, like velvet linens, gold metal paper, and soft textured floral elements like peonies…

photo by Corbin Gurkin

A bright blend of seasonal blooms set the tone for this tabletop… The Balmoral plates lovely in and of themselves , and topped with embossed leather menu books, and accented with gold flatware an unexpected fall feel fell into place.

photo by Liz Banfield

Now this table design remains one of my favorites.. Ostrich leather topper (I mean… ) with wooden and burlap lamps and mixed blooms were so unexpected, but guests really couldn’t get over the custom ombre velvet menu booklets with etched bronze name plates for place cards… So lovely!

9.17.18 | TARA GUÉRARD
Charleston, Entertaining, Event Design, Flowers, Food and Drink, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>

Dec 19, 2017

Mr. and Mrs. Christmas Table

It’s your first Christmas together as Mr. and Mrs. so why not set yourselves a “sweetheart” table fit for the season. Here are a few quick tips for putting together a quick and easy but still special tabletop. Thank you to Lucy Cuneo for shooting these details with us.

Basic candlesticks are readily available at any craft, or discount store, but may go overlooked. Don’t be so quick to write them off. Here, we took ones of varying heights and shapes and spray painted them gold to jazz them up. Keep these tucked away for future gatherings and you can repaint in any color needed!

Two tips: Wrap the bases of your candles in floral wrap tape (again available at craft and floral stores), it has a bit of tack to it and will hold the candlesticks in place and upright- no more crooked candles! Also, never have candles on a table with fresh wicks- it’s bad luck! Light them if only for a couple of seconds, and then blow them out.

Another fast and easy design element is adding something to your napkins. Here, I rolled a linen napkin and tied off with gold twine. You could tuck a sprig of your tree or even a quick handwritten note to your new spouse in there for something special.

Don’t be afraid to mix your plates and glassware. You can use water glasses for wine, wine glasses for a specialty cocktail, etc. I love these vintage champagne coupes, there is something quite grown up and festive about drinking from them. These party plates from Anthropologie were a quick little purchase that totally dresses up the table, and since you only need two, they won’t break your Christmas budget.

We’ll share our how to’s on creating a poinsettia centerpiece and greenery wrapped votives next week, so join us then.

12.19.17 | TARA GUÉRARD
Entertaining, Event Design, Flowers, Food and Drink, Gifts, Parties | Comments >>