this is the view right outside of our new office window in New York.

the walls aren’t painted and things aren’t hung yet, but here’s an interior shot. I love our new floors…of course we’ll post more when we have it looking perfect.

Tara and I walked by Kleinfeld by chance and loved their new window campaign- “Team Up”

We love how they showed how many people and what goes into making a bride beautiful on her wedding day.  And we love the dress of course, stunning!

Big Announcement

We are so excited to announce that we are rennovating our BonBon Blog.  Starting this week, look for our new design and weekly surcis on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  So check back on Wednesday for the first debut.

Expert Advice

This Valentine’s Day, head over to the new debut of the townandcountryweddingadvisor.com site for all of the expert’s tips in one location.

And, we were so proud that our favorite baker, Jim Smeal (based here in Charleston, SC) had a cake in the recent Town and Country Weddings Magazine.

Life’s A Peach…

For our second wedding that was featured in Southern Living Weddings, photographer Adrienne Page pulled out some of her favorite details to share on her blog this week.  Hop on over for the shots.

Just for fun…

For Beth, our Gorham’s Bluff bride, instead of carrying the traditional “shower ribbon” bouquet down the practice aisle, we constructed a fabric flower bouquet in her wedding colors!

Tara’s Tidbits

Tara is off this week to Anguilla to celebrate her 15 year wedding anniversary.  Congratulations Tara and Russell.  They are staying at the Viceroy, the Kelly Wearstler designed property in the Caribbean. I’m so excited to see photos, I know it is unbelievably fabulous.

Speaking of New York, when Tara Guerard was there last, she visited Paul Labrecque Salon for hair and make up serviced prior to a photo shoot.  She’s been raving about them ever since and wanted me to share their information.  They offer fabulous wedding services for all of you brides, be sure to check them out!

For her guest bag, the bride wanted something that fit in with the venue, and since we were at a mountain top resort, we thought picnic baskets would be handy… we filled them with lots of homemade southern snacks all packaged with custom printed items by Soiree, and beautiful letterpressed information cards with all of the weekend details, and a tag on the outside thanking guests for traveling so far and wide.

Throughout the entire wedding we really played with color, using varying shades in the same family and complimentary secondary shades. the bridesmaids all wore shades of pink and orange and their bouquets reflected that.

You’ve heard of having a ceremony and reception dress, but this bride had a ceremony and two reception dresses.  the third was her mother’s wedding dress from the 1960’s that wasn’t changed a bit, the fabulous bell sleeves and

All of the letterpress printing by The Lettered Olive featured her colors of coral and grey, the ceremony program had a striped letterpress backing that mimicked the seersucker fabric we used throughout the decor, and the menus were die cut flowers with die cut petals that doubled as the place cards.

Great scenery can’t help but make for great photos.

We love to capitalize on the surrounding scenery if possible, our dinner tent was positioned overlooking the bluff and the walls were pulled back for unparalleled views. the cocktail hour was al fresco with sweeping views of the lake below.

We think it’s important that even when a wedding progresses to the next stage that the previous area remains in perfect condition. We had paves that were precut and served to match the cake behind the scenes, so that the cake stayed perfect even after it was cut by the bride and groom. There was a tree that we couldn’t remove right in our lounge tent, so we floored around it and made it a focal point of the party by creating ambient lighting with it. The bars from cocktail hour remained stocked and staffed for those that wanted to get a break and and take in the views throughout the entire night.

We used different table styles, linens, and tabletops throughout the dinner tent so that it gave the massive space some depth and dimension.  Some tables were square, some rectangle, some round.  Some had pink and white seersucker, some had grey and white seersucker (which the huge light fixtures were made from as well), and some had simple plain peachy linen cloths. The round tables featured banquette seating as well, to give them some unique quality.

The Family Stone

When the first Martha Stewart Weddings magazine of the year arrives with the array of sparkly diamond rings on the cover, it always gets me thinking about the year in weddings, the trends, the colors, the new ideas, and oh yeah, diamond rings of course. But, with the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton I wonder if alternative stones will become one of the big trends of the year.

from the Daily Mail

A few years ago, Martha Robbins of The Lettered Olive wed Jon Robbins here in Charleston after he presented her with a sapphire sparkler.

Tara’s Tidbits from New York

My hobby (which I never get to do anymore…) is being a potter…I love working with porcelain and so every time I come across something exquisite made in porcelain…I get happy but also sad! I miss it so!
Last week in NY on a very cold and dreary day…Liz Banfield and I went l
“looking”.
(I wish I had her along all the time to show things I love!)
anyways…these little porcelain bowls with hand made handles with a gold leafing glaze inside made me especially happy…..they were perfect!
and these sweet little pieces glazed in the palest pink were beautiful.
Juliska is always making pretty things that are everyday useful and look elegant…. Enjoy!

Of course, we must recap the fashion from the Golden Globes.  Big colors on the Red Carpet were emerald green and black… Is green back as the new trend for weddings this year?  Out of the 4 spring weddings we have, 2 are using green! And, it was great to see designers, typically known for their wedding dresses making an appearance- big names wore Vera Wang, Sandra Bullock wore Jenny Packham, Monique Lhuillier was also a favorite.

Catherine Zeta-Jones in Monique Lhuillier from JustJared.com

Angelina Jolie in Versace from JustJared.com

Mila Kunis in Vera Wang from CBS News.com

I personally thought that Kyra Sedgewick looked amazing. Love the color of her dress, and the simplicity of it and her turqouise jewelry.

from Harpers Bazaar.com

Now, if I was attending the Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William (which is still entirely possible considering invites haven’t been mailed yet), I would wear either one of these dresses with a fabulous feather fascinator piece.

Piper Perabo in Oscar de la Renta from CBS News.com

Eva Longoria in Zac Posen (thank you very much) from CBS News.com

On Another Note…

Have you seen that Nordstrom online has a new wedding shop?

Out on Newsstands Now!

We have two featured weddings in this Southern Living Weddings issue…

This wedding took place at Gorham’s Bluff in Pisgah, Alabama in May of 2010. We loved the Bratton family and were so thankful to be a part of Beth and Graham’s special day.  Being that I have two pugs myself, I espcially love the appearances by all of the family pugs. There were so many fun little special details for this wedding, and several other parties that we did, so can’t wait to show you more…

Katie and Duston were one of the kindest, most laid back, and cutest couples we’ve had the pleasure of working with.  We loved the earthy vibe they wanted to convey to their guests, and we had a great time creating their beachfont nuptuials.  We found an awesome fabric at a local fabric store that we had made into ties for all of the men, and handbags for the ladies, they were a HUGE hit.

Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks for details from these two fab weddings…

Tara’s Tidbit

I just met photographer Elizabeth Messina at the Kentucky Bridal WOW event, and we hit it off famously. I’ve had one of her shots I pulled from a magazine years ago up on my inspiration board forever, but had no idea it was her.  She told me about the “boudoir” photography she’s into doing now. Elizabeth makes all her brides look and feel like a model.. Who wouldn’t want that!

Try Branding Your Wedding

I pulled a few more details from our Palmetto Bluff wedding to show you how you can create a brand for your wedding.

We created a “logo” for this couple that was used on all of the printed items, embroidered onto cocktail napkins that the couple was able to use for entertaining in their home after the wedding, and as special decor on the chairs for the bride and groom.  Branding can be done with colors, a logo or pattern used throughout, even based on your location or season.

Sneak Peak

Of course, I can’t show you any other images from our recent wedding in Arkansas, but I just wanted to give you a teaser, this wedding was soooo yummy to me, one of my faves.  Obviously our bride agrees, to quote her:  “Thank you again for everything. It was all absolutely perfect and every where we go people can’t stop talking about how perfect it was. “

photos by Liz Banfield.

Tara’s Tidbits

Being from horse country myself, I felt right at home in Lexington, Kentucky this past weekend (except that it was freezing cold with snow)! What a beautiful place! I can just imagine the sort of events that I could design there!

Pictured with the famous kentucky derby winner, Giacomo, nipping at my shoulder, Kentucky Bride’s Jacki Allen and my new BFF, the most fabulous photographer, Elizabeth Messina. Adena Springs in the Snow and another famous horse behind the fence, Ghostzapper.
Thank you Kenutcky for the warm southern welcome. I so enjoyed myself and look forward to coming back!  tara…

]]> http://blog.taraguerardsoiree.com/2011/01/palmetto-bluff/feed/ http://blog.taraguerardsoiree.com/2011/01/2011-what/ http://blog.taraguerardsoiree.com/2011/01/2011-what/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:58:32 +0000 soiree http://blog.taraguerardsoiree.com/?p=2307 I can NOT believe it’s already 2011, where did 2010 go?  We just returned from Little Rock, Arkansas where we did a lovely winter wedding over New Year’s… It was hard to be away from our families over the holiday, but at least we had festive surroundings.

this huge tree in the lobby of the Capital was so lovely.  The subtle fir smell that filled the entire hotel kept the holiday spirit going.

the building across from our hotel.. not quite the Empire State building, but close?

we all got a kick out of this, The Peabody is a big hotel that hosts an annual New Year’s Eve bash.. one of the lights on the sign was out, revealing the PeaPody..

What’s Next?

This weekend Tara Guerard will be at the WOW event sponsored by Kentucky Bride. If you are in the area be sure to check it out.

Next week here in Charleston, please come out to support the Charleston Area Wedding Planners group.  Tara will be the guest speaker at the kick off meeting for 2011.

Tara’s Tidbits

I love as for my top tip for 2011…

One of the hardest thigns for me during the holidays is always wanting to get the perfect gift for everyone on my list and really resisting the temptation to buy everything I see for myself!

While searching the One Kings Lane gift guide, I found a few items to suggest that I’m loving!

I love the idea of a “wine set” a few sampler bottles along with some lovely glasses for enjoying… I am wanting to add some of these footed Riedels to my collection.

Or, for the red wine drinkers, their Pinot Noir sampler and hand blown glass decanter as a set…

What a sweet little stocking stuff, of a little mouse sleeping in a matchbox- warms my heart!

If you like to follow the tradition (which I promise to adopt next year) of making something homemade for your neighbors and other on your list, one of my favorite treats in the entire world but never ever get is candied citron, especially lemon peels.  Here is a fabulous recipe from Whole Foods. I even think their packaging is great with your own person touches like a custom printed sticker, or fabric wrapping. They even offer a downloadable gift tag.

I know when you think about giving a candle, you roll your eyes in boredom.  But, think about it, candles like these are ones that are so luxurious that you don’t buy them for yourself, and I personally will never get sick of receiving them.  Plus, I love the idea of having a “signature scent” throughout your entire house. I’m a fool for anything Fig scented. Here are some of my faves that I’ve sniffed out.

available at Bloomingdales online.

from Blue Mercury

From Beauty.com; plus the containers are so lovely to display…

And for only $49, this is perfect for ALL…

Tara’s Holiday Tidbits

This year my Christmas cards will feature recent photos taken by my friend Travis Dew.  I am loving her photography of children, and just wanted to spread the word about her amazing talent!

I received this Happy Holiday email today and thought the artwork from Furman Land Design, LLC was just fitting for a Lowcountry Greeting.

A Woman of Many Talents

Liz Banfield recently shared with me some photos and comments from a recent “Golden Anniversary” party she threw for her parents… it’s adorable, and of course is just complimented by her photography… who knew we could add event designer to her resume!

I candied kumquats for the “topper” and the ornate ribbon was from Hymen Hendler & Sons in NYC.

On a budget, I chose candles over flowers for ambience.  It was their “golden” anniversary so I picked out this garland from Michaels.  I was a bit torn - looked like it could be tacky in the store - but it did look nice under the low lights… mirror tiles are from Ikea.

I dislike the “shrine” aspect of the usual photo display so I tried to make things more uniform my printing in B&W on 4×6.

Thank you Martha Stewart for this idea… pom poms attached to bamboo for swivel sticks.

No budget for flowers so I just did this large branch that cost $3.

A sign on the door using the same paper as the invitation and a photo from my parents wedding.  This was also the photo we used on the custom stamps.  Thank you Tara for teaching me that fresh flowers and hot glue can go together!!!

Bold colors set the celebratory tone and were used throughout the decor, hundreds of paper wrapped cylinders brought a surprisingly warm glow to the room, cocktail hour was al fresco and the Satin Dolls provided music of current songs (i.e. Coldplay, Bjork, etc)but with a new twist.

Grill 225 who provides the nibbles for cocktail hour every year had fun with both sweet and savory birthday treats; some of the restaurants added to the fun at their tables by bringing in favors…

The Emcee, John Fugelsang and past Voice of Courage recipient, Angela Shelton make an exciting entrance…

The Burke High School Marching band brought guests from cocktail hour into the dinner tent and then kicked off the party with a funky version of Happy Birthday, it ended with surprise confetti cannons that really got spirits high.

This year’s Voice of Courage recipient, Darwin Hobbs also provided entertainment by leading the St. Philips Childrens’ Choir in the Darkness to Light song- From Darkness to Light, written by Dan Mackenzie.  These rare white lab puppies (a brother and sister from the same litter) fetched $9,000 each in the live auction!

The after party decor featured 5 foot silver tinsel chandeliers in the all magenta tent, the perfect glow for a party lounge…

photos from Gayle Brooker Photography

Catch Us Out and About

This coming Sunday, December, 12th, Tara will be signing books at The Preservation Society of Charleston Annual Holiday Book Signing.
Preservation Society Book and Gift Shop
147 King Street
1:00pm-4:00pm

And, coming up next month in Lexington, Kentucky, check out the WOW event

On the Blog Roll… the “Southern in the City” blog featured Tara Guerard’s Ten Tips for Easy Entertaining.

Congratulations to Stitch Design Co, and Fuzzco for their recent acclaims at the AIGA Show… Soiree’s printed collateral and website were both honored as top design in their respective fields…

Tara’s Tibits

This is what I want from Santa this year… I’ve been a very good girl!

A Happy and Heathly Holiday to all!

Tara was recently interviewed for an article in the Wall Street Journal about the ever difficult work life balance.  Click here to read the entire article…