$30.00 U.S. “With every turn of the page you will find another example Tara Guérard of the simple pleasures, the memorable moments and the Recognized as the Southeast’s premier creative ideas that make up the perfect wedding day.” event designer, Tara Guérard has earned a national reputation for her exceptional Weddings Weddings ability to create spectacular settings cel- —Antonia van der Meer, ebrating life’s most anticipated occa- Editor in Chief sions. Clients across the United States— Elegant Bride and Modern Bride from celebrity hosts to hometown brides—seek out Tara for her signature With impeccable style and taste, premier graciousness infused with a decidedly modern flair. Since opening the doors of Soirée by Tara Guérard in Charleston, event designer Tara Guérard takes us on a guided tour South Carolina, over a decade ago, Tara has been noted as a leading through twelve dream weddings. From a formal South- arbiter of entertaining and style. In 2005, she was selected as a Top ern soirée to an ocean island affair, Tara shares the tools 25 Trendsetter by Modern Bride Magazine. Soirée’s work has also been featured by a wide range of media, including Elegant Bride, and tricks of the trade she’s learned from over a decade Food & Wine, Southern Accents, , InStyle Weddings, of working in the industry. Every chapter imparts fresh Town & Country Weddings, and Weddings. One of information using specific weddings as examples and her events was featured on the Style Network.

In addition to her client work, Tara is a sought-after speaker for inspiration. national forums on floral and event design. She has appeared before by Tara Guérard Tara Guérard is a consummate entertainer and exclusive audiences at venues including the Mint Museum in shows readers how they can plan their wedding, with Charlotte, North Carolina, Nashville Lifestyles magazine’s “Bridal topics ranging from choosing a venue to choosing colors; Ball,” and the Walters Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. Tara lives in Charleston with her husband, Russell, and their deciding on hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, or a formal sit- young sons, Aiken and Myers. For additional information and to down meal; and decorating the altar, the table, or even view a selection of Tara’s events, please visit www.soireebytara the bride’s shoes! By carefully selecting themes and guerard.com. masterfully integrating details, you will learn how to make one of life’s most important celebrations infinitely Liz Banfield memorable. An accomplished editorial photographer, Beautifully designed pages and vibrant photography Liz Banfield’s images can be seen in Martha Stewart Weddings, Elegant Bride, bring each wedding abundantly to life in this book that InStyle Weddings, Town & Country will bring hours of inspiration and pleasure. Weddings, Family, Southern Accents, and Country Living. She travels the globe shooting fabulous weddings for stylish clients, and lifestyle images for clients like Target, where her photographs are displayed in stores worldwide. At home she enjoys documenting the lives of her two young children, Grier and Charlotte.

Entertaining

10 x 10 inches Hardcover, 176 Pages 300 Color Photos photography by Liz Banfield UndertheOaks Olivia Mansfield and Zach Wall

Left: Father of the bride peeping out the front door just before walking his daughter down the aisle. Right: A poem loved by the bride and used for wedding wishes.

| 1 Mr.andMrs.

College sweethearts at Washington & Lee University, Olivia and Zach had a storybook courtship that led them to post-grad life in New York City. Zach set the stage for his surprise marriage proposal with a New Year’s visit to the Mansfields’ beloved vacation home in Sea Island, Georgia. Undeterred by a dreary day at the beach, he popped the question and set off the family’s holiday festivities with an early champagne toast and dinner to ring in the new couple—and the new year.

The ceremony was held under centuries-old oaks, which created a lush backdrop. Right: The bride’s bouquet was filled with parrot tulips and of course the groom had a boutonniere to match. UndertheOaks | 3 Below, Left: Lanterns topped with fresh flowers were hung from tree limbs by boxwood garland, creating a glamorous and unexpected altar piece. Right: A view of the all-white dance floor and lounge. Facing, Left: Wrought-iron hooks, boxwood garlands, and fresh flower nosegays were used to help construct an aisle. Right: A view of the poolside cocktail area.

BrightIdea

Floating Monogram

We’ve often seen floating floral shapes and candles before but wanted a fresh idea to bring the pool into the décor. We custom made the “M” and “W” monogram out of styrofoam and covered it in hearty pink and orange carnations to bring in that pop of color. It was the perfect unexpected detail.

TheScene Design and Décor Olivia envisioned a sophisticated traditional wedding held on the grounds of her family’s home— our favorite kind of celebration site! We loved the colors she chose for the décor: pinks, oranges, pastels, and champagne. We designed an interlocking “M” and “W” logo, mixed her colors, and had boxwoods everywhere. From the ceremony in the front garden to cocktails in the house and around the pool, to dinner and dancing under the tent, Olivia and Zach’s at-home wedding was magical.

UndertheOaks | 5 “We kept it green by making our own birdseed recipe so that the same kinds of flowers and grass would continue to grow within this family’s lawn after being tossed at the bride and groom.”

Taking time to take couple photos before the ceremony is a way to have timeless black and white pho- tography from your wedding day. UndertheOaks | 7 SoiréeSignatures

Wedding Cake Conservatory

We love making the wedding cake the centerpiece of the party. In a tent covering this much ground, making sure the cake became a focal point was a challenge. So within the tent, we constructed a wrought-iron conservatory, draped it with boxwood garlands to match the handmade cake details, and set out tivoli lights. We then custom made an acrylic table that we could arrange large pots under. The cake appeared as if it were floating on boxwoods—gorgeous!