Tara Guerard - Weddings by Tara Guerard

We at Soire by Tara Gurard love weddings! We love the entire processfrom design and planning to the execution of the big event. For us, the divine is in the details! On the heels of our successful first book, Southern Weddings, the following pages provide examples of extraordinary real weddings that we were fortunate to oversee. It is our hope that readers enjoy and find inspirationas we didfrom each of the featured couples and their once-in-a-lifetime celebrations.

This book is dedicated to the beautiful brides and dashing grooms who brought our vision to life. Thank you! Thank you also to Elizabeth Cash, Kate Little, and Anne Pope for their assistance in writing this book, and to Julia Shuman for her graphic design. Also, many thanks to our fabulous, talented, dependable vendorsyou always make us look good. And, finally, a huge thank-you to my devoted Soire team, who for over a decade have been the backbone of the company. We would not be where we are today without you!

Tara Gurard

An excited Olivia and Zach just after the ceremony.

Boxwoods-and-flowers cake by Sylvia Weinstock.

Father of the bride peeping out the front door just before walking his daughter down the aisle.

A poem loved by the bride and used for wedding wishes.

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 Years 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 familys holiday festivities with an early champagne toast and dinner to ring in the new coupleand the new year.

The ceremony was held under centuries-old oaks, which created a lush backdrop.

The brides bouquet was filled with parrot tulips and, of course, the groom had a boutonniere to match.

Olivia envisioned a sophisticated traditional wedding held on the grounds of her familys homeour favorite kind of celebration site! We loved the colors she chose for the dcor: pinks, oranges, pastels, and champagne. We designed an interlocking M and W logo, mixed her colors, and placed 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 Zachs at-home wedding was magical.

Lanterns topped with fresh flowers were hung from tree limbs by boxwood garland, creating a glamorous and unexpected altar piece.

A view of the all-white dance floor and lounge.

To help construct an aisle, we used wrought-iron hooks, boxwood garlands, and fresh flower nosegays.

Weve often seen floating floral shapes and candles before, but we wanted a fresh idea to bring the pool into the dcor. 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!

A view of the poolside cocktail area.

Servers rolled cheese carts throughout the reception tent.

Mother of the Bride in orange Oscar de la Renta, takes a break, eats, and chats with a friend over the music of the band.

Bar specialty drinks calligraphied on acrylic signs.

Adapted from New Yorks famous 21 Club, this was one of our passed Hors dOeuvres and one of Olivias favorites.