Thank you to Weddings Unveiled for picking up this fabulous wedding shot for us last June by Adrienne Page. We enjoyed working around the fresh color combination (black, white, and kelly green) on this wedding, and really love how it came through in the photos.

We also wanted to show you some of our favorite shots that didn’t make the spread…

our lovely bride, Collins; Second Presbyterian Church with doors festooned with floral monograms; the new Mr. and Mrs. exiting the ceremon

the amazing interior detail of this church stands on it’s own

The cake mimicked the patterns from famous Charleston wrought iron gate design (which were also used on her printed materials) and instead of a “groom’s cake” this groom opted for chocolate cupcakes; the front porch of the reception venue offered a lounge where guests could take a breather and set their drinks on our acrylic boxwood coffee tables.

late snacks of sweet potato fries were passed out on the dance floor (trick: we pre tied cloth napkins around the glasses so that guests wouldn’t get greasy fingers); collins and fred are BIG football fans, so we created custom horns and asked guests to “Make Some Noise” for the bride and groom as they left the reception; Hibernian Hall, the reception venue lit with green lights, and draped with boxwood garlands.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Collins and Fred, the happy couple!

Also, be sure to check out Soiree’s feature in the new Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine- I’ll be posting some photos wedding next week.

Speaking of Green…

We recently did a rehearsal dinner and party for a local family whose last name is Green. Of course we had to use that as part of the decor! It really turned it into a bright and cheery outdoor summer party …

Green floral table numbers hung from umbrellas over each corresponding table; wooden farm tables were dressed with apple green linen placemats, and green topiaries; we found these striped napkins as a fluke with all of the right colors and with ocean breezes, the menus were wrapped around the place setting to secure them.

blue paper lanterns hung from trees giving the outdoor lounges some ambient lighting

dining tables al fresco; the family’s favorite salad- the BLT wedge with creamy blue cheese dressing, aluminum pie tins served as plates; apple green acrylic glassware was colorful and functional- being poolside at a private club, we weren’t allowed to have any glass, these were definitely an elegant spin on “solo” cups.

We loved how the lanterns’ glow reflected in the pool as the sun went down

A warm evening glow..

Design Ideas…

We want Soiree to do an entire wedding around these carved wood pieces, especially the “Lacey” chairs- are they not to die for?!

from the July 2009 Town and Country

Then, spotted in the new Veranda, there were precious little Strawberry Basil Bubble tea cocktails (I especially love the thicker straws) from The Inn at Little Washington, in Washington, Virginia. Soiree should go for a weekend retreat and sip on these, that’s always how we do our best brainstorming! The presentation of these can be carried over to any drink or cocktail for your summer parties.

Where to Shop

Many high fashion/couture shopping sites have recently launched bridal boutiques, here are a couple of Soiree’s faves. You can shop bridal, wedding party, mother of the bride attire, and accessories. Some are even offering registries.

http://www.net-a-porter.com/Content/boutique/wedding

http://shop.nordstrom.com

Cayman Islands Recap

Tara Guerard  is an avid scuba diver.  Aside from all of the workshops and networking that took place at the Engage 09 event, Tara managed to squeeze in a diving trip.  She spotted lots of grouper, eel, and many colors we don’t see in our waters in Charleston.  We are SO pumped for our return trip to the Caymans which we’ve decided to take in January- what a great way to start off the season! It’s also when the Cayman Classic takes place- a culinary festival and tennis tournament that has featured chefs like Eric Ripert (Le Bernadian in New York City, Blue in the Caymans- I heart him!)  and Anthony Bourdain (No Reservations author and star of the Travel Channel show of the same name).

We are so thrilled to finally see the Elegant Bride Summer 09 spread featuring our wedding for Hillary Rich and Will Herring.

Here are some of Liz Banfield’s (our wonderful photographer) favorite shots:

Here are some of Soiree’s favorite that weren’t included:

Her hair was one of the freshest so far, with the half front braid, and mega bun.

Clockwise from top left: after dinner lounge detail; custom silly string which we used for the bride and groom departure; overall shot of the super sleek after dinner lounge

Clockwise from left: antique Rolls Royce and hand made paper flowers made for a stylish departure; guests were able to take home extra wedding cake; we bought inexpensive and comfy Chinese slippers for dancing

Top: Drayton Hall Plantation house lit at night along with the dinner tent; bottom: detail shot of the lounge bar

We had a custom entrance tent made as guests entered for cocktail hour

Engage 09!

Tara in the Grand Cayman’s right now for the big Engage 09! Summit. I can’t wait to hear all of the juicy details and learn about all of the industry hot topics. I know that Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty is there, so hopefully I’ll get some good blogging tips.

I did just hear from her that she won a trip for 4 to the Cayman Islands- sounds like a Soiree retreat is on the horizon!!!!!!!!

Save the Tatas…

Our favorite make up guru, Leslie Moore of Moore Make-Up, has recently been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I’ve known Leslie for years and am so thankful to get to work with her too. She’s an amazing gal, and I know that she will beat this… Follow her journey at her blog, Warriors Wear Pink (http://www.warriorswearpink.blogspot.com).

I love the natural radiant look she gave our bride, Carter Samis.

Bella Bridesmaid Sample Sale

Bella Bridesmaid is currently having their summer sample sale. The dresses are discontinued samples but still in great condition. They have a wide range of colors, styles, fabrics, and sizes priced from $250 all the way down to $50! Not only suitabloe for a wedding party, these dresses would be wonderful for an event of any kind. All dresses are final sale. If you’d like to make an appointment to check out these fabulous frocks, please call or email your local franchise to schedule an appointment!

I wish… but we were recently featured in the UK version of Bride’s magazine… Thank you to Liz Banfield for the great spread! I did feature shots of this wedding a few posts ago but loved the look of this layout. Plus, their anniversary was this weekend- Congrats to the happy couple!

click photos to enlarge

click photos to enlarge

New Venues…

Are popping up all over.

Here in Charleston, it’s not new, but somewhat new for events- Tristan restaurant is now available to rent out for events- perfect spot for someone that wants a more contemporary look, and their food is yum! Also, you can always play off the excuse to attend $2 martini night every Wednesday as “site visits”. Plus it is owned by The Zucker Family Foundation- one of our past brides’ family, whom we adore.

We have a wedding next May in Scottsboro, AL at Gorham’s Bluff.. It will be an all weekend affair, but it looks like such a beautiful spot, can’t wait! The top shot is a gazebo overlooking the Tennessee River Valley, and the bottom shot is the Amphitheater on site… We are doing our site visit in a couple of weeks, so I’ll try to nab my own shots for you.

Anticipation…

Tara is in NYC tonight for a very important meeting, that I hope to be able to disclose to you next week… Very exciting stuff!!!! Fingers crossed…

Also, please check out Katie Berry’s blog post about the new NYC space:

http://blogs1.marthastewart.com/weddings/