Search Tara Guérard’s name, and the results read like a magazine-worthy trek across the American South and beyond. A pastoral celebration outside Charlottesville, where the Blue Ridge Mountains served as cathedral walls. A black-tie revel at the storied Hermitage Hotel in Nashville. A ceremony at the ocean’s edge on Sea Island, Georgia. A three-day fête in Paris, culminating beneath the ceilings of the Ritz.
One of the most sought-after planners on the East Coast, Tara Guérard Soirée is synonymous with exceptional weddings. Perhaps more than anyone, she’s uniquely qualified to offer guidance on what it takes to stage an I do destined for icon status. Here’s how she makes the magic happen.
Photos are forever. Make them count.
“The picture during your wedding day is forever in your memory, one that sits on the grand piano in every grandchild’s home one day,” Guérard says. Which is to say, be intentional when selecting a photographer. Make sure you’re not only impressed by their work but comfortable working with them so that images come out natural, not stilted. And consider the style you want to capture. “My preference is black and white,” she says.
Eat, drink, and be merry—without a queue.
Most guests have experienced it—the moment at an otherwise joyful reception when enthusiasm stalls ten people deep at the bar. According to Guérard, few things dampen the momentum of a celebration more quickly than a long line. So she has an easy-to-follow formula: “You need to have one bartender per forty guests and one barback per eighty guests, in addition to the bartenders, for best service.” Having a signature cocktail can also help with flow—especially, Guérard says, when an event has all guests arriving at the same time.
Don’t overlook lighting.
“Lighting sets the mood for any occasion. If the lights are low and dimmed, it always makes a room feel more intimate,” Guérard says. This is one of the most affordable ways to enhance the ambience of your big day. “It doesn’t take any money to turn down the lights,” she adds. “If candles are permitted at a venue, candles are always the best. The more, the better!”
Turn up the energy, not the volume.
While lighting sets the visual tone, sound shapes the emotional one. “Do not have the band play so loudly during dinner that guests cannot even think or talk,” she advises. “Conversation is the key.” A wedding, at its heart, is a gathering—an opportunity for guests to reconnect, reminisce, and settle into the rhythm of the evening. Only once that foundation is laid should the tempo shift. “There is a time in the evening when it is appropriate to turn up the music,” Guérard says. And pro tip: “There is no excuse in today’s world, with the plethora of playlists, for bad music if a fabulous band is not in budget.”
Feed your guests well.
Napoleon famously said, “An army marches on its stomach.” So does a wedding party. “I always remind clients, it doesn’t necessarily have to be fancy or expensive food options. It just has to be really good,” Guérard says. And there is nothing wrong with simple. “My top favorite examples: We once served burgers and fries at a black-tie wedding, and everyone loved it! At another wedding, we served family-style baskets of Southern fried chicken, and not one piece was left.”
Personalization matters.
It’s easy to get caught up in wedding trends, but Guérard always reminds the couples she works with that a wedding should be unique. “When the time and energy are put into something special, it is noticed,” she says. What that personalization looks like will differ from couple to couple, but some examples she’s loved include monogrammed napkins, custom-designed matchboxes, a favorite fabric that becomes your tablecloth, custom lamp shades with your logo, and etched glassware as place cards.Another clever customization? “Design a bar and name it your father’s nickname, or name your party lounge after your dog,” she says. “A special intimate moment or a detail to remember will last a lifetime.”
For more wedding inspiration, visit taraguerardsoiree.com
