An arbiter of wedding day style and lush event landscapes, Tara Guérard brings a hint of magic to every little thing she touches.  Her textured compositions are meticulous, her lighting exquisite- and her brides?  Well, they’re thrilled with the energy and beauty with which she crowns each new project.

An extension of her chic event design atelier, Soirée, Tara Guérard’s Lettered Olive offers bespoke invitation designs and plentiful paper possibilities for brides who desire the most exquisitely detailed stationery to commemorate their big day.  In addition to beguiling invitation suites and save the dates, we’ve seen some gorgeous wedding day programs, menus, place cards and custom gift tags emerge from Lettered Olive.  We’ve come to the conclusion that whatever passes through Tara Guérard’s hands will be superbly composed, daintily detailed and beautifully breathtaking.  What’s the secret?  Perhaps it’s her personal charm and dedication to excellence, or her drive for perfection- we just had to get to know her a bit better!

After sitting down with Tara to find out more about her style, inspiration, current obsessions and vision for Lettered Olive, we just couldn’t resist sharing some of the highlights with you.  Check out our interview below and you, too, will catch a glimpse of this remarkable woman’s accolades and quest for excellence.

Get ready to ‘meet’ Tara Guérard and explore the intricacies of Lettered Olive!

TBC:  TELL US ABOUT LETTERED OLIVE, WHAT DO YOU DO?

LO:  Design, Create and Print – We offer custom letterpress printing for wedding invitations, stationery and announcements.

TBC:  WHO IS THE CREATIVE FORCE AND FOUNDER BEHIND LETTERED OLIVE?

LO:  It is a collaborative effort between founder/owner/visionary/event designer Tara Guérard and lead graphic designer, Julia Shuman.

TBC:  WHEN DID YOU START TO FALL IN LOVE WITH PAPER AND STATIONERY?

LO:  After being in the event world for over ten years, owner Tara Guérard saw a lack of good, quality creative invitations.  She opened Lettered Olive as a way to offer her clients the very best stationery options possible.

TBC:  WHAT EXPERIENCE CAN A BRIDE EXPECT WHEN WORKING WITH YOU?

LO:  We really get to know a bride’s whole style from the way she decorates her house to the clothes she wears. We are the best team to work with!

TBC:  WHAT THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE LETTERED OLIVE’S STYLE?

LO:  Sophisticated, Luxurious, Tailored… Elegant

TBC:  WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MATERIALS TO WORK WITH?

LO:  Wood, Velvet, Acrylic, Cotton, Metal, Fabric… anything!!!

TBC:  WHAT ARE THE TOP 5 QUESTIONS A BRIDE SHOULD ASK DURING A CONSULTATION WITH YOU?

LO:  1. What is the design and proofing process like?  2.  What is your production time?  3.  What can you do for me, given my price range?  4.  What are the different printing processes you offer?   5.  How involved am I in the design and how many edits/changes can I make?

TBC:  DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL CLIENT.

LO:  Open-minded, good lead time, has a sense of what they want but someone who is open to us enhancing that vision, someone with exquisite taste.

TBC:  ARE YOUR BRIDES LOCAL OR FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY/WORLD?

LO:  All over the world. From Norway to Panama and in between. Our design studio is in Charleston, SC, and we love to work and get to know each and every client.

TBC:  WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS FROM FOR YOUR BRIDES?

LO:  Anywhere from nature to the windows at Bergdorf’s – usually in the most unexpected places.

TBC:  HOW DO YOU MAKE THE BRIDE AND GROOM, AS WELL AS THEIR BRIDAL PARTY AND FAMILIES, FEEL COMFORTABLE WHEN THEY COME INTO YOUR DESIGN STUDIO?

LO:  We love to show our clients true southern hospitality – we offer them food, drinks, and an experience. We are fun!

TBC:  WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED AS AN INVITATION DESIGNER OVER THE YEARS?

LO:  Check, double check, triple check.  The ins and outs of proper etiquette.  Inspiration is everywhere.  Don’t always go with the first idea.

TBC:  WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A COUPLE ABOUT INVITATIONS?

LO:  Their invites are the first thing guests are going to see, so it should set the tone for the event.

TBC:  WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE WHEN WORKING WITH AN OUT-OF-TOWN OR OVERSEAS CLIENT?

LO:  Aside from the occasional language barrier (sometimes they can’t understand our Southern accents!!), we find working with out-of-town clients to be a smooth and exciting process!

TBC:  WEDDING INVITATIONS OFTEN SET THE TONE FOR THE BIG DAY. HOW DOES LETTERED OLIVE WORK WITH A COUPLE TO CREATE THEIR INVITATION DESIGN?

LO:  We ask the bride to pull inspiration – everything from fabric samples, to magazine clippings, to attire, to flowers and more.

TBC:  HOW DO YOU DETERMINE A DESIGN AESTHETIC?

LO:  Based on a client’s personality traits and style.

TBC:  WHAT IS IN THE PIPELINE FOR LETTERED OLIVE?

LO:  We are working on offering a line of day-of party items on our website which are perfect for the modern entertainer.

TBC:  HOW DOES THE WEDDING STATIONERY IMPACT THE DESIGN AESTHETIC OF THE EVENT ITSELF? DO THE ELEMENTS OF THE INVITATION SUITE INSPIRE THE EVENT, OR VICE VERSA?

LO:  Our pieces are inspirational and make the details.

TBC:  WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR BRIDES AND GROOMS TO KNOW OR HAVE WITH THEM BEFORE A DESIGN CONSULTATION?

LO:  Just know that our paper is made at the oldest mill in Italy and that everyone comes to the wedding when they receive a Lettered Olive invitation, wanted or not.

TBC:  WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR BRIDES AND GROOMS TO KNOW OR HAVE WITH THEM BEFORE A DESIGN CONSULTATION?

LO:  Just show us all the things you love!

TBC:  HOW SOON DO BRIDES AND GROOMS NEED TO START PLANNING AND WORKING ON THEIR WEDDING INVITATIONS AND COLLATERAL?

LO:  6 to 10 months prior to your wedding for save the dates and 3 months prior to your wedding for invitations.

TBC:  PRINTED MATERIALS ARE GOING BEYOND JUST THE INVITATION AND SAVE-THE-DATES. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE MUST-HAVES FOR ANY BRIDE AND GROOM?

LO:  Ceremony programs; great favor packaging; a well-designed welcome packet and guest bag packaging; if seated dinner, make sure to have a great menu; “Just Married” sign; custom cocktail napkins; stemware collars.

TBC:  TELL US ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO BRIDES AND GROOMS WHO ARE FEELING STRESSED AND OVERWHELMED BY ALL THE OPTIONS.

LO:  Relax and let us take care of the hard part. We like to assure our clients they are in good hands — it will be a fun and easy process. Stay true to your own personal style.  It will be gorgeous!!!