by Tara McHugh | Nov 2, 2018 | Boutonniere, Bridal, bridal bouquet, local flowers, salt spring island, Uncategorized, Wedding
I sure loved the care free vibe of this fun and colorful summer wedding at The Lake Shore on Salt Spring Island. Emma McCormick and her team knocked this one out of the park! This lovely, easy going couple, travelled all the way from Australia’s Gold Coast to get married here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and celebrate with 50+ close friends and family. The bride was very relaxed in regards to flowers which I always love as it makes my job so much easier. One flower she did request was sunflowers and luckily it was August and Bullock Lake Farm lots! They not only had your standard beautiful bright yellow sunflowers but also some more muted varieties which I used in the bride’s bouquet. (see below) The sunflowers were the perfect pairing with other late summer flowers like dahlias, strawflowers and rudbeckias. All the colorful local dahlias and sunflowers sure popped against the indigo blue shibori details! And how about that tent? Such a great choice. Photography – Eternal Reflections Photography Venue – Lakeshore on Salt Spring Wedding Planner and Event Coordination – Emma McCormick Creative Planning and Production Paper Goods – Kody Dishlevoy in house design for Emma McCormick Creative Flowers – Tara McHugh Flora Hair and Makeup – Sharon Rai Hair and Makeup Artistry Dress – The White Peony Decor Rentals – Bash Specialty + Trend Decor Event Design Table and Chair Rental – Black and White Event Rental Catering – Toque Catering Cake – Ruth and Dean Tent Rental – Shady Spaces Mobile Beer Unit – Thirsty Islander Beer ...
by Tara McHugh | Feb 21, 2018 | Boutonniere, Bridal, bridal bouquet, farm wedding, garden flowers, local flowers, spring flowers, Victoria, Wedding, Wedding Venue
This wedding at the Sea Cider Farm on Vancouver Island was such a pleasure to work on. The bride gave me a lot of creative freedom which I am always thankful for. When creating these wedding day florals I was mostly inspired by the words in one of her first emails ” branches, vines and botanical things make me happy”. My favorite part of this spring wedding was the bouquet! Well, and the local ranunculus and lilacs from Nine Bark Farm. The bride really wanted lots of greenery used throughout the whole wedding, the harvest tables had runners of three different types of eucalyptus, the ceremony barrels were filled with large rustic branches and her bouquet was mostly various shades of greenery. Originally the bride had requested an all greenery bouquet with some thistle, but seeing as this was a May wedding and I knew a very sweet woman in my neighbourhood who grew the most amazing peonies I just knew a simple white peony was the way to go. At first her initial response was “no peonies” but after a little back and forth she agreed. And I think in retrospect she was glad she did. A couple months after the wedding she sent me a thank you card that mentioned she loved her bouquet so much that she now has a picture framed in her house. All the photos in the post are by the talented Kelly...
by Tara McHugh | Feb 16, 2018 | Bridal, bridal bouquet, flowers, garden flowers, local flowers, silk ribbon, trailing ribbon, Uncategorized, Victoria, Wedding, Wedding Venue
Last summer I was honoured to create flowers for a very lovely and beautiful couple from Victoria, British Columbia, who chose to have their wedding day at the Affinity Guesthouse in the picturesque Cowichan Valley. Vancouver Island is filled with so many incredible wedding venues and that is definitely one of the things I love about my job, getting to explore these beautiful places. With charming buildings nestled amongst large willow trees, never ending green lawns perfect for that big white party tent, and playing games, the Affinity Guesthouse seems the perfect spot to celebrate your wedding day with your closest friends and family. The florals for this wedding were soft and romantic. A palette of blush and white, full lush centerpieces filled with white hydrangea, sweet peas, roses, kalancho and fern. The brides bouquet was filled with a mixture of roses (Quicksand and O’Hara rose), bouvardia, and locally grown flowers including astrancia, creme brulee phlox, and white nigella. The bridesmaids all carried a simple fragrant white O’Hara rose with mixed greenery which they later placed along the head table to add to the greenery garland which was also dotted with roses. Photos: Brent Calis Photography ...
by Tara McHugh | Feb 1, 2018 | Bridal, farm wedding, garden flowers, local flowers, salt spring island, Wedding, Wedding Venue
This was my first wedding on Salt Spring Island since moving here in August 2017. I couldn’t have been more happier with the experience of working at Bullock Lake Farm. It was picture perfect, from the towering trees at the ceremony site, to the outdoor long table dining to the evening dancing under beautiful white lights in the coolest barn. I was extremely nervous about the fact that all the flowers for this wedding were sourced from only island farmers, Bullock Lake providing the majority. Once given a color scheme it’s up to the growers to supply you with what is available at that time. With working for almost a decade in the city of Victoria there were many options for flowers. If I felt like I didn’t have enough flowers or the right colors I could run around town and usually find what I was looking for. I can’t tell you how many times Harry’s Flowers in Oak Bay Avenue saved my life! So needless to say that moving to a small town and doing a completely island grown wedding was a little stressful as I never knew exactly what I was getting or the quantities. Luckily the bride was easy going and understood everything couldn’t be controlled when supplied locally. But in the end I was beyond happy with the outcome. With a mixture of dahlias, zinnias, scabiosa, snap dragons and hop vines everything came together as it always does. It was extremely satisfying on a creative level to work with such healthy fresh pesticide free flowers! I loved the color combos that were created with varying...
by Tara McHugh | Oct 25, 2017 | Boutonniere, Bridal, bridal bouquet, flowers, local flowers, Victoria
This October elopement took place at a private residence in Victoria, BC. The bride and groom had asked some friends to host the wedding at their home, so it was a beautiful backyard ceremony with only 7 guests. Fall flowers included the ever popular cafe au lait dahlias, fall mums, orchids and the combo rose. Photography: Kim Kayln Photography ...
