by Tara McHugh | Mar 14, 2018 | styled shoot, Uncategorized, Victoria, Wedding, Wedding Venue
Do you love plants? Have you been crushing hard on all those cool cactus images on instagram and Pinterest? Well, in today’s post I’m sharing with you three easy ways to add plants to your wedding day. All of the images I used below are from a desert inspired shoot I worked on last spring in downtown Victoria, so they are theme specific, but all these ideas can be accomplished using different styles of plants depending on your wedding look. Okay, here we go…. Keep it simple by using potted plants at the aisle entrance. Here we used Sansevieria plants as it went with the desert vibe of our shoot. But you could use ferns or palm plants, or even lavender for a more french country look. Whatever suits the feel of your wedding 2. Add small potted plants to either side of your floral centerpiece. This is perfect for long harvest table set ups. Using plants on food stations is another way to emphasize your theme. And lastly… 3. For this shoot I made little succulent and cactus terrariums with white stones. These could be used for place card settings, a seating chart table or thank you gifts. (photography: Kim Jay) This styled shoot was featured on Rocky Mountain Bride and this link shares all the amazing photos and local Victoria vendors who made it all happen. https://www.rockymountainbride.com/blog/fort-common-wedding-inspiration-downtown-delight/ ...
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 16, 2017 | Bridal, bridal bouquet, Uncategorized, Victoria, Wedding Venue
This wedding’s photo gallery left me speechless, and it was so incredibly hard to narrow down my favorite choices for this blog post. The pictures by Ainsley Rose Photography capture expertly the romance and beauty of this stunning wedding at the Old English Inn located in Esquimalt, British Columbia. A floral palette of soft pinks and lavenders that include “quicksand” roses and “cafe au lait” dahlias , bridesmaids who look like goddesses in their flower crowns, and a bride’s smile that perfectly expresses the happiness and love of the day. And to top it all off , the wedding party drove around in a bus to various locations around the city in order to capture these amazing photos. Enjoy! ...
by Tara McHugh | Mar 23, 2016 | Boutonniere, Bridal, bridal bouquet, flowers, Uncategorized, Victoria, Wedding, Wedding Venue
Last summer I was honoured to be the florist for a beautiful small wedding at the Villa Marco Polo Inn. As I often tell people, when the subject of wedding venues comes up, this venue is at the top of my list. I love the character and charm of this old home and it’s gorgeous outdoor garden space. The entire inn can be booked for friends and family which is extremely convenient for out of town visitors. The bride and her bridesmaids can also get ready at the venue on the day of the wedding. What a nice place to sip champagne and relax while getting your hair and make up done. For this wedding the bride requested a purple color scheme and also wanted trailing ribbon, which I adore. The local dahlias stole the show as usual. This wedding weekend just happened to fall on one of the few August days we had rain here on Vancouver Island. But as you can see from the photos it didn’t put a damper on a thing. I actually love how charming the umbrellas look in these photos by Jesse Holland Photo. The bridesmaids wore soft flowing purple gowns, and the flowers a mixture of dahlias, stocks, eucalyptus and lavender phlox complimented them beautifully. Renting tents turned out to be a wise idea to protect the guests and food from the drizzling rain. (photo: Spark and Whimsy) As both the bride and groom were big Harry Potter fans they had...
by Tara McHugh | Oct 27, 2015 | Bridal, bridal bouquet, flowers, silk ribbon, styled shoot, Uncategorized, Victoria, Wedding
The following is my first wedding shoot here in Victoria where I personally hand picked all the talented vendors to help bring my vision to life. My inspiration was copper, as we have all seen hundreds of weddings with silver and gold and I was craving something different. Copper will work beautifully for any fall or winter wedding. But let’s not underestimate it for spring, after all this shoot took place in the spring, hence all the beautiful ranunculus!! Enjoy. Photographer – Kelly Brown Flowers and art direction – Tara McHugh Flora Venue – Victoria Golf Club Models – Coultish Agency Stationary – Tuktu Paper Co. Cake – Ruth and Dean Bride’s dress – Blush Bridal Boutique Groom’s attire – Hughes Clothing Makeup – Melanie Baird Makeup Artistry Hair – Conscious Hair Rings – Emma Glover...
by Tara McHugh | Jul 30, 2015 | flowers, garden flowers, Uncategorized
Summer is in full swing and that means my favorite summer flower, the dahlia, is back! I love local dahlias because they come in numerous shapes, sizes, and incredible colors. The cafe au lait dahlia in particular has been very well loved over the last few years in the wedding world. What’s not to LOVE about this flower though! The sheer size of it is impressive, not to mention the beautiful color variations from blush to peach on one single flower, Arrangement recipe: cafe au lait and other pink dahlias, cosmos, sweet peas, ornamental oregano, zinnias, maple...
