Archives for July 2014

Did you see yesterday’s post with Dukes & Duchesses featuring ideas for entertaining kids at weddings?  Yes, there were tonnes of adorable pineapple projects, but there were also cute wedding hair ideas.  Lyana Gibert of The Art of Beauty styled Kennedy’s hair into the perfect bow.  It was a little Kate Spade and a lot fabulous.

 

This style would be perfect for a preppy bride, a bold bridesmaid or a fashionable wedding guest.

Hair & make-up by Lyana Gibert of The Art of Beauty

Images of wedding hair ideas by Tara Whittaker Photography

Many Brides and Grooms have at least a few children on their guest list. A kid’s lounge is a great option for children at weddings.  Complete with a babysitter, it’s the perfect way to entertain the kids and allow their parents to relax at the reception. I teamed up with Dallas lifestyle blogger, Randi of Dukes & Duchesses, on a shoot designed to inspire with ideas for kid-friendly favors, menus, activities and entertainment.

         

Children at weddings

Our starting point was the design trend that’s popping up everywhere this summer…pineapples. For centuries, pineapples have been symbols of welcome, which make them the perfect motif for captivating young guests. We chose splashy and flamboyant versions of pineapples printed on table runners, gift bags and even cookies.   Randi brought along four of her own kids so I guess you could say that everything that day was kid-approved.

DIY ideas

1.  We aimed for a festive, party atmosphere by morphing pinecones into pineapples. Ponderosa pinecones were spray-painted in bright hues and tissue paper leaves were attached using fishing line. Ribbons were tied randomly amongst the tree branches of the space, and the colorful cones hung from them.

   

2.  Ice cream bar. Themed after a carnival booth and complete with a striped awning, we offered scoops of colourful ice cream and a variety of toppings, served in halved pineapples. Ali from Modern Pulp created “sails” to label the toppings in their pineapple boats. Sundaes were served in goblets by Oh Joy For Target.

      

3.  Black paper runners stamped with white pineapples ran across the table and under each child’s place setting.  The custom stamp was sculpted from a sponge using sewing scissors.

 

4.  Each child was greeted with a personalized party hat and pineapple gift bag, filled with an activity book, crayons, a cookie, a t-shirt souvenir, candies, and a bottle of bubbles.   The activity book by Modern Pulp invited the kiddos to color the wedding cake and navigate their way to the church via a maze.  Stop by again soon when Randi from Dukes & Duchesses will give a DIY on the gift bags and everything that spilled out of them.

 

5.  What better way to engage children at weddings than to give them a project?  The outline of a pineapple was penciled onto a black background.  Each child left their fingerprints on the pencil marks, leaving a gold, pineapple guest book for the Bride and Groom.  It’s a whimsical way for a bride and groom to remember the little attendees at their wedding and it could serve as a playful art piece in their home together.

 

Children at weddings styled & photographed by Tara Whittaker Photography

Gift bags, t-shirts and striped awning by Randi of Dukes & Duchesses

Stationery by Ali at Modern Pulp

Hair & make-up by Lyana Gibert of The Art of Beauty

Table linens from Special Event Rentals

Jewelry by Leah Alexandra

Cookies by Sugar Shimmer

Thank you to the Dukes kids for playing along.

Do you have a bunch of kiddos on your wedding guest list?  Yesterday I teamed up with Dallas lifestyle blogger Dukes & Duchesses, on a shoot brimming with ideas for entertaining kids at weddings.  This is just a taste of good things (think ice cream & pineapples) to come…

  

Kids at weddings

Several of my Calgary wedding friends pitched in including Ali from Modern Pulp, Lyana from The Art of Beauty, Special Event Rentals and Sugar Shimmer.

  

Thanks to Randi from Dukes & Duchesses

Hugs to Kennedy, Luke, Lila Tara (my BFF) and Tate for getting your “pineapple on” yesterday.

Stationer:  Ali from Modern Pulp

Table coverings:  Special Event Rentals

Hair & make-up stylist:  Lyana Gibert of The Art of Beauty

Jewelry:  Leah Alexandra

Cookies:  Sugar Shimmer

Photography & styling of kids at weddings:  Tara Whittaker Photography

You would have to be living under a rock not to notice the vintage trends for summer fashion.  Retro silhouettes have been updated and are showing up in swimwear, jump suits and dresses.  How fun and flattering for today’s bride on a beach honeymoon.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to collaborate with a talented team of Kelowna wedding vendors on a photo shoot featuring honeymoon wardrobe ideas (scroll to the end for all of the details).   In addition to the beachwear, we added a “going away outfit” and some flirty summer dresses to fill a bride’s suitcase for any occasion. This blend of modern and vintage treasures has me daydreaming of sand between my toes at some exotic locale.

Look One
Jacket, pants & accessories:  Georgie Girl

  

Look Two
Seersucker shorts:  American Apparel
Blouse & halter:  Georgie Girl in Kelowna

 

A close-up of the hair sculpture created by Kris from Inspirado.

Make-up artist Jenny McKinney created Erin’s sweet, summer look.

    

Vintage trends for summer

Look Three
Swim suit:  American Apparel

  

Look Four
Pineapple dress:  Georgie Girl

Look Five
Floral Kimono:  Urban Outfitters

Wardrobe provided by:  Georgie Girl in Kelowna, American Apparel & Urban Outfitters

Make-up Artist:  Jenny McKinney

Hair Stylist:  Kris from Inspirado

Big hugs to our model, Erin.

Images of vintage trends:  Tara Whittaker Photography

It’s the perfect day to post this Fairmont Palliser hotel sneak peek.  After 25 years of marriage, Linda and Jerry renewed their wedding vows in front of their four sons, their family and their friends.  The ceremony took place at St. Stephen Ukrainian Catholic Church and was filled with Ukrainian traditions.

  

Their original myrtle wedding crowns were preserved and displayed on the altar at St. Stephen.

The happy family after the renewal ceremony.

Fairmont Palliser hotel sneak peek

Guests made their way to the beautiful Alberta Room at the Palliser Hotel for more merriment.  Friends of the couple had guests in stitches with songs, speeches and dancing.  One thing is for sure,  this family is loved.

One of the highlights of the evening were the Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre who performed for the wedding guests.  See yesterday’s blog post for more on these incredible dancers.

Not to be outdone, Linda and Jerry’s guests demonstrated their own moves thanks to Wild Bill’s DJ services.

  

Pop back in the coming weeks when I’ll feature more images from this Silver Anniversary celebration.  Congratulations to Linda and Jerry on 25 successful years of marriage.  It was so special to be a part of your day.

Fairmont Palliser hotel sneak peek:  Tara Whittaker Photography