Blog Archives - Page 2 of 176 - Tara Whittaker Photography

May 18, 2018 By Tara

Wedding ceremony sites – Spruce Meadows

The Grand Staircase at Spruce Meadows is one of Calgary’s most regal outdoor wedding ceremony sites. Since the royal nuptials are right around the corner, the goal of our shoot was to add “a touch of Windsor” to any wedding, anywhere. With it’s stone-washed walls and steps, the Grand Staircase was the perfect spot for our bride Shacarra to show off her glamorous chapel train but it’s also a beautiful locale for any couple to say “I Do”.

Bride on the Grand Staircase at Spruce Meadows captured by Tara Whittaker Photography

Wedding ceremony sites with a Royal connection

What made it all the more special was the history Spruce Meadows shares with the British Royal Family.

In 1990, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II herself honoured Spruce Meadows by inaugurating the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. 30,000 people came to celebrate the occasion. An avid horse enthusiast, Queen Elizabeth II toured the Spruce Meadows Stables, inspected the stock, and took a genuine interest in the Spruce Meadows Hanoverian breeding program that traces its roots back to the same lineage of her Majesty’s own Thoroughbreds.

To commemorate the visit of Her Majesty to Spruce Meadows, the Queen Elizabeth the II Cup is staged each year, with a representative appointed by the Queen to preside over the official ceremonies. The competition is a lasting tribute to Show Jumping athletes, and an honour bestowed most graciously upon its competitors by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Thank you to Spruce Meadows for hosting us. Click here for more information about their wedding ceremony sites and the reception venues.

Grand Staircase at Spruce Meadows one of Calgary's most regal wedding ceremony sites captured by Tara Whittaker Photography Bride on the Grand Staircase one of Calgary's most regal wedding ceremony sites captured by Tara Whittaker Photography Floral treatment from Flowers by Janie on the Grand Staircase at Spruce Meadows captured by Tara Whittaker Photography

This week was all about making a Calgary wedding Windsor-worthy. First we revealed a stunning bridal gown from Lazaro. Next it was the blooms and Flowers by Janie filled us in on royal traditions and modern twists we might see Saturday. On day three Debbie Wong Design sketched a custom wedding program with a distinctly English feel. Yesterday it was all about the shoes and pair of Christian Louboutins befitting a future Princess.

Thanks for following along and best wishes to Prince Harry and Ms. Markle from afar!

Photographer: Tara Whittaker Photography

Bridal gown: Lazaro from Cameo & Cufflinks

Florals: Flowers by Janie

Venue: Spruce Meadows

Shoes: Christian Louboutin from Holt Renfrew

Make-up artist: TOK beauty

Hair stylist: Tara Watts

Stationery: Debbie Wong Design

Bride: Shacarra

Wedding ceremony sites captured by Calgary Wedding Photographer – Tara Whittaker

May 17, 2018 By Tara

Christian Louboutin for a royal bride

It’s day 4 of “a touch of Windsor” and it’s time to talk shoes. When I think of a royal bride, my mind immediately skips to Christian Louboutin. Thank you to Holt Renfrew Calgary for this bit of magic.

“Cinderella is proof that a pair of shoes can change your life”.
Author Unknown

Christian Louboutin for a royal bride captured by Tara Whittaker Photography

About the Twistissima from Christian Louboutin:

“Twistissima” showcases the foot’s elegant curves with its low-cut vamp and receded heel detail. In silver matrix glitter and mesh with a crystal dégradé at the pointed toe, this 100mm cross-strap pump is a ravishing shoe for evening.

Christian Louboutin for a royal bride captured by Tara Whittaker Photography

If you just joined us, this has been a week filled with royal inspiration for Calgary couples. We kicked things off with royal wedding dresses, including a gorgeous Lazaro gown with a chapel train. Next Flowers by Janie chatted about all things flowers, including a few speculations about what Meghan Markle with carry on Saturday. Lastly, Debbie Wong hand-crafted a wedding program with a venue sketch of an English castle…fit for a Prince and his Bride.

Photographer: Tara Whittaker Photography

Bridal gown: Lazaro from Cameo & Cufflinks

Florals: Flowers by Janie

Venue: Spruce Meadows

Shoes: Christian Louboutin from Holt Renfrew

Make-up artist: TOK beauty

Hair stylist: Tara Watts

Stationery: Debbie Wong Design

Bride: Shacarra

Christina Louboutin for a royal bride captured by Calgary Wedding Photographer – Tara Whittaker

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May 16, 2018 By Tara

Wedding calligrapher adds a royal twist

The topic of the day is stationery and Calgary wedding calligrapher Debbie Wong Design offers her thoughts on adding “a touch of Windsor” to an invitation suite. Speaking of invitations, my mailbox remains empty so I’ll settle for a comfy spot in front of the TV on Saturday morning to watch things unfold at Windsor Castle. Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle opted for an elegant and traditional approach to their invitation, crafted by London stationer Barnard & Westwood.

Wedding calligrapher Debbie Wong

Here in Calgary, Debbie Wong Design specializes in creating meaningful wedding invitation suites and artwork unique to each couple. I’ve been following along on Debbie’s Instagram and I admire the way she seeks inspiration from her travels and translates it into charming paper products (she also styles a mean flat lay). For our royal wedding inspiration shoot, she suggested this beautiful program based on a sketch of an English castle. A few words from Debbie…

After a wedding is over, stationery is one of the few items that you can really keep forever. To add a touch of royalty to your stationery, I thought about how the royals use key illustrations like monograms or a coat of arms to represent themselves. For the day-of-wedding stationery, adding an illustration, such as a venue sketch, on ceremony program booklets makes a meaningful heirloom keepsake. To add a little luxury, tie a dyed silk ribbon in your wedding palette around them.

Royal wedding inspired programs from wedding calligrapher Debbie Wong Design captured by Tara Whittaker Photography

Thank you Debbie for bringing something so tangible and so pretty to this project. So far this week we’ve talked about royal wedding dresses and bridal bouquets. Follow along for tips on adding regal flourish to any nuptials.

Photographer: Tara Whittaker Photography

Bridal gown: Lazaro from Cameo & Cufflinks

Florals: Flowers by Janie

Venue: Spruce Meadows

Shoes: Christian Louboutin from Holt Renfrew

Make-up artist: TOK beauty

Hair stylist: Tara Watts

Stationery: Debbie Wong Design

Bride: Shacarra

Calgary wedding calligrapher captured by Calgary Wedding Photographer – Tara Whittaker

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May 15, 2018 By Tara

Royal wedding inspiration – the flowers

It’s day two of “a touch of Windsor” and I can still smell the fragrance of the lovely bouquet Janelle from Flowers by Janie created for our bride (literally, it’s in my office as I write this). Today she’s going to educate us on royal wedding inspiration and choosing blooms with a royal twist.

Bride with her bouquet royal wedding inspiration by Tara Whittaker Photography

For our bride Shacarra, I selected Sweet Peas, Hellebores, Ranunculus, Spirea, New Zealand Crinkle Pittosporum and Queen Anne’s Lace. Romance is the key to a royal bouquet, with many smaller blossoms. Traditionally royal brides have carried white and green and many have been on the smaller side. A Calgary bride craving royal wedding inspiration should keep her bouquet small and classic, with a neutral palette. Many royal bouquets have had lily of the valley, a fragrant but expensive flower. Sweet peas are a great substitution for a lovely fragrance with a delicate bloom. Freesia would also be a good option. Ranunculus and Spirea are also perfect blooms for a spring wedding and the petals are so delicate.

What will Meghan Markle carry?

Meghan and Harry have their own unique love story and nothing about their relationship (at least as the public knows it) is “traditional”. Meghan has a timeless style so I’m sure she’ll select flowers that reflect this sensibility. I foresee a classic palette with white blossoms and greenery, foregoing orchids, roses and lily-of-the-valley, which have all been popular floral elements for past royal brides. Rather than a wired bouquet I think she’ll opt for the hand-tied bouquet trend. Although “oversized bouquets” are popular at the moment, I suspect we’ll see her carry something small and delicate.

Bridal bouquet Bride royal wedding inspiration by Tara Whittaker Photography

Royal wedding inspiration – the blooms

Sweet Peas. They are delicate, feminine and sweetly-scented flowers, perfect for royalty. I think Meghan will choose sweet peas instead of the traditional lily-of-the-valley carried by Lady Diana Spencer and Catherine Middleton.

Hellebores. A member of the ranunculaceae family it has also been called “winter rose”, “Christmas rose” and “Lenten rose”. However Hellebores are not closely related to the rose family. Meghan may choose this bloom to replace the traditional rose in her bouquet. Roses were held by Princess Anne, Lady Diana Spencer, Sarah Ferguson and Sophie Rhys-Jones. I find that rather than having the appearance of a rose, the hellebores look like miniature orchids. HRH Queen Elizabeth ll carried a bouquet of orchids, as did HRH Princess Margaret. The addition of this flower would be a very subtle nod to their bouquets.

Ranunculus. These small, delicate flowers have the appearance of tiny peonies and are a popular spring flower. They mean “radiant with charm” and Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are indeed a charming couple.

Crinkle Pittosporum from New Zealand. Possibly Meghan will choose a soft green foliage in her bouquet and perhaps something exotic and different like the Crinkle Pittosporum.

Myrtle. I think we’ll see Meghan include a sprig of myrtle in her bouquet as the one floral element that doesn’t break with tradition. It’s a long-standing tradition for royal brides to carry a spring of myrtle in their bouquet. Myrtle symbolizes love and marriage and including myrtle in royal weddings started with Queen Victoria’s daughter (also named Victoria). The royal myrtle comes from Queen Victoria’s garden at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight (source: Florists Review by 2018 pg.30).

Spirea. The name means victory and I think this could be a nod to the couple’s victory, love over public opinion.

The story of Queen Anne’s Lace

“The story behind Queen Anne’s Lace flowers is quite interesting. It is said that Queen Anne was making lace by hand, a process known as tatting, and her lace became the flowers we know today. While tatting the lace, she pricked her finger and out came a single drop of blood. The drop fell on the lace and this is where the dark centre of some of the flowers comes from. Although it is agreed that this is the story of Queen Anne’s Lace, what isn’t as clear is which Queen Anne it was. Some say it was Queen Anne born in 1574 and other say it was Queen Anne who was born win 1665” (source Flower Press & other online sources).

Finally, I’d like to thank Janelle from Flowers by Janie for her insight and floral creations. Her installation on the Grand Staircase at Spruce Meadows was fresh and reminiscent of an English garden.

Floral installation from Flowers by Janie at Spruce Meadows captured by Tara Whittaker Photography

Need more royal wedding inspiration? Here’s yesterday’s post about that exquisite Lazaro gown.

Photographer: Tara Whittaker Photography

Bridal gown: Lazaro from Cameo & Cufflinks

Florals: Flowers by Janie

Venue: Spruce Meadows

Shoes: Christian Louboutin from Holt Renfrew

Make-up artist: TOK beauty

Hair stylist: Tara Watts

Stationery: Debbie Wong Design

Bride: Shacarra

Royal wedding inspiration captured by Calgary Wedding Photographer – Tara Whittaker

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May 14, 2018 By Tara

Royal wedding dresses

My first memory of royal wedding dresses takes me back to 1981 when I watched Lady Diana Spencer marry Prince Charles at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Now Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding is right around the corner and I for one have a spot reserved in front of the TV early Saturday morning. With Earl Grey in hand, I’ll be ready for the bride in an epic gown and her handsome Prince in uniform, parading through Windsor by horse and carriage. While Calgary is many miles from London and nuptials here may not include diamond tiaras and kisses from palace balconies, why not fulfill a few princess fantasies on your wedding day? Together with several other local wedding experts, we bring you “a touch of Windsor”. Each day this week we’ll be revealing little nuances to add pomp and ceremony to your own wedding.

Bride at Spruce Meadows captured by Calgary wedding photographer Tara Whittaker

Royal wedding dresses – inspiration for brides

First things first – the dress. Not unlike weddings here in Canada, royal wedding dresses also establish the look and feel of a wedding day. Like Harry and Megan themselves, I expect we’ll see modern blended with tradition. Maybe it’s because of those pencil skirts she wore so well on Suits, but I imagine Meghan in a figure-hugging silhouette with fine detail and dramatic train. One thing is for sure, her gown is sure to be jaw-dropping.

This exquisite Lazaro gown from Cameo & Cufflinks caught my eye for that “touch of Windsor”. With hand-detail embellishing the skirt and a full chapel train, our bride makes an entrance and a glamorous exit as well. The grand staircase at Spruce Meadows is the ideal spot for making such an entrance.

Inspiration from royal wedding dresses captured by Calgary wedding photographer Tara Whittaker Bride in Lazaro at Spruce Meadows captured by Calgary wedding photographer Tara Whittaker Bride in Lazaro gown at Spruce Meadows captured by Calgary wedding photographer Tara Whittaker

I hope that you’ll pop back tomorrow when Janelle from Flowers by Janie shares what flowers we might expect on Saturday at St. George’s Chapel.

Photographer: Tara Whittaker Photography

Bridal gown: Lazaro from Cameo & Cufflinks

Florals: Flowers by Janie

Venue: Spruce Meadows

Shoes: Christian Louboutin from Holt Renfrew

Make-up artist: TOK beauty

Hair stylist: Tara Watts

Stationery: Debbie Wong Design

Bride: Shacarra

Royal wedding dresses captured by Calgary Wedding Photographer – Tara Whittaker

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March 7, 2018 By Tara

Best bridal bouquets of 2017

Since we’re buried under heaps of snow, it seems like a good time to write about something cheerful like the best bridal bouquets of 2017. I have to admit that photographing a bride with her bouquet is one of my favourite things so let’s kick things off with peonies.

Peonies, peonies, peonies

Janelle from Flowers by Janie is the genius behind this bouquet, overflowing with peonies for a spring bride. Spring, please come soon!

Recipe:
Peonies
Stock
Veronica
Scabiosa
Roses
Feather eucalyptus
Silver dollar eucalyptus
Bay leaves

Spring bride carries peonies in this feature of best bridal bouquets by Tara Whittaker Photography

Bridal bouquet: Flowers by Janie
Gown: Legends Romona Keveza from Cameo & Cufflinks
Hair and make-up: Erica Piebiak
Bride: Amy

Say yes to succulents

Elements Floral Design created this pretty bouquet when Michelle and BJ eloped in Banff.

Recipe:
Roses
Succulents
Lisianthus
Nagi
Seeded eucalytpus

Summer bride carries succulents in this feature of best bridal bouquets by Tara Whittaker Photography

Wedding Planner: Signature Weddings by Ashley
Flowers: Elements Floral Design
Bride’s Gown: Mikaella Bridal from Unveiled Dress Co. in Saskatoon
Bride’s hair and make-up: Erika from Simply Me in Canmore

Soft & Romantic

A blend of soft and delicate blooms from Fleurish Flower Shop were the perfect compliment Taylor’s feminine gown.

Recipe:
Peonies
Pink O’hara Garden Roses
Astilbe
Stock
New Zealand Pittosporum
Seeded eucalytpus

Peonies and roses for a summer bride in this feature of best bridal bouquets by Tara Whittaker Photography

Persy bridal gowns from Blush & Raven
Bridal jewellery: Perla Mia Custom Jewellery
Hair stylist: Hairbrained
Make-up artist: TOK Beauty
Bouquet: Fleurish Flower Shop
Bride: Taylor from Numa Models

Rustic Greens

When Ashley and Steve tied the knot in a Kelowna vineyard, Enterprise Flower Studio created Ashley’s bouquet with neutral tones and fresh greens. It was simple and elegant!

Recipe:
Peonies
Lisianthus
Seeded eucalyptus
Silver dollar eucalyptus
Parvifolia eucalyptus

Neutral tones and greenery for a vineyard wedding in this feature of best bridal bouquets by Tara Whittaker Photography

Perfect for a mountain Bride

Caitie and Mark’s engagement session at Spray Lakes was one of my highlights from 2017. Caitie carried a loose arrangement of blossoms from Flowers by Janie that were ideal for a mountain bride-to-be. It looked as though Caitie may have picked them from a nearby hillside.

Recipe:
Queen Anne’s lace
Lavender scabiosa
Thryptomene
Seeded eucalyptus
Silver dollar eucalyptus
Parvifolia eucalyptus
Olives leaves

Loose blooms for a mountain bride in this feature of best bridal bouquets by Tara Whittaker Photography

Pantone Color of the Year – Ultra Violet

This bouquet, the bride’s lace gown, the golden light…absolute perfection. See more from this Silvertip inspiration shoot with Flowers by Janie & Emerson & Co.

Recipe:
“Ocean song” lavender roses
“Camel” marigold roses
Larkspur
BC hydrangea
Spray roses
Salal
Agonis
Oak
Seeded eucalytpus

Pantone's ultraviolet for a wedding in this feature of best bridal bouquets by Tara Whittaker Photography

Design & Styling: Emerson & Co
Venue: Silvertip Resort
Floral Design: Flowers by Janie
Bridal gown: Flora from Blush & Raven
Bridesmaids dresses: Joanna August from Blush & Raven
Jewellery: Perla Mia
Hair & make-up: Something Borrowed Beauty
Models: Ngele, Jan and Brittany from Numa Models

Best bridal bouquets for a winter bride

Lindsay wore a sparkling gown in dove grey so this creation from Jaime at Fleurish Flower Shop was an impeccable choice. What a great way to kick off a season of winter weddings.

Recipe:
White O’Hara garden roses
Lisianthus
Ornamental kale
Anemones
Carolina sapphire
Silver dollar eucalyptus
Madrona leaves

Roses and greenery for a winter bride in this feature of best bridal bouquets by Tara Whittaker Photography

Gown: “Lumi” by Hayley Paige from Cameo & Cufflinks
Hair & make-up artist: Vered Amir
Bridal bouquet: Fleurish Flower Shop
Bride: Lindsay Lockwood

Thanks for stopping over. I’m excited for beautiful florals to photograph in 2018. Stay tuned…

Best bridal bouquets captured by Calgary Wedding Photographer – Tara Whittaker

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Blog

Wedding ceremony sites with a Royal connection

Wedding calligrapher Debbie Wong

What will Meghan Markle carry?

Royal wedding inspiration – the blooms

The story of Queen Anne’s Lace

Royal wedding dresses – inspiration for brides

Peonies, peonies, peonies

Say yes to succulents

Soft & Romantic

Rustic Greens

Perfect for a mountain Bride

Pantone Color of the Year – Ultra Violet

Best bridal bouquets for a winter bride

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