I have a slew of 2017 weddings in the blog queue, and I am just SO happy to have finally had the time to get to blog them! It has been well over a year (dear lord! lol!) and so it is definitely about time. First up, is the September 2017 wedding of Courtney & Richard, and let’s just say it was fit for a castle. I had such a blast working with these guys, and set against the majestic backdrop of Hatley Castle, how could you go wrong?! Everything we did was done to elevate the overall guest experience. Luxurious details and finishings, over the top floral arrangements, luxurious linens, and a gourmet 4 course dinner. The couple opted for a classic palette of White, Grey, Blush & Green, which suited the venue perfectly. Abundant florals were used to enhance the romance of the Castle, and greenery was used as a focal point in the reception, to bring the outside in via drama!

The couple, both of whom are pilots, also wanted to have a bit of wanderlust incorporated throughout the wedding. Custom paper airplane escort cards were hand calligraphered, and the cake featured intricate detail playing homage to their careers (so fun!). With Hatley Castle being the venue, we knew everything we did had to be elegant, luxurious and chic. The ceremony took place in the Croquet Lawn, with a stunning view of the Castle in the backdrop. Because they had a higher guest count though, their reception had to take place outside of the Castle, in a Banquet room on site. We completely transformed the room by having it fully draped in white shear panels. This was quite the undertaking, and over 260 ft. of drape was installed.  Insane! And a big shoutout to Sandy and the team at Decorate Victoria for making it happen!

This was truly such an elegant affair, and the photos, by Luke Liable feel like they are something out of Vogue. So, without further adieu, I give you: Courtney & Richard.

**Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the complete list of all the kick ass vendors that helped make this day so incredible!  All photos courtesy of Luke Liable Photography.

Planning & Design - French Kiss Events
Venue - Hatley Castle
Photography - Luke Liable
Catering - Truffles Catering
Florals - Thorn & Thistle
Hair - Hunt and Gather, Mandy Rogers
Makeup - Prive Beauty Lounge
Cake - Schur to Please
Ceremony Music - Cascadia Quartet
Reception DJ - DJ Pro
Invitation suite - Love by Phoebe
Drapery - Decorate Victoria
Furniture - Bash Specialty
Linens - Faire la Fete

• FKE Featured 24
• FKE Living 7
• Office Talk 55
• Planning Tips 13
• Real Weddings 48

Over 10 years ago, 2 teenagers met while on summer vacation at a campground in Canada with their families.   They instantly became friends, and not long after that, started dating.  After over a decade of growing up together,  falling in love, and building an incredible life together, they decided to make it official in beautiful Victoria, BC!  And I'm thanking my lucky stars, as they chose FKE to bring their day to life, and oh man...it was a good one folks! Taking place at the 2 most iconic venues in the city, Hatley Castle and The Empress Hotel, their wedding vision was grand from the start of the planning, and we pulled out all the stops to bring it to life!  

One of my favourite things about this wedding, was the epic seating chart that we pulled together.  I've had this idea for a few years now, and we were just waiting for the perfect wedding to create it at!  As guests arrived to the ceremony, all of their pics were snapped at a portrait station (thanks Four Frames!) near the entrance to the Castle.  Those photos were then printed and turned into polaroids that we displayed at the couples reception, acting as the guests personalized escort cards!  It was a huge hit, and something that everyonewas blown away by.

The reception space was overflowing with luxurious details and we infused the couples impeccable taste all throughout.  The neutral palette of soft creams, greys & blush tones, helped transform the ballroom setting into a modern day take on the traditional space. The menu, custom designed by The Empress's chef, was served tapa style, inspired by all the couples favourite eats! Ranging from sushi to maui rib sliders, the food was a hit!  And as the lights dimmed, guests partied the night away to Side One's 8 piece band (always a favourite of mine), photo booth, Mojito bar and Popcorn station!

It was definitely a wedding to remember, and for sure the party of the summer!  One of the things I love most about weddings though, is no matter how much planning you do and how many incredible details there are, often the best moments of the day are the unplanned ones.  This was definitely the case for Tiff & Levi.  After dinner, the couple sneaked out with Ryan Flynn and Kismet Creative for some sunset shots down in the harbour.  A band busking in the harbour congratulated the couple, and then asked them what their first dance was.  The song was "Georgia" by Vance Joy, and without skipping a beat, the band began playing it for them, and they had their first dance right then and there, in the harbour, just the 2 of them.  Pure magic!  You can see this gorgeous day unfold below, and make sure to check out the incredible video by Kismet at the top! 

**Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the complete list of all the kick ass vendors that helped make this day so incredible!  All photos courtesy of Ryan Flynn Photographer.  Video courtesy of Kismet Creative.

Planning & Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Ryan Flynn Photography
Videography - Kismet Creative
Ceremony Venue - Hatley Castle
Reception Venue - The Empress
Florals - Verbena Floral Design & Thorn & Thistle
Stationery - Love by Phoebe
Band - Side One
Cake - Passion for Cakes
Linens - Faire la Fete
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Carly Flint
Photobooth - Four Frames Photo Booth

• FKE Featured 24
• FKE Living 7
• Office Talk 55
• Planning Tips 13
• Real Weddings 48

It's pretty hard to get more picturesque than Hatley Castle, and for those couples wanting a wedding out of a fairy tale, this is the spot for them! Linda & Ying, are from Seattle, and after falling in love the Castle and Victoria, decided to host their summer wedding at this majestic venue.  We began working together around 6 months before their August wedding, and dove head first into the planning.  Food and overall guest comfort was top priority for these guys, and so a lot of planning went into their fantastic 3 course plated meal and all the transitions throughout the day.  And we infused so many fun little personal details into the wedding, that instantly made the guests smile!  My favourite of which being their "math problem" seating chart.  {Full disclosure: I had absolutely nothing to do with coming up with the math problems their guests had to solve in order to find out their table number, as if I had, everyones would have been similar to 1+1...}

Their classic palette of white, blush, champagne & gold, suited the castle beautifully, and I love the fresh/bright approach we took when designing the dining room, which is sometimes a tricky room at Hatley Castle.  Adding in the white chivari chairs instantly brightened the space, and the head table placed in the centre of the room, amongst all the other guest tables, gave the room a very sophisticated flow to it.  All throughout the night, it was so lovely watching Linda & Ying, a couple clearly ridiculously in love, spend meaningful time with their guests, and I know that everyone there felt right at home.  It was perfect. 

**Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the complete list of all the kick ass vendors that helped make this day so incredible!  All photos courtesy of Joanna Moss Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Joanna Moss Photography
Floral Design - FLEURtacious
Ceremony Venue - Hatley Castle
Catering - Truffles
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Melanie Baird
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty
DJ - Highway Productions

• FKE Featured 24
• FKE Living 7
• Office Talk 55
• Planning Tips 13
• Real Weddings 48

If you asked me to sum up Heather & Gaven's wedding in one word, it would hands down, without a doubt, have to be FUN!  This beautiful young couple (& their wedding party) was filled with an abundance of energy, and the celebratory mood of the day was not lost on any one of the guests.  The wedding was overflowing with southern charm (Heather hails from Oklahoma) and a west coast ease (Gaven is from Victoria), and highlighted the couples fun loving nature to a tee.  

After meeting in University down in Oklahoma, and falling head over heels in love, Heather & Gaven first met with me in the summer of 2015.   The combination of Hatley Castle & The Beach House for their wedding venues allowed them to have the best of both worlds, Glamour & West Coast beauty, and I loved working with them on designing their dream day.  Heather L O V E S pink, and pretty soon, we realized we had an un-official "50 shades of pink" theme running through the wedding.  Subtle pink ombre touches, through the bridesmaids bouquets, reception tables, and paper goods, made their appearance, and modern elegant touches kept the design feeling sophisticated.  The beautiful images, captured by the wickedly talented Luke Liable, are oozing with the energy that was present that day, and they still put a huge smile on my face!

**Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the complete list of all the kick ass vendors that helped make this day so incredible!  All photos courtesy of Luke Liable Photography, and video courtesy of Paper Heart Films. 

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Luke Liable Photography
Videography - Paper Heart Films
Ceremony Venue - Hatley Castle
Reception Venue - The Beach House
Floral Design - Verbena Floral Design
Beauty - Erin Bradley
Cake - Passion for Cakes
Ceremony Music - Opus String Trio
DJ - DJ Pro

• FKE Featured 24
• FKE Living 7
• Office Talk 55
• Planning Tips 13
• Real Weddings 48

Here in Victoria, we are pretty lucky to get to call Hatley Castle one of our venues.  Couples come from all over the place to get married at the Castle and live out their fairytale wedding.  Crystal & Dan were one of those couples, and fell majorly, head over heels, in love with the Castle. And lucky for us, they asked FKE to help bring their vision to life!  Overflowing with elegant details, soft florals and high-end furnishings, their classic wedding celebration was filled with style and glamour.  We infused the elegant setting of the Castle into everything, and created an ultra romantic atmosphere through the pastel colour palette of blush and lavender. 

There was SO much pretty at this wedding, I don't even know where to start!!!  One of my ultimate favourite details though, has to have been the carnation curtain, styled as the backdrop to their cake.  Fading from purple to blush, the ombre curtain was utter perfection!  The couples signature drink, "The Rocha", featuring fresh blackberry's that turned the cocktail purple (obviously!) was also perfectly on pointe. And the gorgeous pieces of furniture, from Bash Specialty, helped create castle worthy lounge vignettes for the guests during cocktail reception and dinner, and provided the sweetest couples love seat I ever did see! My favourite thing about this wedding though, would have to be how lovely Crystal & Dan were throughout the entire day.  Their love for each other overflowed to all their family, friends and vendors, and that is what truly makes a wedding incredible.

**Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the complete list of all the kick ass vendors that helped make this day so incredible!  All photos courtesy of Christie Graham Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Christie Graham Photography
Venue - Hatley Castle
Catering - Truffles Catering
Florals - FLEURtacious
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty
Hair & Makeup - Beauty & Style by Erin Bradley
Invitations - Wedding Paper Divas
Cake - Schur to Please

This past weekend, I got to: hang out at a castle, play with soft blooms and rustic pieces (love!), spot a bald eagle, and oh yeah, help an incredible couple get married!!  Not too shabby of a job, if you ask me!  And my favourite part of this wedding was hands down, the ceremony.  Having a friend perform your ceremony always adds an extra level of intimacy, and this guy totally nailed it!!  I laughed with them, I cried with them, and I am so honoured to have witnessed their beautiful day.

And thank you so much to the lovely Nichole Taylor Photography, for passing on these wonderful sneak peek's!  They're perfect!

Nichole Taylor Photography

Nichole Taylor Photography

Nichole Taylor Photography

Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs.!!  It was absolutely lovely getting to know you both over the past couple of months!

xo Barb