Getting to FINALLY share this wedding in it’s entirety is basically making my MONTH!! I’ve shared lots of sneaks over the last couple of years on instagram, but a series of things had me pausing on the full blog post. Well folks…the day is here!! Where to even start?!! Lauren & Tyler were married on a beautiful summers day back in August 2018, and it was glorious. These guys (as honestly, all my couples are) were a dream to work with from the start, and they had such a special connection & story. There is the most beautiful film by Painted Sky (go to the end of this blog post to watch) that shares a good chunk of that story, so I won’t share too much here. What I do want to quickly touch on, is how much love both of their families have for each other, and how the couple clearly has the most incredible support system. A year before starting to plan the wedding, Lauren lost her Mom to cancer. They believe (and I do too) that her spirit comes alive via hummingbirds, and there have been countless times that she has “shown” up over the last few years for really special moments. In the video below, Lauren shares a bit about the wedding day morning, and how while having her makeup done, a hummingbird paid her a visit. When I heard the story on the day, it was almost too incredible to believe. But hand to god you guys, this hummingbird fluttered in front of her for a good chunk of time, and Lauren was able to share a bit of her wedding day with her Mom. Another part of that day that I don’t think I’ve even told Lauren about, was at the start of my day. I had just pulled up to the venue to start to unload decor. I was literally in the middle of a parking lot, with nothing around me. For about 10 seconds, a hummingbird flew in front of my car. I knew then that it was going to be an incredible day.

I’m literally crying as I type this, so it’s probably best I move on before I become totally useless lol! This wedding had it all. Incredible flowers (hello Ingrid Rose!!!), the dreamiest of palettes, an a-team of vendors and epic views. Lauren & Tylers family & friends delivered with the killer party. You guys: thank you from the bottom of my heart for having me be part of this really special time in your life. Planning your wedding alongside you was an absolutely dream and I love that I cam now call you both friends! They also just welcomed the most beautiful little boy into their lives 2 weeks ago, and I can’t wait for the day that we can all meet up again and I can see him in real life (and not just on the gram). Congratulations you guys!!

I hope you all enjoy looking through this day as much as I enjoyed creating it. And be sure to make it to the end so you can watch the beautiful film!

**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 Christine Pineaar Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Christine Pineaar Photoraphy
Videography - Painted Sky Films
Venue & Catering - Brentwood College
Florals - Ingrid Rose Floral Artistry
Stationery - Emma Allen Design
Band - The County Line
Cake - Ruth & Dean
Hair - Elena Roberts
Makeup - Melanie Baird

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

Buckle in for a true west coast beauty folks: Monica & Cliff, a Vancouver based power couple, got married on a beautiful summers day, on a the gorgeous Thetis Island, surrounded by their closest family and friends. The day was filled with so much joy and the couple seriously couldn't stop smiling all day! These guys….I just love them to death…. but I digress. haha! Overbury Resort, located on the small Thetis Island, was the host of their entire wedding festivities, including a welcome BBQ held on the Friday. Monica spent many summers as a kid at Overbury Resort with her family, and so when they became engaged, it was the only place in the world that she wanted to get married. It took Cliff a bit of convincing, as he is a city boy through and through, but after seeing the property and what a magical spot it was, he was sold (with the promise that it wouldn't be a rustic wedding and that there would be charger plates!). In the end, the day was a relaxed yet elegant celebration, and was the perfect blend of the couple.

For the design, it was pretty easy to take inspiration from the grogeous west coast and natural elements at the venue (that view!). We decided to infuse a few soft pops of colour through the florals and fruit to add some depth to the design. Peach, Blush & Apricot, along with whites and greens brought life to the space and made this summery soiree feel fresh. Monica is a nutritionalist, and so it was really important to her that everything at the wedding was fresh and as local as possible. Many of the florals were grown locally on Vancouver Island, and we created a farmers market inspired seating chart with locally grown BC peaches for every guest! Probably my favourite seating chart to date.

One of the most emotional parts of the day was the ceremony. It was performed by Monica's brother, and he managed to make sure that there wasn't a dry eye there! Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed canapés, lawn games, and live music by the extremely talented Colin Bullock. After dinner, Colin was joined by a friend of the couples, and the duo performed the most beautiful rendition of Bob Dylan's "Make you feel my love". It was seriously magical! Guests danced into the night, soaked up the warm evening around the bonfire, and even toasted s'mores at the s'more station. It was the perfect Island wedding!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Monica & Cliff, for having me be a part of this incredibly special day! The photos from The Nickersons capture the essence of the weekend perfectly, and I hope you all enjoy!

**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 The Nickersons.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - The Nickersons
Venue & Catering - Overbury Resort
Florals - Overbury Resort & Cartref Gardens
Music - Colin Bullock
Hair - Nadia Bullock
Makeup - Grist Artistry
Stationery - Emma Allen Design

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

Every once in a while, a wedding comes along that is a game changer.  For us, the wedding of Jennifer & Alex was just that.  And so you can only imagine how beyond words THRILLED I was to see it featured on Style Me Pretty (here) this past week!  And the cherry on top of the already delicious sundae, is that now that it has been published, I can finally share all of the drop dead gorgeous images (thank you Erich McVey) with you!  

Taking place at a private property on Salt Spring Island, this 3 day celebration pushed me harder than I thought possible, and I couldn't be more proud of the outcome.  The couple, based out of NYC, first reached out to me in the Fall of 2015.  They dreamed of a wedding weekend filled with non-stop celebrations, an overabundance of food and drink, and above all else, a weekend spent surrounded by their family & friends from all over the world.  I was, of course, totally up to the challenge, and loved every bit of the next year, as we worked tirelessly to pull together 3 incredible events!  

Now, planning not just 1, but 3 events (Welcome Dinner, Wedding & Brunch) on a small Island like Salt Spring, can pose some serious challenges (understatement of the year!).  Every vendor and rental/decor piece was brought from either Victoria, Vancouver or the States, and the logistics surrounding the weekend were insane.  All 110% worth it though, once the parties started, and I think back to this weekend with nothing but amazing memories, and a huge smile on my face!  In an effort to share as much of this wonderful weekend with you all, I have decided to split the blog post into 3 parts.  First up: The Welcome BBQ

Taking place in the upper garden of Jennifer's parents home on Salt Spring, the welcome dinner was a casual al fresco affair, spent catching up with old friends (175 guests flew in from all around the world), welcoming everyone to the Island, and celebrating all that was to come over the weekend.  Food, a major focus throughout the weekend, was at the centre of the party, and food stations featuring variety of the couples favourite global cuisine.  An oyster bar, seafood risotto station, wood fired pizza, Bhutan street meat station and ice cream sundae station filled the guests palettes.  Toque Catering seriously brought their A-game to this weekend!  2 long tables, with bistro lights strung above, created a communal space for guests to catch up, and the west coast folk sounds of Noah Edwards entertained the guests late into the night.  It was a magical evening....

And full disclosure before I let you dive into the stunning photos below: this evening tops my list as my favourite party I have ever planned (and yes, it wasn't even a wedding!).  There was just something about the evening, that I can't quite put my finger on....but it was what I always imagined the perfect backyard party should be.  Effortless, relaxing, and filled with good friends and damn good food.  Thank you so much for reading, and make sure to check back next week for Part 2 of this amazing weekend! 

**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 Erich McVey.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Erich McVey
Catering - Toque Catering & The Wandering Mollusk
Florals - Verbena Floral Design
Music - Noah Edwards
Linens - La Tavola
Rentals - Black & White, Bash Specialty

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

Ok folks.  I am so, so, SO excited to share this one with you.  I've been holding on to it for way too long, as we had some publication hopes for it, but it is just too good to wait any longer!  This wedding had all of the key ingredients to make it incredible: beautiful couple, gorgeous venues, A-team of vendors, and a palette that has me craving a big glass of Sangria! Ok.  So now on to the details...

Roslyn & Luke’s whimsical summer wedding took place ocean side, on a hot and glorious day in the summer of 2015, and oh was it lovely!  Working with this adorable couple was an absolute dream, and their fun, quirky personalities paired with the drop dead gorgeous backdrop of the PNW, was the perfect recipe for wedding perfection.  The day was overflowing with whimsical and romantic details, fun elements and elegant touches.  The Bride’s parents home played host to the ceremony, and was the dream location to share their i-do’s!  The couple met at University down in the States, and so many of the friends and family of the Groom, were travelling to this beautiful part of the world for the first time.  One of my favourite parts of their wedding, was how we incorporated their dog into so many aspects of the day.  From the invitation and day of goods, to even a special floral dog collar…Milo was the centre of attention!  The stunning florals, designed by our good friend, Verbena Floral Design, also took centre stage, and wowed the guests from start to finish.  

The colour palette, inspired by Roslyn’s (and mine!) favourite summer drink, Sangria, was filled with rich plums, magenta’s, orange and peach.  The bouquets popped beautifully against the grey bridesmaids dresses, and the rest of the florals complimented the lighter blush tones throughout.  The invitations and paper goods, all custom designed by Caribou Creative., were illustrations of the couple and their dog.  And the large painting that hung above the fireplace at the reception, a surprise to the couple from Verbena & myself, helped to create a really cozy and intimate feel in the dining room.  This was such a beautiful and fun celebration, and one that we won’t soon forget!  

**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 AMERIS, and video courtesy of Orriss Films.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - AMERIS
Videography - Orriss Films
Floral Design - Verbena Floral Design
Paper Goods - Caribou Creative
Ceremony Venue - Private Property
Ceremony Catering - Toque Catering
Reception Venue & Catering - Brentwood Bay Resort
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Erin Bradley
Cakes - Schur to Please
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty

• 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

Set amongst the old growth forest, and surrounded by their closest family and friends, the wedding of Laura & Joe (back in August 2015) was as lovely as it sounds.  This was our first wedding in this area of the world (have loved returning since!), and getting to work in Squamish at this stunning venue, was an incredible experience!  I've been dying to share it for over a year now, and am stoked to have finally started to catch up on blogging.  Phew! 

When I first started chatting with Laura & Joe, their main priority was finding a modern space surrounded by trees.  The couple lives in Alberta, and so this was a destination wedding for all those involved, and they wanted to showcase the natural beauty that the west coast has to offer.  Now, finding a forest venue, that is NOT rustic, is certainly a challenge, but I was up for it and did many a happy dances when we stumbled upon the Cheakamus Centre in Squamish.  The rest of the planning was an absolute delight, and I loved getting to work alongside the couple on their unique and non-traditional wedding.  My favourite moment has to have been Laura's bouquet: both of her sisters walked her down the aisle, each holding a piece of her bouquet.  Then, during the ceremony, the 2 pieces were joined, signifying the coming together of 2 families.  It was absolutely beautiful, and there wasn't a dry eye in the place!  

There were so many lovely little details all throughout this wedding, and we are still so grateful that this wonderful couple took us on their wedding planning journey!  Enjoy! xo

**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 Lauren Kurc Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Lauren Kurc Photography 
Venue & Catering - Cheakamus Centre
Florals - The Flower Factory 
Stationery - Caribou Creative
Furniture Rentals - Bash Specialty 
Hair - Alicia Rollins
Makeup - Reannan Shay Tyson
Music - Trish Jamieson 

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

This month the festive parties and snow are definitely inspiring our admiration for luxurious textiles and dreaming of far away tropical places. Without further ado here are this month's currently inspired by items.

Velvet Textiles
I am loving this timeless classic lately. Velvet is such a subtle texture, but makes a bold impact and dresses up any room.

Source: The Decorista

Source: Southern Weddings

Minimalist Signage
Sometimes less is more! And I am digging this simple and modern look on signage.

Source: Nouba

Source: mywedding

Tropical Eclectic
So, this one may have to do with our undying love of Hawaii, or the fact that we’ve been hit with a winter blast the past couple of weeks that is super rare.  Either way, the eclectic surfer/tropical design vibes have been hitting me hard lately.

Source: Wedding Chicks

Source: My Domaine

The Rainbow Effect
If done properly this look is so stunning! Whether it's as simple as multicoloured glassware or as bold as different chair colours, we are loving this effect (not to mention the velvet chairs here too...) 

Source: 100 Layer Cake

Source: Wedding Chicks

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What a way to kick off back to work, after 3 weeks of vacation!!! I am SO excited to have this Intimate West Coast Wedding, featured on Junebug Wedding's: What Junebug Loves, for 3 reasons.  Reason #1: I love this wedding SO much, Reason #2: They only feature the best of the best wedding photography (enter Jesse Holland Photography who killed this wedding!), and Reason #3: I seriously LOVED this wedding!  Seeing Brandy & Mitch's beaming faces on this beautiful blog is the cherry on top, and I am so thankful that they fell in love with it as much as I did!  Make sure to check out the feature here.

At the end of June, on the longest day of the year, Brandy & Mitch got married.  And what a wedding it was!  Set at the stunning Brentwood Bay Resort, and overlooking some of the most breathtaking views around, this stylish couple had a destination wedding that blew everyone away!!  With all their guests coming from Alberta, they wanted to make sure that their guests had an evening they wouldn't forget. So, keeping this in mind, we created an intimate and elegant soiree that had a strong focus on the celebration and the coming together of families.  By infusing a few pops of raspberry into the details, and incorporating ferns and other foliage that are found in abundance on the west coast, we were able to put a fresh spin on the classic wedding they desired.  High-end finishes were found throughout, and the details remained simple but extremely elegant.  And by creating an intimate dinner party atmosphere (as lets be honest...the food at the Resort is amazing!!), the guests were able to  mingle, share stories, and enjoy the experience of fine dining.  The energy of the event carried on late into the evening with a Photo Booth, dancing, and a s'mores bar!  Yum!

So many incredible vendors came together to help make this wedding as special as it was!  Big thanks to:

Photography: Jesse Holland Photography Second Shooter: Shane Deringer Photography Planning/Decor: French Kiss Events Florals: FLEURtacious by Lynda Marie Beauty: Belle Amour Live Music: Allegro Con Trio Food/Drinks: Brentwood Bay Resort

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I've said it before, and I'll say it again....photo booth's are awesome!!  Such a fun way to get your guests more interactive and lets be honest...after a few drinks, who doesn't love a good photo booth?!!

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Continuing on with the epically delayed Weekend Roundup's, comes a 2-day wedding celebration, that took place over the Labour Day long weekend.  This. Wedding. Was. Incredible!!!!  Planned in just 2.5 months, we were able to pull together one of the most beautiful weddings, and biggest parties I have ever had the honour of planning!!  Our couple, who are used to being in the spotlight, as they are 2 of Canada's sport icons, just wanted to have fun with their nearest and dearest, and really focus on the coming together of their 2 families.  So much more on their wedding to come in the future, but for now, all I will say is a massive thank you to the fabulous vendors that made this wedding so amazing! Truffles Catering, Verbena Floral Design, Side One, Tuktu Paper Co., Rock Paper Square, Passion for Cakes and Beauty & Style by Erin Bradley...you guys rock!And these sneak peeks from Kelly Brown Photographer are complete and utter perfection. Seriously. 

A HUGE congratulations to the newlyweds!! This wedding was a highlight of my career so far for sure, and getting to know you both through the process was absolutely wonderful!

xo Barb

I don't even know where to start with this one....to say that it was a game changer would be a massive understatement, and to shout from the rooftops how excited I am to see it in Pacific Weddings, wouldn't be enough!  Back in April, I had one of the most fun days of my career, and I still get a big smile on my face every time I think about it!  And to have it gracing the pages of one of the most beautiful wedding magazines out there (and a TRUE personal favourite of mine,  as if you know me, you know I love all things Hawaii, and that is where Pacific Wedding's roots are found!) is just utter perfection!  When they approached us, asking if they could feature this shoot in their newest edition, I had to actually pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming!!  Thank you SOOO much to the team there for welcoming us all with opening arms, and also for the A-team here in Victoria, for being just so dang good at what you do!! There are so many wonderful vendors that contributed to the success of this shoot, and so please take the time to look through their work...and definitely make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom, as we have a fabulous behind the scenes video for you to take a look at. xo Barb

Photography: Christie Graham Photography Planning: French Kiss Events Florals & Decor: Verbena Floral Design Paper Goods: Tuktu Paper Co. Dress: Anna Campbell, from The White Peony Groom's Attire: Citizen Clothing Hair: Conscious Hair by Elena Makeup: Beauty & Style by Erin Bradley Cinematography: Cassie O'Neil Cinematography Cake: Ruth & Dean Treats: Mexi Pops Surfboards: ANIAN Textiles: Coral & Tusk and Liberty London

**All images in this post courtesy of Christie Graham Photography**

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"On the West Coast of Canada, we are continually surrounded by amazing, natural beauty. It’s a place where surf culture thrives and many celebrations are enjoyed on our magnificent beaches all along the rugged coastline. For this styled shoot, we showcased creative pieces and colors you would find at various authentic Vancouver Island beach festivities, drew inspiration from the small surf towns along the way and juxtaposed them with the vivid colors and patterns found in Morocco.

With a whopping team of 10 vendors and 2 models (including a male surfer who is actually from Morocco!!), we set out on a 45-minute hike, through our temperate rain forest and over suspension bridges, we finally set up camp on Mystic Beach. The model wore an Anna Campbell gown that struck the perfect balance between the glamour of Morocco and the laid back essence of the West Coast. Feathers blowing in the coastal wind can be spotted throughout, from the custom-made headpiece to the feather posy’s scattered on the tablescape. The vibrant colors found in Coral & Tusk’s table runner became our palette for the shoot, and were complimented by the Liberty London fabrics used for the pillows on the beach. Rich tones of yellow, orange, pink, and raspberry red were used in the abundant florals (garden roses, anemones, poppies, carnations and kumquats).

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A naked cake with floral accents was the perfect combination of natural beauty and handcrafted elegance. Yogurt filled delights from Mexi Pops Italian cart were the perfect addition for strolling through the forest to the ceremony location.  Beautiful locally made, hand-shaped surfboards from Anian Surfboards set the tone of the shoot, giving this boho-inspired wedding a light-hearted and creative edge. Hand drawn stationary in festive colours, custom beer label favours and motorcycle name cards made this styled shoot young, fun and truly West Coast eclectic."

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And many, MANY thanks, to Elena's husband extraordinaire, who hung out with us all day, and cooked us a delicious stew, right on the beach!  Can you think of a better way to spend your day?  [vimeo http://vimeo.com/96836664]