This was the garden party of my dreams you guys. There. I said it. I think after scrolling through the beautiful photos by Vanessa Lust, you’ll get it. It was truly SUCH an honour to get to plan this 25th wedding anniversary party for some very special clients of mine 2 summers back! It was hosted at their family home, and was a gathering of all the most important people in their lives. Old family friends from the early days, colleagues, friends new and old, and of course, their children. The day kicked off with a vow renewal of sorts (that had everyone, including myself both in stitches and tears), and finished with cocktails under the stars. The food. The music. The flowers. It was all utter perfection!

When planning the design, our clients really wanted to create a space that felt effortless and as though it was just “thrown” together. A blend of french & english influence wove through everything we did, and the food was a farm to table feast! We incorporated vintage china that felt like old family heirlooms and the floral arrangements were created with blooms that are also found in their beautiful garden. Bistro lights were strung, a bar was brought in…what more do you need! It was such a special anniversary, and a big thank you to our clients for entrusting me with your vision!

**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 very talented Vanessa Lust Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Vanessa Lust Photography
Catering - Toque Catering
Bar Service - Lavish Liquid
Floral Design - Ingrid Rose
Music - Eryn Sharpe Trio
Rentals - Trend Decor, Mesa Rentals & Faire la Fete
Lounge - Bash Specialty

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Photo by: Rob Campbell

Well, it was an interesting one, am I right? To be honest, I really toyed with whether or not I wanted to bother doing this annual post, as it was definitely not the year any of us expected. What was lined up to be the biggest year for FKE was not, and our industry suffered (is still suffering) dramatically. The weight I felt of dreams being crushed and having to be the bearer of bad news to dozens of vendor teams and couples was insurmountable and I’m not going to sugar coat it: it was beyond tough. But, when scrolling through my phone this week, to remind myself of what did actually happen this year, I knew I just had to keep this tradition alive. So much good took place amongst the crazy, and that is worth celebrating. We’re heading into this new year with a lot of optimism, and a fresh outlook on what is important. I absolutely love being a wedding planner, and have missed doing what I love to do so much. I can’t wait to have a year where we can celebrate love safely, and for what will surely be a wedding boom in 2022 haha! Bring it on! So, without further adieu, here’s a snapshot of this past year for FKE & the Walker family!

The start of the year brought the stillness that is usually found in January….and SNOW! How fun! Maddie was sort of into it, and I’m crossing all my fingers and toes that we get another good batch this year, as I know that she will be beside herself with excitement! I also had the absolute pleasure of heading to Kelowna with the loveliest FKE Bride & MOB, to do some serious planning for her Okanagan winery wedding. We had an incredible time, tasted the most amazing food, and I can’t wait until we can head back there to get them married!

In February, Nick & I headed on a jet plane with some of our best friends (sans kids) for what will forever be referred to as: the best timed trip of all time. A weekend in NYC beyond exceeded our expectations, and man, are we ever glad that we did it when we did. We completely splurged, staying at a dreamy hotel, eating meals like we never have before, and drinking 4 days worth of non stop cocktails (see pic below of the epic Cocktail Explosion). 3 weeks later? NYC was the epicentre of COVID in the states. How we managed to stay safe is beyond me, but I thank all my lucky stars that we had that time together. Back in BC, I headed up to Tofino for a weekend of wedding planning for another wonderful FKE couple. While their wedding was postponed and will no longer be taking place in Tofino, I can’t begin to tell you how much I loved my time working with vendors up in Tofino. Can’t wait to return!

March, well, I think we all know what happened in March. Looking back at the photos though, there was a lot of hilarity, my favourite of which being the non stop client calls I took while sitting in our boat in the garage. Working from home took a bit to figure out, let’s all agree ;)

Pivot quickly became the word of the year for many people, and I absolutely LOVE the pivot that I took with my good friend (and now side hustle business partner!) Shara of Bash Specialty! We launched Elopement in a Box in April (now The Proper Table) and had the honour to gift a free elopement package to 1 couple. Reading through all the submissions is something I’ll never forget, and I stand by that I wish we could have helped everyone. Kelly & Josh were the absolute sweetest, and their elopement in July was soooo special! Working with Shara on The Proper Table over the remainder of the year was 2020’s silver lining for me, and I am bursting with excitement at all the fun things we have in store for 2021!

The summer months? Well, there was a looooot of beach time, hangs with our bubble friends, and more beach hangs. We helped my parents move (their first move in 34 years!) and even had the privilege of helping some amazing humans get married. Naz & James eloped, Rachel & Alex had a backyard wedding for the ages, and Nessa & Sebastian challenged me with a 2 week timeline. I was ALL for it and what a gorgeous day!

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

In July, we had the chance to do something that we never get to do…go on a summer holiday! We escaped to our fave, Bodega Ridge on Galiano with our “bubble” family, and had the most fun week together! If you haven’t been to Galiano, do it. Do it now (well you know, when it’s safe to do so…). In early August, Nick & I were invited to go and explore the STUNNING Wild Renfrew! This property is located in Port Renfrew, and is the ultimate west coast experience. They are getting into the wedding game, and we will be working with them over the next year at helping to grow that business and support their couples. The Heyday girls already have a handful of Wild Renfrew 2021 weddings, and we can’t wait to create out there!

Now, I know it is completely unrelated to weddings, but in August, our other best friends welcomed their first BABY!!! Gah!!!! There is absolutely nothing better than a new baby (well, other than maybe making one? lol!) and he is just the cutest thing around. September brought big change for our house, as our little Maddie started pre-school (cue the tears). We also had 2 final weddings this month, and both M&C and A&X (planned by the fabulous Bonnie for FKE!) had the loveliest days celebrating love in the middle of a pandemic.

Photo by: Tegan McMartin

In the Fall, Shara & I continued to work away at The Proper Table, and had so much fun being part of so many families Thanksgiving tables! I also had the opportunity to style the holiday Abeego campaign, and yes…the brilliant minds behind Paper Heart Films also managed to convince our family to model for it. But let’s be honest: they didn’t have to twist our arms ;)

Now, if you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that Nick & I sort of have a thing for Hawaii. So much in fact, that this was the first time in 10 YEARS that we didn't spend October there. Ugh. The worst. But we managed to escape back to Galiano (Bodega Cove this time!) and celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary just the 2 of us. It was blissful… A cute ladybug also appeared in October. Adorbs.

Photo by: Jesse Holland Photography

The rest of the year was spent pretty low key, again, for obvious reasons. Our little girl turned 3, and her close friends & family treated her to the most wonderful car parade! I will forever be grateful to our families and friends, who all rallied together this year and managed to keep everyone sane. I know that 2021 will still have many challenges and road blocks ahead, but the light is there and I am so grateful for this little space, and all the support from all of you. Thank you for reading, and I hope that everyone has the most wonderful start to the New Year! We made it!

xo
Barb

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As I continue to make my way through the past weddings archive, I can’t believe I hadn’t shared this one yet! It was a day filled with some of my favourite people, at a beautiful spot, and I had the honour of being both planner & guest! Kaylee & Shawn are good friends of ours, and getting to help them plan their dream wedding was such. a. TREAT!

Both born and raised on the Island, they wanted a venue that felt like an escape but that was still easily accessible to all of their friends & family. The gorgeous Birds Eye Cove Farm was the perfect spot for them, and I absolutely loved creating an intimate and relaxed space there for them. Modern boho details (perfectly them) were present throughout all the design, starting with natural grasses, succulents and clean typography. Cozy lounges, fun cocktails, and delicious food (shout out to Toque!) kept guests mingling all day and night. And the music. Oh the music. Noah Edwards (the acoustic king of Victoria) played non-stop from the ceremony to first dance, keeping the vibe perfectly chill and romantic. The best part of the day though? Getting to see these guys get married. I love them and both their families so much, and it was honestly just such a privilege to get to be there!

As with my last blog post, I’m going to leave it at that. The stunning photos from our friends AMERIS tell the day perfectly, and you can literally feel the happiness from both Kaylee & Shawn in these photos. 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 power duo, AMERIS.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - AMERIS
Venue - Birds Eye Cove Farm
Catering - Toque Catering
Florals - Cartref Gardens
Paper Goods - French Kiss Events
Music - Noah Edwards Music
Cake - Ruth & Dean
Hair - Curls by Kimberly
Makeup - Melanie Baird
Lounge Furniture - Bash Specialty
Linens - Faire la Fete

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

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If you look closely enough on the first photo below, you’ll see that this lovely couple just celebrated their 2nd wedding anniversary (happy anniversary you guys!!!). Yup. I'm that far behind in blogging. Oh well! Nothing like a pandemic to get caught up, right?! lol! As things have been rapidly changing these past few weeks though, I have been thinking a lot about what this year will look like for weddings. We all know that things are going to be looking small (elopement anyone?), and there have been a handful of incredibly special weddings over the past decade with FKE that fit this bill. Madeline & Ben are exactly that, and for this reason, I thought that they would be the perfect wedding to share right now!

How to start…oh man guys…this was a GOOD one! It had literally everything. An intimate legal ceremony with just the parents (which ended up probably being the most emotional part of the day), a really special personalized ceremony in front of their closest family & friends, followed by an EPIC brunch (should out to Toque). In the evening, 100 guests took over the large private property, and they celebrated late into the night. And the palette.… oh man! Can we talk about drama?!!! The couple loves all things art nouveau, which we used as a jumping off point for inspiration. The florals, textiles, gold foil, custom invitation… just to name a few. The whole thing was absolutely incredible, and I feel like my words just don’t do it justice. So, I hope you have some time to scroll through the beautiful photos below (thanks Berkley) and start dreaming of how incredible an intimate ceremony & celebration can be (then of course, with a kick ass party to follow!!!).

**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 Berkley Voonfjörd.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Berkley Voonfjörd
Venue - The View
Catering - Toque Catering
Florals - Thorn & Thistle
Linens - Faire la Fete
Cake - Passion for Cakes
Pies - Ruth & Dean
Stationery - Emma Allen Design
Invitation Art - Margaret Hansen
Furniture Rentals - Bash Specialty

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Photo by Jesse Holland Photography

Here we are again…another year has gone by and we are just days away from Christmas. While it’s safe to say that this was not the year of blogging for me (#oops), this was an incredible year for both our family and FKE. I can’t wait to recap it all in the annual Year in Review blog post (coming in early January)! The next few days though are all about the holidays, celebrating with loved ones, and getting cozy AF just in time for Santa! Maddie has been delighting in all that the holidays have to bring over the last few weeks, and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing her ask to go see more Christmas Lights. And the fact that she turns 2 a couple days before Christmas? My mind doesn’t even know how to process that lol!

So to keep things quick (so you can all get back to eating more cookies and listening to Bing Crosby, as I am doing right now), thank you so so much to everyone who made 2019 so wonderful. To Nick (that handsome man next to me in the pic above), our parents, close friends and my incredible incredible team: I honesty don’t know what life would look like without all of you (nor do I want to know). To all of our couples (past and future): I thank my lucky stars every day that you entrust us with your wedding. It means more than you know, and I am grateful for life! I hope everyone out there has the most wonderful holiday season!

xo
Barb

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Happy New Year everyone! What a blur the holidays were, eh?! We spent lots of time with family and friends relaxing, and may have overindulged once (or twice) on some delicious wine and savoury treats… but that’s what the holidays are for, right?! I’m currently working on my annual end of year blog post, which should be live next week (stay tuned), but I wanted to kick the new year off with a very happy, bright and fresh wedding from Summer 2017! I did a MAJOR happy dance on Christmas Eve when it was published over on Wedding Chicks (check it out here!), and just loved getting to relive this day through the images below.

Sabrina & Dylan’s wedding took place in the middle of August, at the gorgeous Affinity Guesthouse property. And guys. This wedding was so. much. fun! I can’t remember ever seeing a Bride so relaxed and ready to party on her wedding day! Both Sabrina & Dylan had a smile from ear to ear all day long, and the entire wedding was filled with so many heartwarming moments. Planning began about a year and half in advance (it is never too early to start planning everyone!) , and their main goal was to throw the biggest party of the summer. Mission accomplished. Through the cheerful palette, lawn games, insane boho lounge, family style feast (thanks Toque Catering!) and The County Line band, guests felt comfortable and “at home” all day long. The Bride, who has a very bohemian style, wanted to make sure that her personal style was infused throughout the elegant setting. Moroccan lanterns and persian rugs lined the ceremony aisle, and the couple shared their vows on a Moroccan wedding blanket. We fully raped the tent and added twinkle lights above. Bright and happy florals, designed by FLEURtacious, lined the 4 long-long tables, and fresh lavender was placed on each place setting.

One of the most fun moments of the night happened right before the band took over: Sabrina surprised Dylan by switching her wedding skirt for a full tiered skirt. It was PERFECT for the dance floor, so definitely make sure to check out those photos below as well! This was just such a fun day filled with so much joy, and I am so grateful to have had a chance to work with this lovely couple!

**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 Blush Wedding Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Blush Photography
Venue - Affinity Guesthouse
Catering - Toque Catering
Florals - FLEURtacious
Band - The County Line
Decor rentals - Trend Decor
Lounge - Bash Specialty
Tent & rentals - Black & White
Stationery - Emma Allen
Makeup - Melanie Baird

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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

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• Office Talk 55
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• Real Weddings 48

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
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• Office Talk 55
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• Real Weddings 48

I often find myself stumped for ways to start these posts, as I worry that I come off repetitive. I seem to always be saying how special the wedding was, how gorgeously it all came together etc. etc. But the truth is, EVERY wedding I am a part of is special! One of the things I love most about doing what I do, and the boutique nature of FKE, is that I get to know my couples so intimately. So by the time of the wedding, I usually feel like one of the family (you know…like that second cousin you only see at really important events, but knows how to boss everyone around when the time is right haha!). It makes me fall head over heels in love with my job every.single.time., and is the reason why every wedding is so incredible to me! But this one guys…this one you can feel it in the photos (thanks to the genius of Taylor Roades). The day was filled with so much laughter and joy, and a whole lotta love.

When I first met Alexei & Bob, I instantly fell in love and knew I had to work with them (thanks guys for hiring me!). Their love for each other was obvious from the first second, but they also were hilarious, talked about a mile a minute, and knew exactly what they wanted. Alexei is originally from France, and Bob is from the Praries. They met in Quebec while both at school, and the rest is history as they say. The coming together of their 2 families was at the core of this very authentic, relaxed and elegant al fresco soiree.

The design was inspired by the gorgeous gardens of The English Inn and its classic tudor building, and we made sure to keep a masculine undertone and “harmonious chaos” throughout. We designed all the spaces to flow naturally from one into another, and the unique palette of purples, greys & oranges mixed together with organic elements, helped to keep the spaces feeling perfectly unkept.

But what this wedding was really all about (other than the couple…doh!) was the food. Oh the food. It was non stop flowing all throughout the night, and Toque Catering absolutely hit this one out of the park. The family style feast, set at those 2 gorgeous long tables, combined both the Parisian and Prairie influences. Picture a meal that is never ending, with platters of charcuterie, gourmet cheeses, farm fresh veggies & flavourful mains. Guests drank copious amounts of wine, shared lots of stories and partied the night away. It was perfection. But if you don’t believe me, scroll through the photos to see for yourself. 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 Taylor Roades Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Taylor Roades Photography
Venue - The English Inn
Catering - Toque Catering
Florals - Verbena Floral Design
Cakes - Ruth & Dean
Garden Duo - Simone & The Good Intentions
Band - The New Souls
Lounge Furniture - Bash Specialty
Tent & Rentals - Black & White Event Rentals, Pedersens, Party Mood
Beauty - Karley Reynolds & Cristina Woods

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