Looking through this STUNNER of a wedding, you might not guess that this was in fact a pre-covid fete! In fact, this intimate 15 person luxe wedding was from back in 2019, before “micro wedding” was even a term. Jaclyn & Yong decided they didn’t want to compromise their style for a big guest list, and so set out to have a wedding that was worthy of their “champagne tastes”. 13 of their immediate family members flew up with them from Chicago to Victoria back in August 2019, and they proceeded to have the most incredible weekend. Set at The View Luxury Property, all the guests stayed on site, and had a long weekend of non stop food, pool time, sunshine, and oh yeah…an epic wedding. It was such a pleasure getting to work with this fun loving and sweet couple, and to bring their vision to life. They gave me (and all their vendors) their full trust, and if you ask me, that’s what always makes for exceptional results. A few of my favourite details?

- The Grooms brother, a world famous cellist, who played them down the aisle

- The 5 course epic meal that Toque Catering created, that basically touched on all their favourite food memories

- The ceremony florals….DROOL worthy!

- When Yong sat down at the piano and surprised everyone with an incredible rendition of “Everlasting Love”

So yeah…it was a pretty great day. Please enjoy these gorgeous photos taken by the incredibly talented Natasha for Myrtle & Moss Photography and thank you again J&Y for having me part of this day!

**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 Natasha for Myrtle & Moss Photography

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Wild Oak Collective for Myrtle and Moss Photography
Catering - Toque Catering
Florals - Ingrid Rose Floral Artistry
Venue - The View
Cake - Ruth & Dean
Hair - Heartwood & Co
Makeup - Melanie Baird
Stationery - Emma Allen Design
Rentals - Tabletop Curated Rentals, Faire la Fete, Bash Specialty & Rock Paper Square

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

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

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

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

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

Brittany & Mike’s multi-day wedding weekend took place 2 years ago (blogging back log is real right now guys lol!) and is hands down one of the most memorable weddings I’ve had the honour of being part of. 3 days of events. 250 guests. 2 weddings. 2 amazing families. And oh yeah…a surprise performance by one of my long time favourite musicians (anyone else’s parents bring them to a Colin James concert and have it be instant music love?).

Brittany & Mike met at UVic years before, and wanted to return to Victoria (Mike’s hometown) for their wedding. I am so so glad that they did! We were brought on to be part of the western ceremony & fusion reception, taking place on the final day of the weekend. The palette was fresh summer, and the entire day was overflowing with flowers (hello flower chandelier!!). And after 2 days of ceremonies already, everyone brought their A-game to Sunday. It all came together with a huge party, filled with love, music & soooo much good food. I could honestly talk about this wedding for hours, but I’m not going to. The photos & videos tell the story so much better than I every could. Thank you so so much Brittany & Mike for having me be part of this incredible day!

**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 genius, Erin Wallis Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Memento Films
Floral Design - Rook & Rose
Ceremony venue - Starling Lane Vineyards
Ceremony catering - Toque Catering
Reception venue - Victoria Conference Centre
Reception catering - The Fairmont Empress
Cake - The Fairmont Empress
Drapery - Decorate Victoria
Linens - Faire la Fete
Furniture rentals - Bash Specialty
Photo booth - Four Frames Photo Booth
Makeup - Melanie Baird
Hair - Travis Mercer, Hunt & Gather

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

As the number of gorgeously warm days increases, I’m finding myself craving wedding days more and more… This one, while already 2 years ago (again, yes…I’m clearly in a backlog of blogging), feels incredibly relevant these days. Not only was the couples minimalist style impeccable, but this was an intimate afternoon wedding. Seems pretty dreamy, right? It was.

Set at the beautiful Brentwood College, Kathleen & Taylor had a vision, and I was ALL for it! I absolutely loved working alongside this couple, designers themselves, to create an uncomplicated modern space that enhanced the natural backdrop of Brentwood’s patio. Through clean lines and a minimalist design approach, every detail was carefully thought out. The letter-pressed menu cards, the hand made soap by the Bride, the tea station…everything had meaning and was done with purpose. What I think really made this design so unique was the summer colour palette. Minimalism in weddings is so often done with a very neutral palette. But Kathleen was drawn towards a summery palette of blush’s, pinks & taupes. Against the white & acrylic clean lines, the colours popped and were the perfect way to bring the whole design to life.

This was such a special afternoon, and it couldn’t have felt more authentic. Seeing the couple enjoy their first few hours as husband & wife surrounded by friends & family, sharing some of their favourite tapas and taking in the view, was the absolute best. Kathleen & Taylor, thank you so so much for having me be part of this incredible day 2 years ago. I loved every single part of it 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 Nanae Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Venue/Catering - Brentwood College
Photography - Nanae Photography
Floral Design - Rook & Rose
Cake - Ruth & Dean
Stationery - Sato Designers
Beauty - Heartwood & Co
Music - Cascadia Quartet

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

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

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

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

Photo by: Whit McGuire Photography

One of my favourite traditions to kick off the new year is to sit down with a big cup of coffee, and write this post. Taking the time to look over the year that was, always gives me an incredible amount of perspective, and I am so grateful for that. 2019 was a great year, but it was also a tough year for me in some ways (I like to keep it real on here). With 7 weddings, it was the quietest season I’ve had in a long time, something which really made me stop, take a good deep look at what was going on, and figure out where I wanted FKE to go. I’m chalking the quietness up to a few things, which I’m not going to really get into here, but it made me realize how much I truly love what I do, and re-fueled my passion for planning & FKE. At the beginning of 2019, I really focused my energy on putting out as much as I wanted to get back (whether via social media, networking, creative work etc.), and I am so SO excited to say that re-focusing worked! 2020 is going to be the busiest year I’ve ever had, and with the expansion of our team (made possible because of this growth), I can’t wait to see what opportunities this next year brings!

With all this being said, 2019 was also a great year! Those 7 couples were the BOMB, and I fell even more in love with being a parent. Our family had lots of fun little adventures, and both FKE & Heyday have achieved some big milestones. In January, I headed down to Seattle for a couple days of planning for C&J, and also made my way up Island to Denman Island for a 2020 wedding site visit. So basically: lots of solo time in the car and lots of podcasts haha! I also collaborated with an insanely talented crew of ladies on a shoot with the Fairmont Empress. I wanted to do something in their space that felt fresh, modern yet still utterly romantic, and it was so fun to get to stretch the creative muscles a bit.

Photo by: Vanessa Lust Photography

February & March brought classic winter coziness. We embraced the rare snow days with Maddie, had lots of fun family time, and headed to Vancouver with friends to rock our bodies (get it?! lol!) with Justin Timberlake. In April, we headed up to Tofino with our besties for our annual Easter weekend getaway. It was 4 straight days of beach walks, hot tubbing, good food, and Maddie hangs. So yeah, pretty great.

In May, we kicked off our wedding season with a fun one! J&A got married at the gorgeous View Estate, and it was a day time celebration that included 4 dress changes! It was also extra fun to see their wedding featured in the media down in Mexico, and to have played a role in a wedding that received so much attention down there! I also got to celebrate my 2nd Mothers Day in May with Maddie & my own wonderful Mom.

June is when things got a wee bit crazy… Maddie & I tagged along with Nick to Whistler while he raced the Whistler Half Marathon, S&J had a beautiful day full of colour and love, A&A had the most gorgeous backdrop for their wedding, and we celebrated our friends engagement on a rooftop.

Photo by: Kim Jay Photography

Photo by: Vanessa Lust Photography

The rest of the summer was a blur. We travelled down to Seattle for an oceanside celebration that had challenged me as a planner (planning a wedding in another country is no easy feat you guys) yet the end result blew me away and made me so proud of what our team can accomplish. We hung out in a lavender field, a gorgeous garden, and took in some of Vancouver Island’s most beautiful views. We announced the addition of Bonnie to the FKE team, something that I have been working towards for years and am SO excited about! Adding another planner to this little company of mine means so many different things, and I cant wait for you to all get to know her better. I also took an overnight trip back up to Whistler to start the planning of a 2020 wedding. Phew! Exhausted just writing all this! lol!

Photo by: Whit McGuire Photography

Photo: Myrtle & Moss Photography

September brought a bit of a change of focus. 3 of us stole our best friend away and flew her down to Santa Barbara, for what can only be described as the best girls weekend ever. Insanely good food (The Lark blew my mind), delicious wine, and beach time. Back in Canada, we packed up the car and drove back to Whistler for a weekend with good good friends. The kids jumped in puddles, we came across a bear (terrifying when with children, fyi) , and played in snow at the top of the mountain. I also helped the VIWIA plan a fun night that focused on a great conversation about how vendors can work better together. Super grateful for that opportunity!

Photo by: Sabrina Patrice Photography

Photo by: AMERIS

At the start of October, my all time favourite wedding (other than my own of course) took place. Our best friends got married! I was beyond honoured to stand as the Maid of Honour, and Bonnie took the reigns on the day, allowing me to be fully present. I honestly can’t wait to share more of this day! So much love was in that room, and we are all so happy for the new married couple!

Photo by: AMERIS

Later that month, the fam & I headed down to our happy place, Maui, for our annual time in the sun. Man I love it there.

In November, Bonnie & I were treated to an amazing little getaway at the Long Beach Lodge Resort in Tofino! We have 2 weddings in Tofino in 2020, so getting to spend a bit more time in the town, explore the gorgeous Long Beach Lodge, and connect with other planners was fantastic! Come December, holiday season was in full force, and I’m still recovering from it haha! Nick & I escaped to Calistoga for an extended long weekend after he raced the Sacramento Marthon, and had 5 days just the 2 of us. It was weird. But also great. Mostly great ;) Later in the month, we had breakfast with Santa, celebrated Maddie’s 2nd birthday, and we also made the team expansion over at Heyday official with a new team shoot.

Photo by: Jesse Holland Photography

Wow. As I mentioned earlier, this post of mine gives me so much perspective on the year, and I am incredibly grateful for the full year I just had. 2020 is the start of a new decade, and with that, I can’t wait to see what it has in store. Happy New Year everyone!

xo
Barb

It’s been just under a year since I blogged and about a year and a half since this wedding, but it’s never too late right?! I blame life. As we are settling into the quieter season though, I’m finding I have some spare time to put into blogging, and I am excited about it! I couldn’t think of a better wedding to end the drought than Mandy & Andrew’s Napa Valley soiree! And yes….I said Napa Valley! Back in the Spring of 2018, I got to check off a HUGE bucket list item and head down to California to plan this gorgeous vineyard wedding.

When Mandy & Andrew, good friends of mine here in Victoria, first asked me if I would plan their wedding, I obviously got excited. But then when they told me they were thinking Napa, and would I consider heading down to Napa with them? Well, let’s just say I don’t think I’ve ever said YES faster haha! These guys love to travel, have a taste for the finer things in life, and also love to throw a very very good party. The venue was the top priority, and we were all beyond thrilled to find the historic Charles Krug Winery. One of the oldest wineries in Napa and one of the only actual wineries to host weddings in the valley. It was absolutely perfect. The team of vendors we assembled down there were all incredible and I am just crossing my fingers and toes that I get another chance to head back down there for more weddings! Planning a wedding in another country is no joke people, but it was an experience I absolutely loved, will never forget, and I am so glad it was with such a special couple.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart Mandy & Andrew, for having me be a part of this amazing time in your life, and I hope everyone enjoys a small glimpse into this amazing day below!

**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 Dawn Heumann Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Venue - Charles Krug Winery
Photography - Dawn Heumann Photography
Catering - Feast Catering
Florals - Tango & Foxtrot
Rentals - La Tavola & Encore Event Rentals
Beauty - Bella Bridal Napa Valley
Welcome Sign & Place Cards - XM Calligraphy
DJ - Modern Maestro

And then here’s a little something for all of your pure enjoyment. Ladies & Gents….I give you the men behind FKE fully embracing BSB.

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

One of my favourite posts to write is these Year in Reviews. Not only are they a fun look down memory lane, but they always put things in perspective and make me realize how much good can happen in a year. While 2017 was a year of immense change, 2018 was a year of incredible growth for me personally and all about finding balance. It was an incredible year, and one that gives me all the warm fuzzy feelings. Nick & I were talking over the holidays about the past year, and realizing that it was going to go down for us as one of the best. We settled into our role as parents, loving Maddie more than we knew possible, travelled a TON (hello California, France & Hawaii!) and I managed to knock out 8 incredible weddings with a baby by my side. Of course, there were a lot (and I mean a lot) of tears along the way, some frustrating moments and a lot of trial and error when it came to figuring out how to run 2 businesses with a child, but I like to focus on the positive ;) Like I said, it was an amazing year, and one that I will be grateful of for the rest of my life.

As most of you know, January started off cozy at home, with a week old baby. We spent a few blissful weeks getting to know one another, having lots of visits from friends & family, and soaking up as much baby as possible. Our friends Rob & Julia of AMERIS treated us to the most special newborn session, and Chelsea of Paper Heart Films put together the loveliest little film. In the middle of the month, I returned to work with our first event post baby: the Cosmedica 20 Year celebration! At the end of January, we took off with friends to Salt Spring Island for our annual weekend of cozy fires, board games and wine & cheese. It was the perfect first getaway with Maddie.

Photography: AMERIS

February and March were spent in full planning mode for the season of weddings quickly approaching. The amazing Paula helped to keep French Kiss & Heyday running smoothly, and I loved getting to meet with clients, finish design plans and you know…cuddle the baby (what a shock lol!). At the end of March, another Gulf Island getaway took place, this time to Mayne Island. It was my first time on Mayne, and oh man, does that spot ever have some gorgeous hikes!

In April, Maddie & I followed Nick down on a work trip to Del Mar, California. This is a little beach town, just north of San Diego, and we all fell in LOVE! We are already trying to figure out how we can escape there again! Once back, it was full on planning mode for a gorgeous styled shoot we helped to organize, with the insanely talented Lushana Bale. We were treated to the most perfect Spring day, and loved seeing the shoot published on Wedding Sparrow in July! Also in April was our first wedding of 2018! Woohoo!! It was an amazing day, and one that I honestly wish could be repeated every year ;) A brunch wedding followed by epic house party at night? Sign me up!

Photography: Berkley Vopnfjord

In May, we headed down to California again, but this time for a Napa wedding! This was our first wedding in California, and oh man….working in the wine capital of the US was a dream come true! I have so much love for this very special couple that trusted me with their vision and it was so wonderful getting to work with so many awesome vendors down there! If anyone wants to bring me back to Napa, I’m available! Just saying ;)

Photography: Dawn Heumann

Photography: Dawn Heumann

In June, we took some family time (which NEVER happens in the summer, so this was a big win!) and headed to France for 2 weeks. I had always dreamed of doing a big trip with Maddie before she got too mobile, and this was the most magical 2 weeks. France stole my heart, and I honestly can’t even begin to say what my favourite part was. We went up the Eiffel Tower at night, ate baguettes and cheese in the park, toured castles, and drank a lot of rosé. We also snuck in a family session with the talented Gaëtan in Nice, and I will treasure these photos forever.

Photography: One of a Kind Photography

Once back in town, it was full blown wedding season! We got to frolic with animals at Birds Eye Cove, experienced the hottest day of the summer up at Shawnigan Lake, and set a modern seaside lunch for just the sweetest couple. I was also floored (and so honoured!) to have been included again on Vogue’s list of the Top Wedding Planners. Talk about a pinch me moment!

Photography: AMERIS

Photography: Adam and Kev Photography

Over the August long weekend, we had the privilege of being a part of an epic 3 day celebration, for 300+ guests! This wedding was all my colour dreams come to life, the most insane florals, and music like no other (yup! Colin James played at this wedding! #superfanmoment) .

Photography: Erin Wallis

The last big wedding of the year took place mid-August, for just about the loveliest couple you will ever meet, and had some of my favourite people coming together to create some serious magic. Following the craziness of the last 7 weeks, Nick & I escaped with the fam to check out the new Bodega Cove Retreat on Galiano Island and returned feeling refreshed and ready for the 2nd half of the year!

Photography: Christine Pienaar Photography

Photography: AMERIS

September brought some stormy weather, a beautiful and intimate wedding, and a whole lot of catching up on life. After Thanksgiving, we did what we always do in October, and hopped on a plane and flew to Maui, our favourite spot on earth. This was our first time taking Maddie there, and seeing how much she loved the beach and water made my heart swell big time! We ate a lot of incredible food, hung out with our Island friends and my parents, and just truly relaxed.

Back in Victoria for the rest of the year, we finally settled into a bit more of a work/baby routine, caught up with friends, and got ourselves ready for a busy December. Let’s just say that between the holidays and Maddie’s 1st birthday (cue the tears!), it was a busy end to an incredible year. On Christmas Eve, I was thrilled to have a summer 2017 wedding featured on Wedding Chicks, and by the time 2019 arrived, full blown planning mode has taken over life. Just the way I like it ;) Phew! What a year, right?!! I am so grateful for everything that took place over the last 12 months, and also to all of you for continuing to follow along! Here’s to another incredible year!

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