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

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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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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!

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• Office Talk 55
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• 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

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• Real Weddings 48

To say that I loved working with this couple, would be the understatement of the year.  I first met Emilie at Kelsey & Colin's wedding, back in 2015, and was so flattered when she reached out to me about her own wedding the next year!  We hit it off right away, and thus began such a fun planning year!  And to add the cherry on top of an already great day, their wedding was recently featured on Rocky Mountain Bride! 

Taking place on Greg's parents property, their wedding was as true family celebration!  The couple, who split their time between Russia (where Greg plays professional hockey) and Canada, couldn’t wait to throw a celebration back home with all their closest friends and family, hailing from all around the world.  Food from around the globe was served up (thanks Toque!), a nod to the couples travels and eccentric palette. Think fish taco's, thai salads & tandori prawns...  We filled the rest of the day with all of their favourite things: ice cream, great music, indigo details and tropical plants.  The drinks flowed, the band rocked all night long, and the couple couldn’t stop grinning ear to ear. It was just the perfect day!

So, without further adieu, Emilie & Greg!

**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 Katrina Massey Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Katrina Massey
Catering - Toque Catering
Florals - Cartref Gardens
Beauty - Heartwood & Co.
Band - The Broken Strings
Furniture - Bash Specialty

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This month we are inspired by colour blocking and the bold use of colour. We love when designers don't shy away from daring colour combinations! Incase you didn't know- the art of colour blocking is using colours from the opposite side of the colour wheel and pairing them together, known as complimentary colour blocking. This is the most common type, however there is using colours on the opposite thirds of the colour wheel called triads, or colours beside each other on the wheel called analogous. There is also the method of doing whatever you dang feel like, because there is no wrong answer! Take a look to see our favourite samples of colour blocking used in wedding design down below.

Lounges
Lounges are an easy place to add some colourful statements to your event! Splashes of bold colour using pillows or furniture paired with bright florals makes a big impact. 

Source: Michel B. Events/ Lounge Appeal/ Molly + Co Photo/ Rockrose Floral Design

Source: Bash Specialty

Invitations
We love using abstract designs and geometric shapes to add colour into your invitations. This is a modern and clean way to incorporate your colour palette from the very beginning.

Source: Minted.com

Source: Minted.com

Tables Settings
Using complimentary colour combos like blue and yellow linens, or pink and green florals, are some of our favourite combinations to create a unique tablescape at your event.

Source: Faire la Fete Linens/Bash Specialty/ Verbena Floral Design/ Rock Paper Square

Source: Bash Specialty/ Rook & Rose Florals/  Rock Paper Square/ Lille Louise Photography

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Photo by: The Nickersons

As I sit here writing this, with my 2 week old daughter in my arms (one handed typing is super slow fyi!), I am blown away with how much can change in a year.  2017 was definitely a year of change for me personally, and chugging along beside all that change was a business that I love more than I thought possible, and a crew that is making it possible for me to balance life and work.  This past year, we tore down our house and built a new one, found out we were pregnant (yay!) and welcomed baby Madison into the world, welcomed 2 new planners to the Heyday team, and worked with 11 amazing couples, bringing their dream weddings to life.  It was a big year, and a really really good one.  As I have over the past few years, I thought it would be fun to take a look back over the year that and share with you the highlights.  So, without further adieu, here we go!

The year started off as I like it to...nice and slow...We had a really cold winter in Victoria (which is super rare!), and enjoyed lots of cozy nights in and even a few snow days here and there!  A highlight though was seeing Mica & Nate's wedding featured on SMP here.  If you remember this wedding from last year, you'll remember how special it was, and getting to see it published was such a treat!  

Photo by: AMERIS

Come February, we took our annual trip over to Saltspring Island with some really good friends, and enjoyed 4 days of games, hikes, wine, runs & really really good food.  We also met up with AMERIS in February to take some new team photos for the site.  A whole lot of hilarity ensued (as it usually does with them), and I loved getting to update the site with Paula & Nick added on, as they are both so instrumental to FKE! With the arrival of Spring, weekends were completely filled with meetings, mockups, site visits, and full on prep for the upcoming summer of weddings.  

Photo by: Lauren Kurc Photography

In April, I had the opportunity to team up with some seriously inspiring ladies, and put together a styled shoot that was totally out of my comfort zone.  The results were drop.dead.gorgeous., and I can't wait to share the images with you all very soon!  Stay tuned...  Paula & I also signed up for a Modern Calligraphy class taught by the wickedly talented Kate Campbell, and our obsession with wedding signage grew that much more!  In the middle of the month, Nick & I escaped to the Okanagan with some friends, for the Easter long weekend, for a much needed vacay before the craziness of wedding season began.  And let me tell you all this: the Okanagan is AMAZING!  Go there immediately!  So much delicious wine (obviously!) and food!  And the wineries...so many beautiful spaces!  I would absolutely love to start planning a wedding or 2 there each year, and so I am putting it out into the universe for 2019.  Any couples out there that love wine country as much as me?  Take me with you!

Photo by: Jesse Holland

After a really relaxing Winter & Spring, $*%t got real in May: We tore our house down and found out I was pregnant (all within the same week, just in case you were curious lol!).  Wedding season was just around the corner as well, and our sister company, Heyday, kicked off the season with a stunner at Starling Lane Winery.  This wedding was featured on SMP (woohoo!!).  And at the end of the month, we helped to gather all of our favourite people in the Victoria wedding industry at the annual Meetup.  This time, Toque treated us to an incredible sit down feast, and I honestly don't know how we are going to top it in 2018!  

Photo by: Taylor Roades Photography

Photo by: Ryan Flynn Photography

June kicked off the FKE wedding season, and once it got rolling, there was no stopping until October.  This season was also the season of live music (woohoo!), which is hands down, my favourite part of weddings.  Our first 4 weddings all had bands, which kept the parties going well into the night.  We stayed close to home this year, celebrating at a family farm, an English estate, a winery, and some of the most iconic spots in Victoria (hello Empress!), just to name a few.  In June, I also took the leap, and started to take guitar lessons!  Random, right?!  I've wanted to learn for years, and finding out I was pregnant was the final straw that got me to the music school.  In my mind, I'm going to be able to play like this within a year, but in reality, we all know that is never going to happen lol!  

Photo by: Katrina Massey Photography

Photo by: Amee Nijjar Photography 

In July, Nick & I escaped to Vancouver to see Jack Johnson (#bucketlist), and then also managed to take off to Saltspring Island again for our dating anniversary.  We seriously love that place!  Upon our return, it was back to weddings!  There were some seriously stunning ones this year, and as the galleries come in, I'm reminded how lucky I am to work with such amazing couples, and equally amazing vendors who help me pull off these wicked celebrations! 

Photo by: Blush Photography

Photo by: The Nickersons

August & September took us to another farm, an Inn by the sea, an Island resort, a Castle, and back to the Empress (twice).  I also did a little happy dance when this wedding was published in Real Weddings (#pinchme).  

Photo by: Luke Liable Photography

Photo by: Christine Pienaar Photography

In October, feeling insanely pregnant (hello third trimester!), Nick & I headed off on a baby moon to our absolute favourite place in the world....you guessed it...Maui! Our days were spent debating whether we should go to the beach or pool (tough decisions!), eating a lot of delicious food, and really soaking up the last few moments of it being just the 2 of us.  Upon returning home, life started to move at warp speed. Our house was nearing the finish line, all things baby prep officially took over, and we were so honoured to have an incredible baby bash hosted for us by Laura!  I was also stoked to add Bonnie  to the Heyday team, and made it official with a new team shoot for the Heyday site!

Photo by: Jesse Holland Photography

At the beginning of December, we moved into the house!! Woohoo!!  The timing couldn't have been better, and our incredible builders, Philco Construction, worked their butts off to make sure we were in the house before baby came!  The rest of the month was spent unpacking, settling in, and working as hard as possible on all of our 2018 weddings before baby arrived.  And on December 23rd, our whole life completely changed, with the arrival of Madison Elizabeth Walker.  We are head over heels in love with her, and she has already stolen both of our hearts in a big way.  Basically the best way to end this incredible year, and I have no idea how 2018 is going to top it.  But...I am up for the challenge, and can't wait to see what the new year brings!

Photo by: Tegan McMartin Photography

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

Where do I even begin with this one?!  I first shared a glimpse into Jennifer & Alex's incredible 3 day celebration back in the Spring, when I blogged their welcome party.  And yes, I know, I know....I had promised to share the wedding soon after, and alas it is now November.  What can I say, except wedding season happened lol!  And I truly wanted to make sure that I gave this post the time that it deserved, and have spent hours and hours pouring over the stunning images by Erich McVey, trying to narrow them down to a reasonable post length.   So here goes nothing...

Taking place in July of 2016, on Jennifer's parents private property on Salt Spring Island, Jennifer & Alex's wedding was a career highlight for me.  I wrote a lot about why, back in their welcome party post, so I won't bore you by repeating myself here. But let's just say that I couldn't be prouder of the way it turned out, and get chills every time I think back to this weekend!  The A-Team of vendors brought their (you guessed it) A-Game, and it all the hard work and planning resulted in a seamlessly executed event.  The wedding was obviously the main event of the weekend, and we held nothing back when it came to the design, food & florals!

The colours and design we incorporated throughout the wedding were heavily influenced by Jennifer’s love of design and Alex’s Asian heritage. The Chinese symbol for marriage, Double Happiness, was the inspiration behind the eclectic paper goods designed by La Happy, and the 5-course Asian fusion menu, prepared by Toque Catering, was a modern twist on the symbolic Chinese wedding dinner, something that was incredibly important to Alex’s family. Jennifer was not shy at all when it came to colour and so we used bold, bright shades throughout the florals and linen choices.   I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again: Brides, don't be afraid of colour!  This wedding is proof that it can be killer!!

One of the most special moments of the day had to be when Jennifer presented her Grandmother with her bouquet. The admiration and love that her families generation of women has for each other are inspiring, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place! Another absolute must for Jennifer & Alex was live music. They absolutely love to party with their friends back in New York, so we brought over the best of the best, Side One, from Vancouver for the weekend to keep guests dancing well into the night.  Honestly though, there is so much good to share about this wedding, that I don't think it can be properly summed up into words.  But thanks to the genius of Erich McVey and Kismet Creative (video at bottom of post), you can hopefully get a better sense of why this one was so special.  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 Erich McVey Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Erich McVey Phototography
Videography - Kismet Creative
Catering - Toque Catering
Floral Design - Verbena Floral Design
Linens - La Tavola
Bar Rentals - Bash Specialty
Rentals - Black & White, White Events Studio
Music - Side One
Cake - Passion For Cakes
Stationery - La Happy
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Jen Clark

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• Office Talk 55
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• Real Weddings 48

Let's talk about booze! Most people love a drink... or 6 every now and then!  But bar service can be an overwhelming topic for many of our couples. How much should they provide? What sort of drinks do they need to offer? Do they need a signature drink? The questions go on and on... So we thought it would be a great idea to help break it down for you, so there is no need to stress.

Photography: The Nickersons  |  Planning: French Kiss Events

What to Offer?
A lot of the time what you want to offer to your guests depends on where you are having the wedding and how much you can afford. If it is an outdoor tented wedding for example, we tend to err on the side of simplicity. No need to offer "apple martini's with a twist on the rocks" in that situation (or any situation really!).  It is absolutely acceptable to only offer beer and wine to your guests if you want to keep it simple. They should be happy to have an open bar anyway! Offering one or two signature drinks is also a great choice if you want to offer spirits in a more cost-effective way.  Remember that you are welcome to completely customize your bar service to suit your yourselves, your venue, and your guests. Most venues are happy to be flexible to your level of bar service as well, whether you want top shelf or just beer and wine. 

Photography: Erich McVey  |  Planning: French Kiss Events

How Much?
We find that it is super helpful to think of your bar service in zones: Cocktail reception, Dinner, and Post-dinner Party, are the 3 most common. You can offer different levels of bar service for each, with the most important thing being to make sure that whatever you are offering, is clear to your guests.   A typical wedding would expect approximately 6 drinks per person throughout the celebration, with 2 drinks per guest per zone.  So for example, Cocktail hour you could offer a glass of passed champagne and the rest of your portions would be split between beer and wine. Dinner is often wine service at the tables, and then the Post-dinner Party could be some more wine, beer, and add spirits if you so choose.

Photography: Ameris  |  Planning: French Kiss Events

Photography: Ameris |  Planning: French Kiss Events

To calculate the amount you need you should remember:
- 750 mL bottle of wine = 5 glasses
- 750 mL bottle of champagne = 6 flutes
- 750 mL bottle of spirits = 17 drinks
- 1.14 L bottle of spirits = 25 drinks

It is always best to over-purchase your amounts to make sure you don't run out, because you can return any unused/unopened bottles as long as you keep the receipts!

Photography: Ameris  |  Planning: French Kiss Events

Photography: Ameris

Photography: Ameris

More Helpful Bar Tips:

• Use a fancier bottle of wine for your dinner table wines, and a house wine for behind the bar.

• Purchase a beer keg to save on recycling and get more bang for your buck!

• Hire your bartender through your caterer to keep everything streamlined. If the bar get's busy then servers can step in and vice versa.

• No need to put out a tip jar for your bartender, as you will be tipping your service staff through your caterer's service fee already.

• Ask your venue to notify you when the bar bill reaches a certain amount to avoid any surprises!

• Offer lots of water and non-alcoholic drinks as well.

• Keep your guests fed! A late night snack is a great idea to prevent overindulgence and soak up some of that booze.

• Make sure someone is in charge of bringing the ice, there is nothing worse than warm beer.

• Don't forget about recycling! Especially if it is an outdoor wedding, make sure there are recycling bins so that nothing gets left behind.

Photography: Christie Graham |  Planning: French Kiss Events

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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
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• Office Talk 55
• Planning Tips 13
• Real Weddings 48