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

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

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

Well folks….let’s talk about the last couple of weeks, shall we?! Oh man…what a crazy time this is, and we just hope that everyone out there is staying safe, healthy and at home (as much as possible). This has, and will continue to, impact everyone, and I am still just trying to wrap my head around what this means for the wedding industry. There have been so many incredible posts by fellow industry people about the immediate affect, and I am blown away by the grace that everyone (vendors & couples) has been handling our current situation.

Bonnie & I have decided that we might as well use this extra time to dive back into the blog, because why not! When talking about what we wanted to start with, it became super clear to both of us that shining a light on how to support small businesses during this time was the right thing to do. Small businesses are what make up our communities and we just love them all oh so much. The Good Party did a fantastic post over on their blog featuring wedding companies who are getting creative, so be sure to check it out! We thought we would take a look at some of our personal favourite small businesses all across Victoria. If you live in Victoria and have the means to do so, please please continue to show your favourites some extra love right now. If you have found yourself without the means but still want to help, be sure to give them lots of love on social & google! If you don’t live here in Victoria, then I hope that this post inspires you to think of a variety of businesses who are no doubt struggling right now and dealing with a whole lot of uncertainty. We could all use a little extra love right now, and I know as a small business family ourselves, we all say thank you.

So without further aideu, here are 10 local Victoria businesses that we want to show a little bit of love:

Agrius/Fol Epi (Yates)

Open limited hours daily to provide their incredible bread, pastries, coffee, and sandwiches in a safe take out form while also offering a variety of house made gourmet grocery items and incredible meals for your fridge or freezer (duck confit, anyone?) They also have some of their amazing (hard to find) wine list available for purchase to take home. Who says you can’t still have a romantic date night? - Bonnie

Website - www.agriusrestaurant.com
Instagram - www.instagram.com/fol.epi/

Amelia Lee

This is my favourite home store here in town, and I swear it’s like walking into your own pinterest shop. The owner, Khloe, has a heart of gold and impeccable taste. Their online shop is open and if a global pandemic isn’t the perfect excuse to treat yourself (or friend) to a new home “pick me up”, then I don’t know what is. They also have the most wonderful collection of baby goods, featuring many local suppliers, and so while celebrations may be on hold, sending a bit of love to a new mama (or mama to be) sounds like a great idea! Local delivery is free. - Barb

Website - www.shopamelialee.com
Instagram - www.instagram.com/amelialeeboutique/

Annex

Amazing new boutique gym offering spin, barre, and strength classes. Even though they only opened their doors a few months ago, these amazing people were among the first to shut their doors to do their part, and from the get go froze all memberships to alleviate this cost for members while offering totally free daily live work outs on instagram for everyone! They truly believe in creating a supportive community and keeping everyone healthy. If you want to show them some love, they are still offering punch passes available for purchase on their website or app which can be used when their doors open up again.  - Bonnie

Website - www.annexvictoria.com
Instagram - www.instagram.com/annexvictoria/

Bolen Books

Finding yourself with all this extra time at home, and feeling like your excessive Netflix bingeing has hit its limit? Bolen’s is offering shopping via phone or online, and you can either have your purchases delivered or pick them up from their take out window. They have thousands of books, games, puzzles, and are an incredible family to boot! So consider getting your next book order local (and bonus: anything we can do to reduce the amount our postal workers have to do, is incredible). - Barb

Website - www.bolen.bc.ca
Instagram - www.instagram.com/bolenbooks/

Foo

So many local restaurants are working hard to provide alternative options to going to the busy grocery stores and providing safe take out, giving us a bit of variety in our food options and taking the stress off cooking during a stressful time. This also keeps many hospitality workers employed in one of the hardest hit industries. Foo is one of these places, and they are working hard 7 days a week with slightly limited hours and a take out window on their patio to keep things distanced and outside. Plus, their food is super tasty! - Bonnie

Website - www.victoria.foofood.ca
Instagram - www.instagram.com/fooyyj/

Frontrunners

This is actually my husbands store, so the shout out is slightly biased. But I am so proud of how they have been handling this! While their doors of all 3 locations are currently closed, they are taking orders via online orders, phone or even FaceTime! So whether it is a new pair of running shoes, nutritional, run shorts etc., they can help you. They are offering free local (contactless) delivery, and can’t wait to get back out there with the run clinics once this is all over. - Barb

Website - www.frontrunners.ca
Instagram - www.instagram.com/frontrunnersvic/

Hide + Seek Coffee

This lovely husband and wife duo are working hard to keep all their customers caffeinated with the tastiest coffee through this weird time. They have a ‘coffee window’ open limited hours at their store front in Oak Bay, and are also offering online orders for beans with free neighbourhood delivery! Pick your tasting notes and they’ll pick out something delicious for you and bring it to your door - does it get any better?  - Bonnie

Website - www.hideandseekcoffee.ca
Instagram - www.instagram.com/hideandseekcoffee/

Maaface Artistry

I know I speak for many ladies when I say I’ll be running to get caught up on my favourite beauty regimens once personal services can open their doors again (I forgot what I looked like without lashes and nice nails… yikes). Laura at Maaface is doing everyone a solid and offering any kind of full lash set for the price of fill to get you back on track, and this is for literally anyone. Even if you aren’t an existing client. Or didn’t have lashes previously. She is just that amazing. You can also choose to pre-pay for your set (at fill price) so you can be added to the waitlist for preferred appointment times before the schedule opens up to everyone. Looking forward to some gorgeous lashes (and she is crazy talented!) - Bonnie

Website - www.maaface.com
Instagram - www.instagram.com/maaface.artistry/

Marta Cafe

If you haven’t been to Marta Cafe yet, then as soon as we are allowed to share a coffee together again, you need to get there STAT! Local girls, Ellie & Nikita have created their own little slice of parisian paradise, and this neighbourhood cafe delivers. It is one of my favourite spots to meet a friend (or catch up on some emails) over a delicious croissant & latte. They are currently closed, but are selling Gift Cards (email them at info@martacafeandpantry.com) for future visits. Every bit of cash flow they can get helps, so let’s help keep them alive! - Barb

Website -www.martacafeandpantry.com
Instagram -www.instagram.com/martacafeandpantry/

Twist of Fate

Talk about adapting! This local event bartending company has launched a Curbside Cocktail program, and I couldn't be more for it. I love me a good cocktail, and let’s be honest: a plain ol’ G&T just isn’t cutting it these days. They offer contactless delivery twice a week, and bring you the mixture, garnish & instructions. All you have to do is supply the booze & glass. I can tell you from personal experience, they are damn good, and will definitely make your day better. - Barb

Website - www.twistvictoria.com
Instagram - www.instagram.com/twistvictoria/

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