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

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

Source: The Decorista

Source: Southern Weddings

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

Source: Nouba

Source: mywedding

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

Source: Wedding Chicks

Source: My Domaine

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

Source: 100 Layer Cake

Source: Wedding Chicks

What do you do when you want to have a destination wedding, but don't feel like making your guests leave the country?  You head to Victoria and host an unforgettable weekend at a beautiful hotel in the Inner Harbour, and treat your guests to ocean views all night long.  Well, that's at least what Edmonton based Brittany & Kyle decided to do, and oh, am I glad that they did!  After our first Skype call, I knew that I was going to have fun working with these guys!  Their sense of fashion was impeccable, colour preferences were right up my alley (hello jewel toned purple, blue & gold!), and their desire to have an elegant wedding that focused on the party?  Yes please!  These guys were rad, and I couldn't be happier to have them forever part of the FKE family. 

The wedding itself was a stunner.  Set at the Inn at Laurel Point, we found the perfect balance between soft/romantic touches and fun/modern details, such as a polka dot motif and custom cocktail napkins.  Keeping the focus on the overall guest experience and lively atmosphere, great cocktails and food, as well as ambiance and seating vignettes were available all through the night.  Music played a really big role in the celebration, and helped us transition the overall atmosphere as the night went along.  A DJ & Sax combo got everyone dancing, and the good folks at Four Frames kept the guests striking a pose.  An epic night of partying, and one that we are so glad we were a part of!

**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 Ophelia Photography.

Planning & Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Ophelia Photography
Venue - Inn at Laurel Point
Florals - FLEURtacious by Lynda Marie
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Erin Bradley
Music - Girl on Wax
Rentals - Decorate Victoria
Furniture Lounge - Bash Specialty

Things are starting to get very festive around the FKE office! We may or may not be distracted by picking out our favourite holiday Spotify playlists, and chatting about the best Christmas movies... But don't worry, we still manage to get work done! All of this chit chat though, inspired us to create a monthly blog post of our favourite things of the moment! 

On Our Playlists:

Barb's obsession

Paula's pick

Laura's fav

Favourites on the Re-watch List 

Paula's fav

Barb's winner

Laura's pick

Festive Cocktails of Choice

Bailey's & Coffee for Laura

White Russian for Barb

Rum & Eggnog for Paula

What are your current favs? Leave a comment below!
xo Paula

ps - is anyone else as obsessed with this video as we are?

We are constantly being inspired by new (and old) trends and love seeing how we can inspire our couples to incorporate some of them into their wedding design.  Weddings live in this constantly evolving design world, and it is so much fun keeping up, and hopefully ahead, of the trends.  So, with that in mind, I'd like to start something new around here.  A monthly series showcasing what is currently inspiring us, new and old.  

Pops of Bright Colour:
I LOVE how colour has been making a slow come back, and think that by infusing a few pops of colour into a neutral palette, or going all out colour, is a great way to keep your wedding palette feeling fresh. 

Source: Pinterest

Source: Style Me Pretty

Sleeved wedding gowns:
Ok.  So not so new of an idea, but lately I can't seem to get enough of them!  I mean, seriously...

Source: Magnolia Rouge

Source: Instagram @byarantxasandua

Modern place settings:
Last year was a year of specialty cutlery, layers upon layers of plates and romantic place setting details.  And don't get me wrong, I am still head over heels in love with all that.  But lately, I have been really drawn towards a more modern, clean place setting.  It feels fresh yet classic.

Source: Style Me Pretty

Source: Ruffled

Statement Seating Charts: 
With some advance planning and a large imagination, there are some wickedly cool ways to tell your guests where to sit.  For 2017, I am thinking it is going to be all about the bigger the better!

Source: 100 Layer Cake

Source: Style Me Pretty

AMERIS

On a bright and sunny day last April, these two lovebirds made it official.  And can we talk about client love for a second?  From the very first email I received from Jess, I knew that these guys would be special.  Not only are they completely head over heels in love with each other, but they genuinely could not WAIT to be married!  And isn't that really what it is all about?  Working with them on the planning and design of their perfect day was such a treat, and I honestly cannot say enough about how grateful I am to have such wonderful couples to work with. 

This was the first wedding of the 2016 wedding season for us, and let's just say we kicked the season off on the right foot!  We were after a soft, romantic and relaxed celebration, and the rustic yet chic Church & State Winery was the perfect backdrop for us.  We took inspiration from the natural elements found throughout the dramatic space, and integrated the soft colour palette with industrial statements and warm lighting, to create a vibe that was perfectly in keeping with the couples welcoming personalties.  And then there was the party.  The Broken Strings absolutely killed it on the dance floor, and yes, even had the Bride up on stage performing a rap with them at the end of the night.  An unforgettable evening for sure!!  

**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.

Planning & Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - AMERIS
Venue & Catering - Church & State Winery
Floral Design - Verbena Floral Design
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Erin Bradley
Cake - Ruth & Dean
Stationery - Caribou Creative
Music - The Broken Strings
 

Photo by: The Nickersons

Well, I think it is safe to say that things have been a wee bit quiet over on the blog the past few months.  What can I say....wedding season, eh?! And what a season it was!!!  I am incredibly grateful for all the amazing couples, vendors and teammates that I had the privilege of working with over the past 6 months, and I am still processing all the awesomeness that it was!  

We are going to be working extra hard to play catch up on the blog and site, and will be sharing some sneak peeks of the 2016 wedding season pdq.  We are also all really looking forward to a few weeks of r&r coming up here soon, and can't wait to return back to work rejuvenated and inspired for the 2017 season to come!  

xo
Barb

Here in Victoria, we are pretty lucky to get to call Hatley Castle one of our venues.  Couples come from all over the place to get married at the Castle and live out their fairytale wedding.  Crystal & Dan were one of those couples, and fell majorly, head over heels, in love with the Castle. And lucky for us, they asked FKE to help bring their vision to life!  Overflowing with elegant details, soft florals and high-end furnishings, their classic wedding celebration was filled with style and glamour.  We infused the elegant setting of the Castle into everything, and created an ultra romantic atmosphere through the pastel colour palette of blush and lavender. 

There was SO much pretty at this wedding, I don't even know where to start!!!  One of my ultimate favourite details though, has to have been the carnation curtain, styled as the backdrop to their cake.  Fading from purple to blush, the ombre curtain was utter perfection!  The couples signature drink, "The Rocha", featuring fresh blackberry's that turned the cocktail purple (obviously!) was also perfectly on pointe. And the gorgeous pieces of furniture, from Bash Specialty, helped create castle worthy lounge vignettes for the guests during cocktail reception and dinner, and provided the sweetest couples love seat I ever did see! My favourite thing about this wedding though, would have to be how lovely Crystal & Dan were throughout the entire day.  Their love for each other overflowed to all their family, friends and vendors, and that is what truly makes a wedding incredible.

**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 Christie Graham Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Christie Graham Photography
Venue - Hatley Castle
Catering - Truffles Catering
Florals - FLEURtacious
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty
Hair & Makeup - Beauty & Style by Erin Bradley
Invitations - Wedding Paper Divas
Cake - Schur to Please

A few weeks ago, Bretton & Chris' west coast wedding was featured on Wedding Chicks.  This was exciting for multiple reasons, one of which being that it was our first time being featured on their blog (yay!), but also that we have been DYING to share these images since basically last September.  As you go through the gallery below, I hope that you'll see why ;)

Working with Bretton & Chris was a total wedding planners dream.  The couple was just so excited to get married and to celebrate with their friends and family, and they put a lot of trust in their vendors, allowing everyone involved to really stretch their creativity.  The wedding took place at the Father of the Brides vacation property in Fanny Bay, mid Vancouver Island BC.  Fanny Bay is world famous for their oysters, and picturesque beach front properties.  We took inspiration from all of these things, and created a day that not only reflected the couples love of entertaining, but also our the location.  One of our favourite details inspired from our location had to be the oyster bar!  Obviously.  

This was a wedding day filled with tons of emotion: a lot of laughs, some (happy) tears, and best of all, a party that the couple and their guests will never forget.  I will always be thankful for Bretton & Chris asking us to be a part of their wedding, and for welcoming our whole team into their lives!  I feel like we have made life time friends, and their wedding will definitely go down as a highlight for us.  

**Make sure to check out the gallery of photos below, beautifully captured by Kristyn Harder Photography, as well as the video by the ever so talented Koyo Photography.  

Planning - French Kiss Events
Photography - Kristyn Harder Photography
Videography - Koyo Photography
Floral Design - Verbena Floral Design
Hair - Andrea Williams
Makeup - House of Beauty
Catering - Custom Gourmet 
Oyster Bar - The Wandering Mollusk
DJ - HiWay Productions
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty
Cake - Ruth & Dean
 

This wedding may seem a bit familiar, as it was featured a couple months ago on my favourite blog, Style Me Pretty (check it out here), and has also made numerous guest appearances in my instagram feed.  And so I thought that it was about time that I shared my favourite images of this magical wedding day with all of you! 

As you'll see for yourself in a second, Kelsey & Colin's wedding was special.  Yes, it was beautiful.  Yes, the vendors were outstanding. Yes, the couple was gorgeous.  But it was more than just all that.  The relationship that I built with K&C over the 18 months we worked together planning and designing, was one that I will always treasure, and the energy and spirit of their wedding day was one that you just can't plan for.  I always say that a wedding day takes on a life of its own, and as the day continues to unfold, I love watching this happen organically.  Kelsey & Colin's wedding day was a non-stop celebration, and I am thankful beyond words that I got to be a part of it. I could go on and on about my favourite details (The folk band that played throughout dinner, an insanely gorgeous dessert table, Kelsey's bouquet, photos strung along the path to the ceremony...), but I am going to let the photo's do it for me.  This one is special folks...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 AMERIS.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - AMERIS
Ceremony Venue - Starling Lane Winery
Reception Venue - Sea Cider
Floral Design - Verbena Floral Design
Catering - The London Chef
Dessert - Ruth and Dean
Live Music - The O'Brien Family
DJ - Airwaves Music
Stationery - Tuktu Paper Co.
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Melanie Baird Makeup Artistry
Wedding Dress - Truvelle, from The White Peony
 

AMERIS

We are already half way through January, and so I know that I am a little bit behind on the year end review, but better late than never, right?!!  2015 was an amazing year, for SO many reasons.  First off, following on the footsteps of 2014, which was the year of our wedding, it was actually really nice to not have anything huge personally on the horizon, and to just “be”. Now of course, my version of normal is still a bit busy….in 2015, we had: 17 weddings, 2 events, 2 styled shoots and the launch of our new website!  January got the year off on the right foot with a winter wedding at the beautiful Butchart Gardens, which you can check out here.  We don’t get to plan off season weddings too often, but when we do, it sure is fun!

Rita Steensens Photography

In February, full on planning mode took over, as our days were filled with client meetings, site visits, and even a few cake tastings (tough life).  We were also knee deep in the re-design of our website, thanks to the crazy talented Caribou Creative.

Kim Kalyn Photography

Taylor Roades Photography

April was b.u.s.y.  It began with a long weekend spent down in Napa with some very close friends.  Great wine, delicious food, and some california sunshine?  Just what the doctor ordered to get us ramped up for the upcoming wedding season.  Once back home, we took part in an elopement styled shoot as well as a ridiculously fun Taylor Swift themed shoot.  Keep your eyes peeled for those features this year…they are good! 

AMERIS

And seeing our own wedding featured on Style Me Pretty, here, was basically a dream come true.

AMERIS

Ryan MacDonald Photography

With the start of May, came wedding season!  We got to design weddings at a castle, a villa, and a winery, and were blessed with beautiful spring weather for all of it.  We also combined forces again with Jesse Holland, and planned another Industry Meetup for all the hard working vendors out there

AMERIS

Brian Van Wyk Weddings

AMERIS

In the middle of July, Nick & I were able to sneak off to Salt Spring (one of our happy places for sure) and celebrate 9 years together.  The weddings throughout the summer were all drool worthy, in my humble opinion.  Each one was so different, and every weekend, I thanked my lucky stars that we get to work with such fun and design savvy couples.  

Lauren Kurc Photography

In August, FKE took a weekend road trip to Squamish, for our first mainland wedding! This was a huge milestone for us, and such a fun experience.  We even managed to get the men in our lives to don an apron and get to work lol!  

Kristyn Harder Photography 

Kristyn Harder Photography 

Every year, there are a few weddings that stand out to me, for one reason or another.  In September, a wedding in picturesque Fanny Bay, was just that.  The entire weekend was filled with so much love, and the wedding went off without a hitch

Nadia Hung Photography

After an incredible 6 months of weddings, the girls and I celebrated the end of the season in October, at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel Spa, and indulged in a day of decadence.  Having Laura & Emma a part of the team has been a game changer, and I couldn't imagine doing this without them!  At the end of the month, it was time for my annual personal vacation, and so back to Maui Nick & I went, where we celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary and basically sat on the beach and did nothing. Total bliss.  And when I got home, there was a very exciting box of Wedluxe Magazines, with our black pearl feature.  Here's a sneak for you, and more to come soon!

After a fabulous trip, and returning fully re-charged for the winter, November kept us busy.  Nick & I planned a Tofino Running Retreat.  We were blessed with probably the most perfect weather ever in Tofino (which is notoriously rainy) and I loved getting to bring the French Kiss touch to this event.  The next week, I hoped on a ferry with Laura and a car full of other vendors, and headed over to the BC Wedding Awards.  Always a fun event, and it so awesome getting to see 500+ wedding professionals come together for 1 night. 

Jesse Holland Photography

In the first week of December, I had the opportunity to join Nick, once again, in Austin, Texas.  This is SUCH a fun town, and after experiencing it last year for the first time, I knew what I was in for.  Amongst his work meetings, we managed to scope out a couple of Speakeasy’s, eat at some incredible restaurants, and discover more of what keeps Austin weird.  Once back in Victoria (this time to stay a while), it was major catch up time on work, and time to prep for the holidays.  Phew!  What a year!  2016 has a lot to live up to, but I feel like it is up to the challenge ;)