Happy Friday everyone!!!  It's been a ridiculously cold week here in Victoria, but the weather man says that this cold spell we've been having is about to end (sort of...), and so I've decided that is worth celebrating with a cocktail tonight!  Since the new year, we have been full on design mode, and 2017 inspiration has been oozing out from everywhere. Some new trends are definitely appearing, and we are finding ourselves drawn to some new things, which is always fun.  Here are just a few of the things that are currently inspiring us.

Patterned Napkins
Textiles are a beautiful way to add personality to a tablescape, and a patterned napkin feels fresh and unexpected.  

Source: BRIDES

Source: Style Me Pretty

Modern Bouquets
We are still as obsessed as ever with organic styled bouquets, but these modern, clean lined and elegant bouquets had us at hello.  Sophistication at its best.

Source: Hey Gorgeous Events

Source: Style Me Pretty

Blue
Pantone may have dubbed green the colour of the year (which we will not argue with), but one hue has become a stand out for our 2017 weddings: Blue.  It's everywhere, and whether via textiles, glassware, or styling accents, we can't get enough!

Source: Style Me Pretty

Source: MODwedding

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

Confession time: This wedding is from a year and a half ago.  Which basically just proves how far behind I let the blog get this past year.  Eek!  It has been on my list of ones to share for a while now though, and I am stoked to finally be doing so!  Kiki & Brad were married in May, 2015, on a beautiful sunny Spring day, at Starling Lane Winery (one of our favourite spots in the city).  After finding us on Instagram, this very trusting and lovely couple passed over the design reigns, and I am so glad that they did!  Getting to work with couples on the design is one of our absolute favourite things, and when they give us full creative license, it becomes even more fun!  

After discovering Kiki's love for Anthropology, we got started with the design.  We took inspiration from the French countryside, and the romantic, yet natural entertaining style found throughout quaint villages.  We created an atmosphere that was relaxed yet vey chic, and fused pretty floral details, elegant high-end furnishings, and the dreamy season of Spring, to create a unique and fresh look.  Fresh fruit overflowed at the reception, and an insanely gorgeous palette of navy, pink, peach, pink, blush & champagne was highlighted throughout the florals.   

Thank you Kiki & Brad for putting all your trust in us, and inviting us to be a part of your beautiful celebration!  

**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 EA Photo.

Design - Barb Walker, French Kiss Events
Day of Coordination - Marika Beise, French Kiss Events
Photography - EA Photo
Floral Design - Clare Monica Day
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Jen Clark
Furniture Rentals - Bash Specialty
Paper Goods - French Kiss Events
DJ - DJ Pro, Liam Biggs
 

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

We're all slowly starting to emerge from the lazy days of Christmas, and things in the office are starting to pick up fast!  Just 5 months until wedding season gets really going...and we can't wait!  We thought we'd share with you another instalment of our current guilty pleasures. These are the things that we are currently talking about non-stop in the office, and may or may not be providing some good comfort during these dark winter nights as of late.  

Favourite gift under the tree:

Barb: Celebrate Everything

Paula: Bath Bombs

Laura: Matt + Nat purse

Book we're currently reading:

Barb: The Year of Living Danishly

Paula: Sapiens

Laura: The Mountain Story

Netflix series currently binging: 

Barb: The Crown

Paula: Sherlock

Laura: The Good Wife

---

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

Jenna & Tristan

Cheers to the new year!  Another year has come to an end, and to be honest, I think I'm ok with it.  Don't get me wrong: it was another fantastic year, and I feel seriously blessed to have the life that I do!  I get to share it with an incredible man, and am surrounded by a truly inspiring tribe.  But, 2016 was filled with both highs and low's for me.  It was a year of wedding's that will top my list for years to come, but also a year of working myself to pure exhaustion, and enduring some personal struggles that I am still recovering from.  12 months is a long time, and a lot of things can happen;  It's been quite the journey, and I am really looking forward to reflecting back on it all.  We tackled 15 weddings, 7 events, and made it onto Vogue (eek!).  We got to work with some of the industries best, and started to spread our wings a bit further beyond this lovely Island of ours.  We launched a sister company to FKE, Heyday Events, and started to focus more on nurturing and training of young planners.  These year end reviews can put so much into perspective and I am so grateful to have you follow along!

I kicked the year off with a mission to be the healthiest version of myself possible.  I joined a half marathon run clinic, and instantly loved the connections that I made through the running community.  Planning for the upcoming weddings was going at full tilt, and the rest of January was spent doing what basically everyone does in January: a whole lotta nothing.  

Erich McVey Photography

In February, we managed to sneak away to one of my favourite places, Salt Spring Island, for a relaxing weekend with good friends.  I was also completely floored and incredibly honoured to be included on this list by Vogue, of the world's top wedding planners.  Talk about a pinch me moment! And I loved seeing this wedding featured on Wedding Chicks!

Jon Mark Photo

We celebrated everyone in the Victoria's Wedding industry in March, with another Meetup party!  And I was seriously stoked to see our Taylor Swift shoot from last year, featured on Inspired by This here and here.  At the end of the month, we took off to the beautiful Galiano Island and enjoyed a magical weekend at Bodega Ridge with friends over Easter.  If you take anything from this blog post, let it be this: go to Galiano Island immediately!  

Lillie Louise Photography

April saw the start of the wedding season, and the first one was definitely a good one!  We also teamed up with a slew of talented vendors to host a Farmed and Foraged dinner, in support of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.  It was a beautiful night, and a meal I will surely not forget! Mid month, I took off down to Seattle for a weekend with Bash Specialty, to shop and hang with some other fabulous industry ladies.  

Kim Kalyn Photography

We were hired to plan a ridiculously romantic proposal (she said yes!).  And the month was finished off with a very special 1st birthday party we planned for one of our best friends daughter.  I mean, if you can't celebrate the big milestones like turning 1, what can you celebrate?

Taylor Roades Photography

In May, we worked on an insanely gorgeous elopement, for some insanely wonderful Texans!  More of that to come in the new year...  We married a doctor & a runner, and I completed the Oak Bay Half Marathon as well!  Fitness goal achieved.  Phew! We also had our first ever Heyday Events wedding!  Paula, one of our fabulous planners, knocked it out of the park!

Erich McVey Photography

The Nickersons

The Nickersons

June is when the season really started to take off, and thus began the most intense 6 weeks of my career.  Before things got really crazy though, I helped completely surprise this lovely lady on her 30th birthday, and indulged in a night of charcuterie and wine.  Then, we went from Victoria's inner harbour, to Pemberton's mountains, to Salt Spring's coast, to Hatley Castle, to a sprawling field, and back to Hatley Castle, all in the matter of 6 weeks.  Man, I'm tired just thinking about it.  Amongst all that crazinesses though, were some pretty incredible weddings, and ones that I am beyond honoured to have been a part of.  We got to work with the insanely talented Erich McVey on one (another pinch me moment!) and witness love like we've never seen before.  I can't wait to share ALL of them with you in the new year!

Luke Liable Photography

Shane Deringer Photography 

EA Photo

In August, Nick & I managed to escape to Ottawa for a weekend and spend some QT time with some very good friends.  The rest of the summer was a beautiful whirlwind, and filled with a whole lotta pretty!  We got to bounce around a ton of different venues, and loved spending time with every single one of our couples.  

Jenna & Tristan

Sambajoy

In September, we finished the season off with a couple more gems.  I then spent a week in Alberta visiting my brother and my 2 nephews.  They made my heart melt every. friggin. day.

Wendy Laurel Photography

October was spent in total recovery mode, and getting ready to escape to the sun, as we always do at this time of the year.  We spent 3 magical weeks in Hawaii, splitting our time between Oahu and Maui.  This years trip couldn't have come at a better time for us, and it was the perfect way to recharge.  Spending an afternoon with photographer superstar, Wendy Laurel, was a highlight for me, as well as celebrating our 2 year wedding anniversary!  

The return to reality brought on a slew of meetings in November, and left me feeling ridiculously excited for all our 2017 couples!  As the holiday's quickly approached, I focused on spending as many relaxing nights cuddled by the fire, and preparing for Christmas.  On Dec 15th, on the eve of my 30th Birthday (#flirtythirties), I was given the ultimate surprise.  My amazingingly incredible husband, planned a surprise weekend in LA for me with some good friends!  I don't think I can ever complain about him ever again! haha!  It was the perfect way to ring in a new decade, and to reflect back on the year that was.  

Wendy Laurel Photography

Photo cheer by the always awesome Jesse Holland.

The snow (was) snowing, the wind has definitely been blowing, and I'm overflowing with love for all of you, that will definitely keep me warm! (too cheesy?  never!)  We are getting ready to sign off for the holiday season, and bid 2016 adieu.  And as always for this time of year, I am left feeling overwhelmed reflecting back on all the love and support that the FKE team has received over this past year, and feel so blessed to have such incredible clients, vendors, and (most importantly) teammates that we get to work with on a day to day basis.  Thank you everyone for making this truly the best job a girl could imagine!  

This holiday season has felt refreshingly relaxing, and I've loved every minute of it so far.  We've spent lots of time with family and friends, enjoyed many a nights curled up in front of the fire watching netflix, and consumed too many delicious meals and cocktails to count.  #noregrets.  The next few days will hopefully be filled with much of the same, and I can't wait to spend the weekend surrounded by all those I love the most.  I hope that your holiday season is filled with many joys, laughs and loved ones as well, and have fabulous rest of the year!  

xo
Barb

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