Well folks, the house is officially gone and we have BEGUN!! (And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, head on over to this post here to read about the start of our home build).  As I mentioned a couple of weeks back, the journey to get here has been a long and emotional one, but now that we are here, I am giddy with excitement!  We have a wickedly talented team building us our dream home (thank you Philco Construction!), and I have no doubt that it will be even better than I could have ever imagined (because any house that has more than 1 bathroom will be a win in my books).  

Our beautiful plans were designed by Ryan Hoyt Designs, and the house design is a Modern Farmhouse.  Every time I look at the plans, my heart literally skips a beat, and I am utterly obsessed with all things design these days.  The interior style is going to be Farmhouse meets Coastal meets California, and both Nick & I have gotten totally lost scouring instagram accounts from some incredible designers (namely: Studio McGee, Emily Henderson & Becki Owens).  Our hope is to have a bright and welcoming home, one in which you would feel comfortable kicking off your shoes, pouring yourself a drink, and staying awhile.  While I want the overall palette to be light and neutral, I am so excited to infuse pops of happy colour into the space, a nod to our love of all things Hawaii. 

Now it is going to be quite some time before the rooms start to take shape, and I can get my hands dirty designing, but there have already been a lot of decisions made (flooring, appliances, kitchen cabinets, plumbing fixtures...) which I am thrilled about! I thought I would take some time today though, to share with you our overall house Mood Board, as well as some rooms that have been providing me with major inspiration as of late.  Thank you so much for following along (it seriously means the world to me), and stay tuned for another update soon.

Design: Black Band Interior Design

Source: Domino  |  Photography: Molly Winters

Design: Workshop APD  |  Photography: Donna Dotan

Design: Studio McGee

Source: The Surf Jack

Designer: Becki Owens  |  Photographer: Ryan Garvin

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Every once in a while, a wedding comes along that is a game changer.  For us, the wedding of Jennifer & Alex was just that.  And so you can only imagine how beyond words THRILLED I was to see it featured on Style Me Pretty (here) this past week!  And the cherry on top of the already delicious sundae, is that now that it has been published, I can finally share all of the drop dead gorgeous images (thank you Erich McVey) with you!  

Taking place at a private property on Salt Spring Island, this 3 day celebration pushed me harder than I thought possible, and I couldn't be more proud of the outcome.  The couple, based out of NYC, first reached out to me in the Fall of 2015.  They dreamed of a wedding weekend filled with non-stop celebrations, an overabundance of food and drink, and above all else, a weekend spent surrounded by their family & friends from all over the world.  I was, of course, totally up to the challenge, and loved every bit of the next year, as we worked tirelessly to pull together 3 incredible events!  

Now, planning not just 1, but 3 events (Welcome Dinner, Wedding & Brunch) on a small Island like Salt Spring, can pose some serious challenges (understatement of the year!).  Every vendor and rental/decor piece was brought from either Victoria, Vancouver or the States, and the logistics surrounding the weekend were insane.  All 110% worth it though, once the parties started, and I think back to this weekend with nothing but amazing memories, and a huge smile on my face!  In an effort to share as much of this wonderful weekend with you all, I have decided to split the blog post into 3 parts.  First up: The Welcome BBQ

Taking place in the upper garden of Jennifer's parents home on Salt Spring, the welcome dinner was a casual al fresco affair, spent catching up with old friends (175 guests flew in from all around the world), welcoming everyone to the Island, and celebrating all that was to come over the weekend.  Food, a major focus throughout the weekend, was at the centre of the party, and food stations featuring variety of the couples favourite global cuisine.  An oyster bar, seafood risotto station, wood fired pizza, Bhutan street meat station and ice cream sundae station filled the guests palettes.  Toque Catering seriously brought their A-game to this weekend!  2 long tables, with bistro lights strung above, created a communal space for guests to catch up, and the west coast folk sounds of Noah Edwards entertained the guests late into the night.  It was a magical evening....

And full disclosure before I let you dive into the stunning photos below: this evening tops my list as my favourite party I have ever planned (and yes, it wasn't even a wedding!).  There was just something about the evening, that I can't quite put my finger on....but it was what I always imagined the perfect backyard party should be.  Effortless, relaxing, and filled with good friends and damn good food.  Thank you so much for reading, and make sure to check back next week for Part 2 of this amazing weekend! 

**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.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Erich McVey
Catering - Toque Catering & The Wandering Mollusk
Florals - Verbena Floral Design
Music - Noah Edwards
Linens - La Tavola
Rentals - Black & White, Bash Specialty

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May has finally arrived and we have the first weddings of the season upon us (fingers crossed for good weather please)! We have also been organizing the Spring Wedding Industry Meet-up to get together with other local vendors and have a little party ourselves before we are in the full swing of things! Take a scroll to see what is currently inspiring us over here in the FKE office!

Urban Venues
We are loving the newest venues in Victoria like the Fort Common and The 4o7 make us feel like we are in New York and having the coolest rooftop party.

Source: Offbeat + Inspired

Source: Style Me Pretty / Photography: Amber Gress

Summery Cocktails
Patio season is so close it has been teasing us with the occasional beautiful summery day, and that means refreshing and fruity cocktails (hopefully by the pitcher)!

Kombucha Mojitos / Source: Half Baked Harvest

Strawberry Thyme Lillet Spritzers / Source: What's Gaby Cooking

Backdrop Installations
These days we are all about bigger is better when it come to signage and backdrops! It is such a great way to create a visually stunning piece of decor that can be used for a framing the ceremony, seating charts, or just a perfect photo-op for your guests.

Source: Style Me Pretty / Photography : Heather Curiel

Source: Style Me Pretty

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Dessert.  One of our favourite parts of wedding planning (cake tasting anyone?!).  These days though, there are so many different sweet treat options that you can consider, and many of our couples are opting out of a traditional cake altogether.  We know everyone loves a slice of good old wedding cake, but there is so much more to the wedding dessert world than wedding cake! And if you love cake as much as we do, then there are so many different styles of wedding cakes to consider (head on over to this cake dedicated pinterest board to get inspired!). So today, we wanted to share a few of our favourite cake styles as well as some other dessert trends for you to drool over...

Wedding Cake Trends

Naked Cakes

Mallory Renee Photography

Metallic Cakes

Ombre Cakes

Photography: Karen Buckle

Drip Cakes

Photography: Lou O'brien / Cake: Ideas in Icing

Photography: Loredana La Rocca / Cake: Ebru's Kitchen

Donut Walls
Is there anything more fun? This idea is not only delicious but creates a beautiful backdrop perfect for a photo-op.  

Krispy Kreme Donuts / Photography: lilelements

Milk & Cookies
This is sure to be a crowd pleaser at the end of the night (whether you are a "dunker" or not)!

Source: Pinterest

Source: Pinterest

S'more Station
This is perfect for an outdoor west coast wedding! Guaranteed to be a mess, but totally worth it.

Source: Brides.com Catering: 24 Carrots

Source: Southern Weddings Magazine

Macaron Towers
Not only are they picture perfect, these french delicacies are super tasty and nice and light after a big wedding feast.

Source: Bodas Y Weddings

Photography: Carey Sheffield

Ice Cream Bar
Everyone loves ice cream so why not treat your guests to an ice cream station!? Perfect for a hot summer wedding day.

Source: Style Me Pretty / Photography: Ruth Eileen

Source: Brit & Co.

"Cheese" Cake
And finally for the couples with more of a savoury tooth.. consider an incredible "cheese" cake that will impress and delight your guests all night.

Photography: Stephanie Couture

Source: Pacificweddings.com

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Wedding season has finally arrived! We are in full throttle over here at the office preparing for the upcoming weddings. Barb is also starting a new custom home build (which means the FKE office is moving too! See more about that here), Laura is starting home renovations, and Paula is busy with a bunch of upcoming Heyday weddings! 

Spring Staple:

Barb: Ray-bans

Paula: Denim Jacket

Laura: White Keds

What We're Listening To:

Barb: "The Search for Everything" by John Mayer

Paula: "Divide" by Ed Sheeran

Laura: Serial, Season 1

Current Life Distraction:

Barb: Home Build

Paula: Vacation Planning

Laura: Paint Colours

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If you've been following along on the blog lately, you may have noticed a few subtle hints that have been dropped.  Well, I am SO excited to be sharing with you all today, the very exciting (and slightly terrifying) news, that Nick & I are building a brand spankin' new home!  And not only are we building a new home, but we are having our current home removed to make room for the new one (and moving in with my parents in the meantime).  We started working on this massive project back in September, and to say that we are anxious for there to be a hole in the ground would be a HUGE understatement!  It has been a roller coaster of emotions over the past few months, as designs were perfected, building plans started, and the budgeting progressed, but we are nearing the finish line of the planning stages (yay!) and getting ready to move out.  

Now, as much as all this is incredibly exciting (and I am thanking my lucky stars every day that we are getting to do this), it is also quite bitter sweet.  Saying goodbye to our current home and watching it be taken away is going to be really hard.  It is the only house that Nick & I have known together, and our entire relationship has unfolded there over the past 11 years.  We have many wonderful memories in it, and I am going to miss so many little things about it.  It's the house we first brought our pup home to, and the house that Nick proposed to me in.  The house that hosted many (many!) parties, and the house where FKE was born.  This next week is going to be an emotional one for both of us, and I will be doing my best to keep it together. 

Over the next 6 months, I will be doing regular blog posts on how the build is going, and more importantly, how the design plans are coming along (more on that next week!).  For now though, I thought I would share my 4 favourite things about our old home, and I just hope that the new home will be filled with as much love as this one has been. (please excuse the poor quality of these photos....it's the best a gal can do when in the middle of packing...)

# 1

# 2

# 3

#4

1. Built-in Bookcase
This beautiful built-in was built by one of our very talented carpenter friends, and it is hands down, my favourite part of our house.  He matched it to the connecting mantle perfectly, and it suits the house so well, everyone always thinks it is an original feature.  

2. Photo Wall
In our kitchen, I have a wall dedicated to our latest and greatest pics (always printed from Artifact Uprising)!  It's located right next to our coffee machine, and so I always get a big smile every morning looking at them, while waiting for my first cup of the day to brew.

3. The Bar
It's no secret that Nick & I like our cocktails.  This little corner houses just a small selection of our favourite spirits, but it is always fun to look through it when entertaining.  And the table it's on?  Nick's grandfather made that, and after I gave it some TLC with a fresh coat of paint years ago, it looked good as new!

4. Glass doorknobs
Our house was originally built in 1943, and still has many of its original features.  These glass door knobs are absolutely beautiful, and will definitely be saved for somewhere in the new home.  They just don't make them like this anymore... 

So, when some of your absolute favourite people in the world make a baby, life is pretty great, right?!  Now, when those friends ask you to help them celebrate said babies first birthday?  It doesn't get any better than that...  That is just what happened last Spring, when I had the honour of planning a very special 1st birthday party for some of my closest friends adorable daughter, Georgia (aka. Gigi).  Having the opportunity to help my friends celebrate this incredible milestone in their lives was absolutely wonderful, and it was so much fun creating a magical space that could be enjoyed by kids, friends & family alike.  Set in the beautiful gardens of Starling Lane (a favourite of mine!), guests were treated to a lovely afternoon of visiting, baby snuggles, and lots of delicious food.  

When first starting the planning, I had lots and lots of conversations with Tara (Gigi's beautiful mama) all about Gigi's favourite things.  A colour palette was quickly established, based off of her nursery design, and then our conversation turned towards her love of animals and books.  We took inspiration from one of her favourite books, The Crown on Your Head, by Nancy Tillman (if you haven't seen this book, I highly recommend it!).  It is overflowing with beautiful animal illustrations, as well as darling quotes, many of which we styled throughout the gardens.  The crown theme was also carried throughout the party, including a fun crown station for all the guests to partake in!  My absolute favourite crown of the day had to be the feather crown made for Georgia.  My Mom actually made it (she's a pretty rad lady!), and much to everyone's delight, Gigi wore it the entire afternoon! 

This was an incredibly special afternoon, and I absolutely love looking back through the pics and remembering this day.  I am so grateful that we have such wonderful friends in our lives, and love getting to be a part of their families milestones! 

**Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the complete list of all the a-team vendors that helped make this day so incredible!  All photos courtesy of Kim Kalyn Photography.

Planning & Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Kim Kalyn Photography
Florals - Thorn & Thistle
Catering - Salt & Pepper Fox
Sweets - Ruth & Dean
Cake - Homemade by Tara
Furniture - Bash Specialty
Venue - Starling Lane Winery

Us here at the FKE Team team have been doing quite a bit of Spring shopping lately (oops!). Lots of fun trends and new arrivals in the fashion world has inspired us to do a fashion-focused Currently Inspired by! Scroll down for our three favourite trends at the moment.

Fun Groomsmen Ties
Guys should be able to have fun with fashion too! We are absolutely loving these quirky patterned ties. The Tie Bar is our go-to place for all things groomsmen.

Source: Style Me Pretty / Photography: Katie Grant Photography

Source: Green Wedding Shoes / Photography: David Matthew Fiser

Poppy Red
There is no colour more fun and sassy than bright poppy red! We have to say we got our inspo from Club Monaco which is currently rocking this colour hard. Splashes of poppy red are perfect way to make an outfit pop.

Source: Magnolia Rouge Photography: Nicole Berrett Photography

Source: Club Monaco

Bridesmaid Jumpsuits
A super fun twist on the traditional bridesmaid dress. One of our fashion forward brides is decking out her bridesmaid in a jump suit and we can't wait to see it come together. 

Source: JLM Couture

Source: BHLDN Weddings

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Photo by: AMERIS

For the past 3 years, we have had a tradition of spending the Easter weekend with friends (as seen here and here).  It is always perfectly timed right before the craziness of wedding season begins, and I love having a Spring trip to look forward to throughout the winter.  This year, we are hitting the road and heading to the Okanagan (aka. Canadian wine country).  It's an area I haven't spent a lot of time in, and I am so, so SO excited to take a few days to relax and explore it.  I will be sure to document a lot of our trip on Instagram Stories, so be sure to follow along here.  I will also be putting together a travel guide post after our trip, rounding up our favourite wineries and activities, so keep your eyes peel for that!  

Now, it is about a 4.5 hour drive (post-ferry) to the Okanagan from Victoria, and we will be attempting this drive with 4 adults & 2 dogs (1 being a puppy) all in the same car.  To say that the drive is going to be an adventure, is a bit of an understatement, but I have prepared a hilarious playlist for the occasion, and I couldn't be more excited!  Due to a lack of space, we will be all packing light, but I've rounded up below a few of the items that I will definitely be bringing along...  I hope that everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend, and that you get to take some time to recharge and get ready for what will be, an amazing summer!

1. - 4. Winery outfit essentials: Striped Top, Jean Jacket, White Jeans & Black Flats.  5. Notebook to journal our favourite wines & spots.  6. Flirty spring dress for a dinner out.  7. S'well water bottle, because hydrating is important.  8.  Book for the road!

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Spring is here, and that means a lot of couples are knee-deep in wedding invitations ('tis the season, right?!)  Understanding the etiquette around traditional wedding invites can be quite a daunting task, but modern couples can easily customize them to be minimal, extravagant, traditional or however they please! Many of the components in an invitation suite could alternatively be added to a wedding website (our favourites are via Riley & Grey), but for those who love stationery as much as we do, we thought we'd help out by breaking down all the different components that can go into an invitation suite.

Photo via: Pinterest | Invitations: Rachel Marvin Creative | Photography:Kristina Adams Photography

The Envelope - An obvious staple of the invitation! Typical wedding invitations fit in a standard A7 envelope (fits a 5" x 7" invitation). The guests names and address are written on the front and the return names and address are often on the back flap. You can handwrite on the envelopes, hire a calligrapher, or have them printed in a design of your choosing from sites like Minted.com. Don't forget you can also add a fun envelope liner to integrate design elements into your invitation.  When thinking about how to address the envelopes, here are a few rules you should consider: 

• List all the names of the guests invited, so that there is no room for misunderstanding.  If you are inviting all the members of a family, "The Smith Family" will work great.  But if just the parents are invited, then you should indicate so, like this: "John and Sally Smith"

• If you are having a fairly formal wedding, proper titles should be used (Dr., Mr., Mrs., Ms. etc.).  Otherwise, it is fairly common to address the guests without their title.

• Start collecting your addresses asap.  This always takes longer then you think it will.

Photo via: Pinterest | Source: La Happy

The Invite - The most important part! The invitation should include the who-what-when-and-where. It must include your names, the date, and the ceremony time and location.  This is also the perfect place to set the tone for your wedding, and to give your guests a sense of whether your wedding will be formal, casual, off-beat, adventurous (you get the idea...).  There are a lot of rules to wording your invitation, many of which you can find here, but here are some of the most important ones: 

• Whoever is paying for the wedding should be listed first.  If both sets of parents are contributing, a wonderful way to phrase  the start of the invitation is: "Together with our families".  

• The Bride's name is traditionally listed first.  For same sex couples, there are no rules as to who should be listed first, so go with whatever feels natural!

• List the actual start time of the Ceremony.  Some couples are inclined to list an earlier start time, to ensure that nobody is late.  This however can backfire, as most people know that the wedding time on an invitation is the start time, and so they arrive 15 - 30 min's ahead of time.  If you list the time too early, you will have guests arriving an hour before the wedding, which nobody likes. 

• If you would like your guests to follow a particular dress code, indicate it on the invitation.

• Do not include any information regarding your registry on the invitation.  This should be communicated to your guests either via your website or on a Details card.

Some couples opt to send electronic invitations, but we always encourage our couples to still send an invitation, even in its simplest form.  It is something physical that they can put on the fridge and be in their face, reminding them that they have to mark the calendar and save the date! 

Source: La Happy | Photography: The Nickersons

The Reception Card - The reception card is typically used if the reception is held at a different location than the ceremony. Therefore, it would list the the start time and address of the reception, as well as any additional information your guests will need to know.  If the reception is at the same location as the ceremony, the invite often will include a line that reads "Dinner and dancing to follow" or "Reception to immediately follow", so a reception card would not be necessary.  You can also combine all this information on the main invitation if you prefer.

Source: Minted.com

The Response Card - Traditionally, this is a card that guests fill out to indicate whether they can or cannot attend your wedding. They can also fill out the details about who will be joining them if they have a plus one, and their meal selection. It is very common these days to ask guests to RSVP online at your wedding website.  Either way, make sure to include a "please respond by" date, and give yourself enough time before the wedding that you can follow up with any guests that have no responded. If you do decide to have a physical Response card that your guests will be mailing back to you, make sure to include a return envelope with your address already written, and astamp to make it easy for your guests!

Source: La Happy | Photography: The Nickersons

The Directions Card - If the wedding events are at separate spots,or if the location is hard to find or complicated to get to, a directions card (with or without a map) for out of town guests can be a nice touch. You can also include useful information about the area and the accommodation information.  This is not necessary, but for those couples who just love all things paper, it can be a fun addition to the suite!

Photo via: Pinterest | Stationery: Elizabeth Baddeley Design | Source: Brit + Co.

Other - To tie all your beautiful pieces together, there are a lot of was you can do this, so get creative!  A belly band, ribbon, or sting are quite common, and will help make all the paper pieces feel complete.  

Source: La Happy

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