Happy New Year everyone! What a blur the holidays were, eh?! We spent lots of time with family and friends relaxing, and may have overindulged once (or twice) on some delicious wine and savoury treats… but that’s what the holidays are for, right?! I’m currently working on my annual end of year blog post, which should be live next week (stay tuned), but I wanted to kick the new year off with a very happy, bright and fresh wedding from Summer 2017! I did a MAJOR happy dance on Christmas Eve when it was published over on Wedding Chicks (check it out here!), and just loved getting to relive this day through the images below.

Sabrina & Dylan’s wedding took place in the middle of August, at the gorgeous Affinity Guesthouse property. And guys. This wedding was so. much. fun! I can’t remember ever seeing a Bride so relaxed and ready to party on her wedding day! Both Sabrina & Dylan had a smile from ear to ear all day long, and the entire wedding was filled with so many heartwarming moments. Planning began about a year and half in advance (it is never too early to start planning everyone!) , and their main goal was to throw the biggest party of the summer. Mission accomplished. Through the cheerful palette, lawn games, insane boho lounge, family style feast (thanks Toque Catering!) and The County Line band, guests felt comfortable and “at home” all day long. The Bride, who has a very bohemian style, wanted to make sure that her personal style was infused throughout the elegant setting. Moroccan lanterns and persian rugs lined the ceremony aisle, and the couple shared their vows on a Moroccan wedding blanket. We fully raped the tent and added twinkle lights above. Bright and happy florals, designed by FLEURtacious, lined the 4 long-long tables, and fresh lavender was placed on each place setting.

One of the most fun moments of the night happened right before the band took over: Sabrina surprised Dylan by switching her wedding skirt for a full tiered skirt. It was PERFECT for the dance floor, so definitely make sure to check out those photos below as well! This was just such a fun day filled with so much joy, and I am so grateful to have had a chance to work with this lovely couple!

**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 Blush Wedding Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Blush Photography
Venue - Affinity Guesthouse
Catering - Toque Catering
Florals - FLEURtacious
Band - The County Line
Decor rentals - Trend Decor
Lounge - Bash Specialty
Tent & rentals - Black & White
Stationery - Emma Allen
Makeup - Melanie Baird

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This wedding is proof that breaking away from the traditional wedding format is sometimes the best thing ever!  When I first met with Robin & Deandra, it was obvious that a typical wedding day was not their thing. They wanted a no fuss, relaxed and authentic celebration, to take place in the afternoon surrounded by an intimate group of family and friends.  And that is exactly what they got!  Robin, a hockey player from the Czech Republic, spent most of their engagement living in Europe, and so the couple really put their trust in our team to create their dream day while they remained fairly hands off.  And let me tell you....when you have a Bride & Groom that has complete trust in their vendors with their vision, the results can be extraordinary!  I loved every minute of working with this couple & their family (big shout out to Elaine, the Mother of the Bride, who quickly became one of my favourite Mom's of the season!), and loved every bit of their wedding day.

Taking place at the beautiful Starling Lane Winery, and surrounded by just their closest family & friends, the wedding of Deandra & Robin was a special one. Guests were treated to a modern garden party, filled with great music, creative comfort food, and fun games.  The word "raw" was in our minds while designing the florals with FLEURtacious, and boho design touches helped the day feel grounded, un-fussy and true to the couple. The spring palette of blushes, peaches & blues were infused throughout the textiles and florals, and the stunning garden setting provided the perfect backdrop for great conversation and mingling.

One of the highlights of the day, was the non-stop live music provided by Noah Edwards & his band.  Their folk sound provided the most perfect atmosphere for the day, and even had guests dancing by the late afternoon in the gardens.  And the food stations, created by Toque Catering, were a HUGE hit!  I mean...gourmet pizza, sliders & milkshakes?  Can you get any more fun?!!  The afternoon activities flowed seamlessly into one another, allowing the couple to celebrate with everyone as well as truly enjoy the day together!  It was perfect!

**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 Brett Reid Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Brett Reid Photography
Venue - Starling Lane Winery
Catering - Toque Catering
Floral Design - FLEURtacious
Lounge - Bash Specialty
Linens - Faire la Fete
Hair & Makeup - Erin Bradley
Cake - Ruth & Dean
Music - Noah Edwards
Signage - Emma Allen Design

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

It's pretty hard to get more picturesque than Hatley Castle, and for those couples wanting a wedding out of a fairy tale, this is the spot for them! Linda & Ying, are from Seattle, and after falling in love the Castle and Victoria, decided to host their summer wedding at this majestic venue.  We began working together around 6 months before their August wedding, and dove head first into the planning.  Food and overall guest comfort was top priority for these guys, and so a lot of planning went into their fantastic 3 course plated meal and all the transitions throughout the day.  And we infused so many fun little personal details into the wedding, that instantly made the guests smile!  My favourite of which being their "math problem" seating chart.  {Full disclosure: I had absolutely nothing to do with coming up with the math problems their guests had to solve in order to find out their table number, as if I had, everyones would have been similar to 1+1...}

Their classic palette of white, blush, champagne & gold, suited the castle beautifully, and I love the fresh/bright approach we took when designing the dining room, which is sometimes a tricky room at Hatley Castle.  Adding in the white chivari chairs instantly brightened the space, and the head table placed in the centre of the room, amongst all the other guest tables, gave the room a very sophisticated flow to it.  All throughout the night, it was so lovely watching Linda & Ying, a couple clearly ridiculously in love, spend meaningful time with their guests, and I know that everyone there felt right at home.  It was perfect. 

**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 Joanna Moss Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Joanna Moss Photography
Floral Design - FLEURtacious
Ceremony Venue - Hatley Castle
Catering - Truffles
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Melanie Baird
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty
DJ - Highway Productions

• FKE Featured 24
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• Office Talk 55
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• Real Weddings 48

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

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

With Valentines day just a few sleeps away, it seems like beautiful blooms are on display around every corner!! Flowers (I think, at least) are the best gift for your loved ones on V-Day, and will always be appreciated (I'm talking to you Nick).  With this in mind, I've gone through the archives of all the beautiful real weddings I've had the honour of being a part of, and gathered my top 5 favourite Bridal bouquets.  So, without further ado (and in no particular order).... 1. This Pender Island wedding holds a very special place in my heart, for many reasons....and the guinea feathers poking through in Nicole's soft and romantic bouquet, just so happens to be one of those reasons.

Bouquet by: Verbena Floral Design | Photo by: Jennifer Ballard Photography  | Pender Island, 2012

View More: http://ameris.pass.us/kristy-matt-married

2. This textural beauty is so incredibly unique, and was perfectly fitting for this Farm wedding. And I could star at those rich colours all day long...I mean, black ranunculus' in a bouquet?  Gorgeous!!!!

Bouquet by: Rook & Rose Floral Design Boutique | Photo by: AMERIS | Birds Eye Cove, 2013

View More: http://centricphotography.pass.us/lydsdayanddan

3. This soft and natural inspired bouquet, just oozed romance!  The splashes of chocolate cosmos, mixed with berries, lush roses, and soft ferns, was utter perfection for this farm to table wedding.  I'm pretty sure I could stare at this one all day!

Bouquet by: Clare Day Flowers  |  Photo by: Centric Photography  |  Birds Eye Cove, 2014

4. This one had me at hello.  The rich colour palette, textural elements, flowing ribbon...it was even more stunning in person! And making it even more special, a lady slipper orchid was added at the last minute by chance, which just so happened to be the national flower of Singapore (the Bride's home)

Bouquet by: Verbena Floral Design  |  Photo by: Kelly Brown Photographer  |  Starling Lane, 2014

5. This sweet posy was filled with so much goodness, I can hardly stand it!!  Featuring my personal favourite flower of all time, the Anenome, it couldn't not make this list!  And the perfect balance of texture and soft blooms, makes it perfectly west coast!

Bouquet by: FLEURtacious by Lynda Marie | Photo by: Hunt and Gather Photography | Ward Room, 2013

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What a way to kick off back to work, after 3 weeks of vacation!!! I am SO excited to have this Intimate West Coast Wedding, featured on Junebug Wedding's: What Junebug Loves, for 3 reasons.  Reason #1: I love this wedding SO much, Reason #2: They only feature the best of the best wedding photography (enter Jesse Holland Photography who killed this wedding!), and Reason #3: I seriously LOVED this wedding!  Seeing Brandy & Mitch's beaming faces on this beautiful blog is the cherry on top, and I am so thankful that they fell in love with it as much as I did!  Make sure to check out the feature here.

At the end of June, on the longest day of the year, Brandy & Mitch got married.  And what a wedding it was!  Set at the stunning Brentwood Bay Resort, and overlooking some of the most breathtaking views around, this stylish couple had a destination wedding that blew everyone away!!  With all their guests coming from Alberta, they wanted to make sure that their guests had an evening they wouldn't forget. So, keeping this in mind, we created an intimate and elegant soiree that had a strong focus on the celebration and the coming together of families.  By infusing a few pops of raspberry into the details, and incorporating ferns and other foliage that are found in abundance on the west coast, we were able to put a fresh spin on the classic wedding they desired.  High-end finishes were found throughout, and the details remained simple but extremely elegant.  And by creating an intimate dinner party atmosphere (as lets be honest...the food at the Resort is amazing!!), the guests were able to  mingle, share stories, and enjoy the experience of fine dining.  The energy of the event carried on late into the evening with a Photo Booth, dancing, and a s'mores bar!  Yum!

So many incredible vendors came together to help make this wedding as special as it was!  Big thanks to:

Photography: Jesse Holland Photography Second Shooter: Shane Deringer Photography Planning/Decor: French Kiss Events Florals: FLEURtacious by Lynda Marie Beauty: Belle Amour Live Music: Allegro Con Trio Food/Drinks: Brentwood Bay Resort

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I've said it before, and I'll say it again....photo booth's are awesome!!  Such a fun way to get your guests more interactive and lets be honest...after a few drinks, who doesn't love a good photo booth?!!

It's been a couple of weeks since the last Weekend Roundup...what can I say...things are moving faster than I imagined they ever could! lol!! But it has been an AMAZING last couple of weeks, filled with 2 very special weddings!!  And this past weekend, I got to spend the day wearing flip flops on the beach (definitely a first for me while working a wedding), and hanging out with some seriously fun people!  Lisa & Phil's wedding at The Beach House Restaurant, was nothing short of spectacular, and made even better by the non-stop smiles these two had for each other all day!!  And working alongside FLEURtacious by Lynda Marie, DJ Pro Ron Larson, Orriss Films and Jon-Mark Photography was the cherry on top!! And here are a few awesome sneak peek's from Jon Mark Photography...

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A heartfelt congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs.!!!  I am truly going to miss all of our fun planning sessions, and can't wait to see what is next for you both!

xo Barb

Wedding season is officially in full swing, and this past weekend was spent hanging out at the GORGEOUS Brentwood Bay Resort!! (Not too bad of a spot, if I do say so myself)  And getting to hang out with some awesome vendors, including the fabulous Jesse Holland Photography and FLEURtacious, made for an even better day!!  B&M wanted to host a gourmet, dinner party inspired, wedding, and lets just say, it's been a long time since I've seen a party like that one...Epic!!  They are a gorgeous couple inside and out, and I thoroughly enjoyed helping them plan this elegant black tie wedding!! Another awesome part of the weekend...my custom aprons, made lovingly by Oatmeal Lace, got to make their debut!!

And a HUGE thanks to Jesse, for sending these sneak peek's along.  To say that they're stunning, would be a MASSIVE understatement, and I can't wait to see more soon!!

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Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs's!!  It was an incredibly special wedding, and we couldn't be happier for you both!

xo Barb