French Kiss Events
French Kiss Events, Victoria’s luxury boutique wedding planning and design firm, specializing in creating weddings and events that are personalized down to the smallest detail.

Journal

Posts tagged Ruth and Dean
Real Wedding: Alexei & Bob

I often find myself stumped for ways to start these posts, as I worry that I come off repetitive. I seem to always be saying how special the wedding was, how gorgeously it all came together etc. etc. But the truth is, EVERY wedding I am a part of is special! One of the things I love most about doing what I do, and the boutique nature of FKE, is that I get to know my couples so intimately. So by the time of the wedding, I usually feel like one of the family (you know…like that second cousin you only see at really important events, but knows how to boss everyone around when the time is right haha!). It makes me fall head over heels in love with my job every.single.time., and is the reason why every wedding is so incredible to me! But this one guys…this one you can feel it in the photos (thanks to the genius of Taylor Roades). The day was filled with so much laughter and joy, and a whole lotta love.

When I first met Alexei & Bob, I instantly fell in love and knew I had to work with them (thanks guys for hiring me!). Their love for each other was obvious from the first second, but they also were hilarious, talked about a mile a minute, and knew exactly what they wanted. Alexei is originally from France, and Bob is from the Praries. They met in Quebec while both at school, and the rest is history as they say. The coming together of their 2 families was at the core of this very authentic, relaxed and elegant al fresco soiree.

The design was inspired by the gorgeous gardens of The English Inn and its classic tudor building, and we made sure to keep a masculine undertone and “harmonious chaos” throughout. We designed all the spaces to flow naturally from one into another, and the unique palette of purples, greys & oranges mixed together with organic elements, helped to keep the spaces feeling perfectly unkept.

But what this wedding was really all about (other than the couple…doh!) was the food. Oh the food. It was non stop flowing all throughout the night, and Toque Catering absolutely hit this one out of the park. The family style feast, set at those 2 gorgeous long tables, combined both the Parisian and Prairie influences. Picture a meal that is never ending, with platters of charcuterie, gourmet cheeses, farm fresh veggies & flavourful mains. Guests drank copious amounts of wine, shared lots of stories and partied the night away. It was perfection. But if you don’t believe me, scroll through the photos to see for yourself. 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 Taylor Roades Photography.

firstlook-and-more-0005.JPG
Alexie-Bob-Wedding-0126.JPG
Alexie-Bob-Wedding-0047.JPG
firstlook-and-more-0075.JPG
Alexie-Bob-Wedding-0005.JPG
Ceremony-A-B-0006.JPG
Alexie-Bob-Wedding-0009.JPG
Ceremony-A-B-0102.JPG
Ceremony-A-B-0147.JPG
Ceremony-A-B-0149.JPG
Ceremony-A-B-0277.JPG
Ceremony-A-B-0297.JPG
Ceremony-A-B-0398.JPG
Ceremony-A-B-0422.JPG
Ceremony-A-B-0449.JPG
Reception-AB-0017.JPG
Reception-AB-0154.JPG
Reception-AB-0138.JPG
Reception-AB-0264.JPG
Portraits-AB-0109.JPG
Reception-AB-0062.JPG
Reception-AB-0054.JPG
Reception-AB-0386.JPG
Alexie-Bob-8.jpg
Reception-AB-0534.JPG
Reception-AB-0714.JPG
Reception-AB-0706.JPG
Reception-AB-0823.JPG
Reception-AB-0832.JPG

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Taylor Roades Photography
Venue - The English Inn
Catering - Toque Catering
Florals - Verbena Floral Design
Cakes - Ruth & Dean
Garden Duo - Simone & The Good Intentions
Band - The New Souls
Lounge Furniture - Bash Specialty
Tent & Rentals - Black & White Event Rentals, Pedersens, Party Mood
Beauty - Karley Reynolds & Cristina Woods

Real Wedding: Tara & Matt

We're diving a bit into the archives today, but I couldn't resist blogging this charming soiree from back in September 2016!  And to be honest, I'm not sure why I haven't shared it already! Where does the time go?! lol!  This wedding was filled with a ton of my favourite things: gorgeous outdoor spaces, a fantastic band, intimate candlelight, and a group of people that are filled with a whole lotta love!  

The day was filled with vintage touches, lots of music and a ton of fun!  We drew inspiration from both the prohibition jazz age and British post-war garden parties (a combo of both Tara & Matt's personal styles!), and created the perfect atmosphere to celebrate the couples new marriage!  Taking many cues from the garden setting at Starling Lane, the games, decor and food was a modern take on a vintage garden party.  And the music and drinks, featured all night long, had a fun throw back to the prohibition days! Our light and fresh colour palette of peach, apricot, blush & grey was tied throughout both Starling Lane and Fireside Grill, and the formal components found in Britain during the 20’s will be highlighted through the vintage place settings and elegant paper goods. 

And as always, so many vendors came together, to make the day as truly spectacular as it was!  It was our first time working with the fantastic husband/wife duo, Sambajoy, and they are as awesome as they are talented!  The band, Good Co. Music, came up from Seattle, and treated everyone to true jazz age entertainment.  And the food....oh the food...both Toque Catering & Fireside Grill hit it out of the park on this one!  Thank you, Tara & Matt, for having us be a part of your truly fun day!  And I hope that you all enjoy the photos below.  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 Sambajoy.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Sambajoy
Florals - Thorn & Thistle
Ceremony Venue - Starling Lane Winery
Cocktail Reception Catering - Toque Catering
Reception Venue - Fireside Grill
Band - Good Co.
Makeup - Melanie Baird
Hair - Mandy Rogers, Hunt & Gather
Cake - Ruth & Dean
Invitations - Minted

FKE Featured in Print: Pacific Weddings Magazine

I don't even know where to start with this one....to say that it was a game changer would be a massive understatement, and to shout from the rooftops how excited I am to see it in Pacific Weddings, wouldn't be enough!  Back in April, I had one of the most fun days of my career, and I still get a big smile on my face every time I think about it!  And to have it gracing the pages of one of the most beautiful wedding magazines out there (and a TRUE personal favourite of mine,  as if you know me, you know I love all things Hawaii, and that is where Pacific Wedding's roots are found!) is just utter perfection!  When they approached us, asking if they could feature this shoot in their newest edition, I had to actually pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming!!  Thank you SOOO much to the team there for welcoming us all with opening arms, and also for the A-team here in Victoria, for being just so dang good at what you do!! There are so many wonderful vendors that contributed to the success of this shoot, and so please take the time to look through their work...and definitely make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom, as we have a fabulous behind the scenes video for you to take a look at. xo Barb

Photography: Christie Graham Photography Planning: French Kiss Events Florals & Decor: Verbena Floral Design Paper Goods: Tuktu Paper Co. Dress: Anna Campbell, from The White Peony Groom's Attire: Citizen Clothing Hair: Conscious Hair by Elena Makeup: Beauty & Style by Erin Bradley Cinematography: Cassie O'Neil Cinematography Cake: Ruth & Dean Treats: Mexi Pops Surfboards: ANIAN Textiles: Coral & Tusk and Liberty London

**All images in this post courtesy of Christie Graham Photography**

Pacific Wedding Mag feature-5

Pacific Wedding Mag feature-5

Pacific Wedding Mag feature-2

Pacific Wedding Mag feature-2

"On the West Coast of Canada, we are continually surrounded by amazing, natural beauty. It’s a place where surf culture thrives and many celebrations are enjoyed on our magnificent beaches all along the rugged coastline. For this styled shoot, we showcased creative pieces and colors you would find at various authentic Vancouver Island beach festivities, drew inspiration from the small surf towns along the way and juxtaposed them with the vivid colors and patterns found in Morocco.

With a whopping team of 10 vendors and 2 models (including a male surfer who is actually from Morocco!!), we set out on a 45-minute hike, through our temperate rain forest and over suspension bridges, we finally set up camp on Mystic Beach. The model wore an Anna Campbell gown that struck the perfect balance between the glamour of Morocco and the laid back essence of the West Coast. Feathers blowing in the coastal wind can be spotted throughout, from the custom-made headpiece to the feather posy’s scattered on the tablescape. The vibrant colors found in Coral & Tusk’s table runner became our palette for the shoot, and were complimented by the Liberty London fabrics used for the pillows on the beach. Rich tones of yellow, orange, pink, and raspberry red were used in the abundant florals (garden roses, anemones, poppies, carnations and kumquats).

Moroccan Surf Elopement-2

Moroccan Surf Elopement-2

Moroccan Surf Elopement-24

Moroccan Surf Elopement-24

Moroccan Surf Elopement-36

Moroccan Surf Elopement-36

Moroccan Surf Elopement-19

Moroccan Surf Elopement-19

Moroccan Surf Elopement-35

Moroccan Surf Elopement-35

Moroccan Surf Elopement-41

Moroccan Surf Elopement-41

Moroccan Surf Elopement-60

Moroccan Surf Elopement-60

Moroccan Surf Elopement-59

Moroccan Surf Elopement-59

Moroccan Surf Elopement-82

Moroccan Surf Elopement-82

Moroccan Surf Elopement-80

Moroccan Surf Elopement-80

Moroccan Surf Elopement-88

Moroccan Surf Elopement-88

Moroccan Surf Elopement-52

Moroccan Surf Elopement-52

Moroccan Surf Elopement-44

Moroccan Surf Elopement-44

Moroccan Surf Elopement-57

Moroccan Surf Elopement-57

Moroccan Surf Elopement-90

Moroccan Surf Elopement-90

Moroccan Surf Elopement-97

Moroccan Surf Elopement-97

Moroccan Surf Elopement-95

Moroccan Surf Elopement-95

Moroccan Surf Elopement-98

Moroccan Surf Elopement-98

Moroccan Surf Elopement-170

Moroccan Surf Elopement-170

Moroccan Surf Elopement-101

Moroccan Surf Elopement-101

Moroccan Surf Elopement-103

Moroccan Surf Elopement-103

Moroccan Surf Elopement-91

Moroccan Surf Elopement-91

Moroccan Surf Elopement-109

Moroccan Surf Elopement-109

Moroccan Surf Elopement-108

Moroccan Surf Elopement-108

Moroccan Surf Elopement-111

Moroccan Surf Elopement-111

Moroccan Surf Elopement-133

Moroccan Surf Elopement-133

Moroccan Surf Elopement-156

Moroccan Surf Elopement-156

Moroccan Surf Elopement-151

Moroccan Surf Elopement-151

Moroccan Surf Elopement-0

Moroccan Surf Elopement-0

Moroccan Surf Elopement-163

Moroccan Surf Elopement-163

Moroccan Surf Elopement-187

Moroccan Surf Elopement-187

Moroccan Surf Elopement-181

Moroccan Surf Elopement-181

Moroccan Surf Elopement-195

Moroccan Surf Elopement-195

Moroccan Surf Elopement-189

Moroccan Surf Elopement-189

Moroccan Surf Elopement-197

Moroccan Surf Elopement-197

Moroccan Surf Elopement-200

Moroccan Surf Elopement-200

A naked cake with floral accents was the perfect combination of natural beauty and handcrafted elegance. Yogurt filled delights from Mexi Pops Italian cart were the perfect addition for strolling through the forest to the ceremony location.  Beautiful locally made, hand-shaped surfboards from Anian Surfboards set the tone of the shoot, giving this boho-inspired wedding a light-hearted and creative edge. Hand drawn stationary in festive colours, custom beer label favours and motorcycle name cards made this styled shoot young, fun and truly West Coast eclectic."

Moroccan Surf Elopement-211

Moroccan Surf Elopement-211

And many, MANY thanks, to Elena's husband extraordinaire, who hung out with us all day, and cooked us a delicious stew, right on the beach!  Can you think of a better way to spend your day?  [vimeo http://vimeo.com/96836664]