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.

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Posts tagged Thorn & Thistle
Real Wedding: Madeline & Ben

If you look closely enough on the first photo below, you’ll see that this lovely couple just celebrated their 2nd wedding anniversary (happy anniversary you guys!!!). Yup. I'm that far behind in blogging. Oh well! Nothing like a pandemic to get caught up, right?! lol! As things have been rapidly changing these past few weeks though, I have been thinking a lot about what this year will look like for weddings. We all know that things are going to be looking small (elopement anyone?), and there have been a handful of incredibly special weddings over the past decade with FKE that fit this bill. Madeline & Ben are exactly that, and for this reason, I thought that they would be the perfect wedding to share right now!

How to start…oh man guys…this was a GOOD one! It had literally everything. An intimate legal ceremony with just the parents (which ended up probably being the most emotional part of the day), a really special personalized ceremony in front of their closest family & friends, followed by an EPIC brunch (should out to Toque). In the evening, 100 guests took over the large private property, and they celebrated late into the night. And the palette.… oh man! Can we talk about drama?!!! The couple loves all things art nouveau, which we used as a jumping off point for inspiration. The florals, textiles, gold foil, custom invitation… just to name a few. The whole thing was absolutely incredible, and I feel like my words just don’t do it justice. So, I hope you have some time to scroll through the beautiful photos below (thanks Berkley) and start dreaming of how incredible an intimate ceremony & celebration can be (then of course, with a kick ass party to follow!!!).

**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 Berkley Voonfjörd.

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Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Berkley Voonfjörd
Venue - The View
Catering - Toque Catering
Florals - Thorn & Thistle
Linens - Faire la Fete
Cake - Passion for Cakes
Pies - Ruth & Dean
Stationery - Emma Allen Design
Invitation Art - Margaret Hansen
Furniture Rentals - Bash Specialty

Real Wedding: Courtney & Richard

I have a slew of 2017 weddings in the blog queue, and I am just SO happy to have finally had the time to get to blog them! It has been well over a year (dear lord! lol!) and so it is definitely about time. First up, is the September 2017 wedding of Courtney & Richard, and let’s just say it was fit for a castle. I had such a blast working with these guys, and set against the majestic backdrop of Hatley Castle, how could you go wrong?! Everything we did was done to elevate the overall guest experience. Luxurious details and finishings, over the top floral arrangements, luxurious linens, and a gourmet 4 course dinner. The couple opted for a classic palette of White, Grey, Blush & Green, which suited the venue perfectly. Abundant florals were used to enhance the romance of the Castle, and greenery was used as a focal point in the reception, to bring the outside in via drama!

The couple, both of whom are pilots, also wanted to have a bit of wanderlust incorporated throughout the wedding. Custom paper airplane escort cards were hand calligraphered, and the cake featured intricate detail playing homage to their careers (so fun!). With Hatley Castle being the venue, we knew everything we did had to be elegant, luxurious and chic. The ceremony took place in the Croquet Lawn, with a stunning view of the Castle in the backdrop. Because they had a higher guest count though, their reception had to take place outside of the Castle, in a Banquet room on site. We completely transformed the room by having it fully draped in white shear panels. This was quite the undertaking, and over 260 ft. of drape was installed.  Insane! And a big shoutout to Sandy and the team at Decorate Victoria for making it happen!

This was truly such an elegant affair, and the photos, by Luke Liable feel like they are something out of Vogue. So, without further adieu, I give you: Courtney & Richard.

**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 Luke Liable Photography.

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Planning & Design - French Kiss Events
Venue - Hatley Castle
Photography - Luke Liable
Catering - Truffles Catering
Florals - Thorn & Thistle
Hair - Hunt and Gather, Mandy Rogers
Makeup - Prive Beauty Lounge
Cake - Schur to Please
Ceremony Music - Cascadia Quartet
Reception DJ - DJ Pro
Invitation suite - Love by Phoebe
Drapery - Decorate Victoria
Furniture - Bash Specialty
Linens - Faire la Fete

Real Wedding: Tiff & Levi

Over 10 years ago, 2 teenagers met while on summer vacation at a campground in Canada with their families.   They instantly became friends, and not long after that, started dating.  After over a decade of growing up together,  falling in love, and building an incredible life together, they decided to make it official in beautiful Victoria, BC!  And I'm thanking my lucky stars, as they chose FKE to bring their day to life, and oh man...it was a good one folks! Taking place at the 2 most iconic venues in the city, Hatley Castle and The Empress Hotel, their wedding vision was grand from the start of the planning, and we pulled out all the stops to bring it to life!  

One of my favourite things about this wedding, was the epic seating chart that we pulled together.  I've had this idea for a few years now, and we were just waiting for the perfect wedding to create it at!  As guests arrived to the ceremony, all of their pics were snapped at a portrait station (thanks Four Frames!) near the entrance to the Castle.  Those photos were then printed and turned into polaroids that we displayed at the couples reception, acting as the guests personalized escort cards!  It was a huge hit, and something that everyonewas blown away by.

The reception space was overflowing with luxurious details and we infused the couples impeccable taste all throughout.  The neutral palette of soft creams, greys & blush tones, helped transform the ballroom setting into a modern day take on the traditional space. The menu, custom designed by The Empress's chef, was served tapa style, inspired by all the couples favourite eats! Ranging from sushi to maui rib sliders, the food was a hit!  And as the lights dimmed, guests partied the night away to Side One's 8 piece band (always a favourite of mine), photo booth, Mojito bar and Popcorn station!

It was definitely a wedding to remember, and for sure the party of the summer!  One of the things I love most about weddings though, is no matter how much planning you do and how many incredible details there are, often the best moments of the day are the unplanned ones.  This was definitely the case for Tiff & Levi.  After dinner, the couple sneaked out with Ryan Flynn and Kismet Creative for some sunset shots down in the harbour.  A band busking in the harbour congratulated the couple, and then asked them what their first dance was.  The song was "Georgia" by Vance Joy, and without skipping a beat, the band began playing it for them, and they had their first dance right then and there, in the harbour, just the 2 of them.  Pure magic!  You can see this gorgeous day unfold below, and make sure to check out the incredible video by Kismet at the top! 

**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 Ryan Flynn Photographer.  Video courtesy of Kismet Creative.

Planning & Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Ryan Flynn Photography
Videography - Kismet Creative
Ceremony Venue - Hatley Castle
Reception Venue - The Empress
Florals - Verbena Floral Design & Thorn & Thistle
Stationery - Love by Phoebe
Band - Side One
Cake - Passion for Cakes
Linens - Faire la Fete
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Carly Flint
Photobooth - Four Frames Photo Booth

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

Real Celebration: Gigi's 1st Birthday Party!

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

Valentines Day: Gift Boxes

We are less than 2 weeks away from Valentines Day, and if you are anything like me, you'll be thinking "who cares"...."it's overrated"...  Honestly, my idea of the perfect Feb 14th is a night spent with lots of takeout and sitting on the couch watching Netflix with the hubby.  BUT...over the holidays, I was on the receiving end of some incredibly thoughtful gift boxes, and I fell head over heels in love with them!  I know that Gift Boxes aren't a new concept, but the most recent surge in popularity of locally inspired boxes has me completely obsessed!  Supporting local companies while treating someone you love?  Yes please!  Some of my favourite peeps have been putting together some incredibly thoughtful boxes, and they are definitely inspiring me to up my Valentines Day game this year.  Here are a few of our fav's, and if you don't live in Victoria, I highly encourage you to source some local ones from your home town! 

Tara McHugh: Valentines Gift Box
$89.95  
+ free local delivery for FKE readers (use code LOVE)

Perfect for:
Your bestie who always looks like her clothes and house belong in an instagram pic, and you love her for it. 

Why we love it: 
Does it get more fem or lovely than this? And every purchase supports creative entrepreneurs, small business and big dreamers.

The Goods: 
Watercolor tea towel by artist Lindsay Remple
 Lavender scented heart soap by Sweet Pure Honey

Hand poured FLORA Woodlot candle
Dried bundle of white statice flowers

Thorn & Thistle: Sweetheart Box
$145.00

Perfect for
That special someone in your life who you want to completely spoil and maybe spend some "alone" time with...*wink wink* 

Why we love it: 
All of the products are organic, and it's the perfect combination of sexy & sweet. (hands up to those who get that reference!)

The Goods: 
A seasonal bouquet
Kismet Pink Himalayan Salt Soak with rose petals
Province Apothecary Sex Oil
Karameller Candies
Lux et Terra Beeswax Candle

 

 

Vancouver Island Gift Baskets: Breakfast Nook
$135.00

Perfect for: 
Your foodie friend, who spends more time at local coffee shops than bars, and appreciates the stillness of mornings. 

Why we love it: 
Because the caloric count is significantly lower than a chocolate themed gift, and who doesn't love coffee?

The Goods: 
Fernwood Coffee & Galiano Coffee Roasting Co.
Babe's Clover Honey
Denman Island Espresso Chunk Chocolate Bar
Silk Road Tea, Anteeo Tea & Biscotti
RockCoast Sea Salt Toffee Bark, Smoked Canadian Sea Salt &
Saltspring Kitchen Co. Jam

Tara McHugh: Valentines Mini Box
$49.95
+ free local delivery for FKE readers (use code LOVE)

Perfect for:
That friend that deserves a little pick me up just because. 

Why we love it: 
You can't beat the price point, and it is freakin' adorable!

The Goods: 
Wild Hill Botanical's Northwest Forest Soak bath mix
Handcrafted Lavender scented soap by Sweet Pure Honey
Tara McHugh Flora signature tin of Earl grey leafy tea