Year in Review: 2020
Photo by: Rob Campbell
Well, it was an interesting one, am I right? To be honest, I really toyed with whether or not I wanted to bother doing this annual post, as it was definitely not the year any of us expected. What was lined up to be the biggest year for FKE was not, and our industry suffered (is still suffering) dramatically. The weight I felt of dreams being crushed and having to be the bearer of bad news to dozens of vendor teams and couples was insurmountable and I’m not going to sugar coat it: it was beyond tough. But, when scrolling through my phone this week, to remind myself of what did actually happen this year, I knew I just had to keep this tradition alive. So much good took place amongst the crazy, and that is worth celebrating. We’re heading into this new year with a lot of optimism, and a fresh outlook on what is important. I absolutely love being a wedding planner, and have missed doing what I love to do so much. I can’t wait to have a year where we can celebrate love safely, and for what will surely be a wedding boom in 2022 haha! Bring it on! So, without further adieu, here’s a snapshot of this past year for FKE & the Walker family!
The start of the year brought the stillness that is usually found in January….and SNOW! How fun! Maddie was sort of into it, and I’m crossing all my fingers and toes that we get another good batch this year, as I know that she will be beside herself with excitement! I also had the absolute pleasure of heading to Kelowna with the loveliest FKE Bride & MOB, to do some serious planning for her Okanagan winery wedding. We had an incredible time, tasted the most amazing food, and I can’t wait until we can head back there to get them married!
In February, Nick & I headed on a jet plane with some of our best friends (sans kids) for what will forever be referred to as: the best timed trip of all time. A weekend in NYC beyond exceeded our expectations, and man, are we ever glad that we did it when we did. We completely splurged, staying at a dreamy hotel, eating meals like we never have before, and drinking 4 days worth of non stop cocktails (see pic below of the epic Cocktail Explosion). 3 weeks later? NYC was the epicentre of COVID in the states. How we managed to stay safe is beyond me, but I thank all my lucky stars that we had that time together. Back in BC, I headed up to Tofino for a weekend of wedding planning for another wonderful FKE couple. While their wedding was postponed and will no longer be taking place in Tofino, I can’t begin to tell you how much I loved my time working with vendors up in Tofino. Can’t wait to return!
March, well, I think we all know what happened in March. Looking back at the photos though, there was a lot of hilarity, my favourite of which being the non stop client calls I took while sitting in our boat in the garage. Working from home took a bit to figure out, let’s all agree ;)
Pivot quickly became the word of the year for many people, and I absolutely LOVE the pivot that I took with my good friend (and now side hustle business partner!) Shara of Bash Specialty! We launched Elopement in a Box in April (now The Proper Table) and had the honour to gift a free elopement package to 1 couple. Reading through all the submissions is something I’ll never forget, and I stand by that I wish we could have helped everyone. Kelly & Josh were the absolute sweetest, and their elopement in July was soooo special! Working with Shara on The Proper Table over the remainder of the year was 2020’s silver lining for me, and I am bursting with excitement at all the fun things we have in store for 2021!
The summer months? Well, there was a looooot of beach time, hangs with our bubble friends, and more beach hangs. We helped my parents move (their first move in 34 years!) and even had the privilege of helping some amazing humans get married. Naz & James eloped, Rachel & Alex had a backyard wedding for the ages, and Nessa & Sebastian challenged me with a 2 week timeline. I was ALL for it and what a gorgeous day!
Photo by: AMERIS
Photo by: AMERIS
Photo by: AMERIS
Photo by: AMERIS
In July, we had the chance to do something that we never get to do…go on a summer holiday! We escaped to our fave, Bodega Ridge on Galiano with our “bubble” family, and had the most fun week together! If you haven’t been to Galiano, do it. Do it now (well you know, when it’s safe to do so…). In early August, Nick & I were invited to go and explore the STUNNING Wild Renfrew! This property is located in Port Renfrew, and is the ultimate west coast experience. They are getting into the wedding game, and we will be working with them over the next year at helping to grow that business and support their couples. The Heyday girls already have a handful of Wild Renfrew 2021 weddings, and we can’t wait to create out there!
Now, I know it is completely unrelated to weddings, but in August, our other best friends welcomed their first BABY!!! Gah!!!! There is absolutely nothing better than a new baby (well, other than maybe making one? lol!) and he is just the cutest thing around. September brought big change for our house, as our little Maddie started pre-school (cue the tears). We also had 2 final weddings this month, and both M&C and A&X (planned by the fabulous Bonnie for FKE!) had the loveliest days celebrating love in the middle of a pandemic.
Photo by: Tegan McMartin
In the Fall, Shara & I continued to work away at The Proper Table, and had so much fun being part of so many families Thanksgiving tables! I also had the opportunity to style the holiday Abeego campaign, and yes…the brilliant minds behind Paper Heart Films also managed to convince our family to model for it. But let’s be honest: they didn’t have to twist our arms ;)
Now, if you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that Nick & I sort of have a thing for Hawaii. So much in fact, that this was the first time in 10 YEARS that we didn't spend October there. Ugh. The worst. But we managed to escape back to Galiano (Bodega Cove this time!) and celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary just the 2 of us. It was blissful… A cute ladybug also appeared in October. Adorbs.
Photo by: Jesse Holland Photography
The rest of the year was spent pretty low key, again, for obvious reasons. Our little girl turned 3, and her close friends & family treated her to the most wonderful car parade! I will forever be grateful to our families and friends, who all rallied together this year and managed to keep everyone sane. I know that 2021 will still have many challenges and road blocks ahead, but the light is there and I am so grateful for this little space, and all the support from all of you. Thank you for reading, and I hope that everyone has the most wonderful start to the New Year! We made it!
xo
Barb