Well, isn't THIS exciting?!! Shannon & Steve's spring time wedding, was featured in the Fall/Winter 2014 issue of Real Weddings BC, and I couldn't think of a cooler wedding to have grace the pages of this fabulous publication! Their wedding was filled with lovely little details, delicious food, and a setting as unique as they are. So much heart was put into their big day, and it puts the biggest smile on my face, knowing that so many people will get a glimpse at their wedding in the magazine. If you haven't done so already, definitely make sure to pick up your copy of the magazine next time you're out, and have a read below to see some of my favourite moments of the day.

I still remember getting my first email from this couple, asking me if I was available to help them plan their wedding that they were hosting at a Lawn Bowling Club here in Victoria. I was completely intrigued of course, and after meeting them in person, hearing their love story (they met at this exact club as kids), and their vision for their wedding, I was in!

Being lawn bowlers themselves, the ceremony was set on the lawn, with the aisle made out of the bowls; and their new marriage was made official, with their "first bowl". To keep the budget in check, and to honour Shannon's love of tea, the wedding was an afternoon tea party! Beautiful vintage china was used, small bites, and delicious treats were served, along with various types of tea and iced tea for the guests to enjoy throughout the day. Following the reception, the guests gathered around the lawn, performing a "spider", and celebrated the newlyweds over many spirited games. So many lovely details were put into this wedding, and I loved every minute of helping plan with Shannon & Steve. Thank you so much to this wonderful couple, for asking me to a part of your day! It was truly one I will never forget!

And an incredible team of vendors helped make this day as magical as it was! Thank you so much to:

Photography: Taylor Roades Photography Planning/Decor: French Kiss Events Florals: Cartref Gardens Catering: Toque Catering Vintage Rentals: Simply Sunday Vintage Rentals Beauty: Sigma Squared

FKE Featured, Real WeddingsBarb WalkerDecember 11, 2014Lawn Bowling Wedding, Taylor Roades Photography, Tea Party, Tea Party Wedding, Toque Catering, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning, Wedding Planning Comment

FKE Featured on Junebug Weddings

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

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?!!

FKE Featured, Real WeddingsBarb WalkerNovember 11, 2014Brentwood Bay Resort, FLEURtacious, Jesse Holland Photography, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning, West Coast wedding inspiration Comment

The Weekend Roundup...delayed Part 2

Continuing on with the epically delayed Weekend Roundup's, comes a 2-day wedding celebration, that took place over the Labour Day long weekend. This. Wedding. Was. Incredible!!!! Planned in just 2.5 months, we were able to pull together one of the most beautiful weddings, and biggest parties I have ever had the honour of planning!! Our couple, who are used to being in the spotlight, as they are 2 of Canada's sport icons, just wanted to have fun with their nearest and dearest, and really focus on the coming together of their 2 families. So much more on their wedding to come in the future, but for now, all I will say is a massive thank you to the fabulous vendors that made this wedding so amazing! Truffles Catering, Verbena Floral Design, Side One, Tuktu Paper Co., Rock Paper Square, Passion for Cakes and Beauty & Style by Erin Bradley...you guys rock!And these sneak peeks from Kelly Brown Photographer are complete and utter perfection. Seriously.

A HUGE congratulations to the newlyweds!! This wedding was a highlight of my career so far for sure, and getting to know you both through the process was absolutely wonderful!

xo Barb

Barb WalkerSeptember 30, 2014Erin Bradley, Kelly Brown Photographer, Passion for Cakes, Side One, Truffles Catering, Tuktu Paper Co, Verbena Floral Design, Victoria Event Planning, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning, West Coast wedding inspirationComment

The Weekend Roundup...delayed part 1

Well folks, I have officially come to the end of my wedding season (more to come on that next week!), and I would be lying if I said that the last month and a bit wasn't tough. Don't get me wrong, I loved every. single. minute. of it...but as anyone who is involved in the wedding industry will understand, August is crazy!! lol! Some reflections, and an official roundup of the whole season is going to be on the blog later next week, but for now, I am going to be catching up some very late (better late than never, right?!) Weekend Roundups. My last 3 weeks of weddings were just too good not to share with you all! First up, the weekend of August 24th was spent at the always spectacular, Birds Eye Cove! A personal favourite venue of FKE, this one was special! I have absolutely adored working with this couple over the past year, and helping to design the wedding of their dreams. Everything from the food, to flowers, to music, was utter perfection, and with a seriously amazing team of vendors (The London Chef, Clare Day Flowers, Conscious Hair & Beauty and Style by Erin Bradley, to name a few), this is definitely one of the top weddings of the season! Only negative of the weekend: my inability to walk properly, thanks to a bruised knee that lasted me the rest of the season lol! Oh man...the hazards of dog walking... But thanks to my incredible team of FKE ladies, we were able to pull it off like champs!

And thank you SOOO much to the lovely Steph, of Centric Photography, for these gorgeous sneak peek's!! I can hardly handle it!!!!

xo Barb

Barb WalkerSeptember 19, 2014birds eye cove wedding, Centric Photography, Clare Day Flowers, Conscious Hair by Elena, Erin Bradley, Farm wedding, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding PlanningComment

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**

"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).

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."

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]

FKE FeaturedBarb WalkerSeptember 3, 2014Christie Graham Photography, Conscious Hair by Elena, Erin Bradley, moroccan wedding inspiration, Pacific Weddings, Ruth and Dean, Surfer wedding inspiration, The White Peony Boutique, Tuktu Paper Co, Verbena Floral Design, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning, West Coast wedding inspiration Comment

The Weekend Roundup

Aren't long weekends lovely....and it was SUCH an amazing weekend for a wedding!! We were up at Fairburn Farmstay & Guesthouse for Karly & Matt's farm wedding, and although it was ridiculously hot, the day couldn't have been more fun!! (And what's even better, we all successfully managed to stay well hydrated (success!) and even walked away with a good tan!) Surrounded by friends, family, and water buffalo (yes, water buffalo!), these 2 were able to enjoy everything that we planned over the past year and a half!And the cherry on top of the pie that was this incredible day, was getting to spend it with one of the sweetest and most talented photographers over in Vancouver, Christie Graham Photography!! These sneak peek's have left me totally speechless...

Congratulations to the newlyweds!!! It was so much fun working with you over the past year and a bit, and I hope to meet up for another doggy date soon!

xo Barb

ps. I couldn't resist including this shot...

CongCongraAnd And asdfAnd

Barb WalkerAugust 4, 2014Christie Graham Photography, Cowichan Valley Weddings, Fairburn Farmstay, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning Comment

A Bridal Shower

As most of you know, I'm getting married myself this year, and I have been totally 110% spoiled rotten this summer by all the lovely ladies in my life!! Not only did my 2 Maid of Honours (aka. my "co-moh's") plan me a stagette weekend that I couldn't have planned better myself, they teamed up with some of my BEST friends in the Victoria wedding industry, and threw me a "better than I could have EVER imagined", bridal shower!! Everything was absolutely gorgeous, and I was overwhelmed with all the gorgeous details, lovely treats, and beautiful smiles that surrounded me the whole day. And even though she was strictly there as a guest, my good friend Jesse Holland managed to snap a few shots of the day! Thank you to EVERYONE who made this such an incredibly special day for me, and I only hope that I can do the same for all of you one day :)

So now down to the gorgeous details....Hosted at The White Peony Bridal Boutique, the prettiest space in all of Victoria, and owned by my good friend Trish, it was an afternoon of champagne and sweets! Toque Catering teamed up with my Mom & friends to supply us with a ton of sweets, and a Mimosa Bar (my favourite!!) was put together by the girls. A "Make Your Own Flower Bar" was set up by the fabulous Vanessa, of Verbena Floral Design (as there is almost nothing I love more in the world than beautiful blooms), and was a fun take home gift for all the attendee's. Recipe cards, that were included in the invitations, filled a recipe box that I am so excited to make my way through!! Photo's were strung throughout the space, showcasing some pretty embarrassing (but equally cute) photo's of both Nick & I throughout our life time. And hidden amongst some beautiful wedding dresses, was the very first dress that my Mom ever made me...it was Pink, Shiny, and all around Fabulous!! And a very special shout out to both Conscious Hair by Elena and Erin Bradley for dolling me up that morning, and making me look as good as I felt!

Barb WalkerJuly 29, 2014 Comments

The Weekend Roundup

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...

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

Barb WalkerJuly 29, 2014FLEURtacious, Jon Mark Photo, The Beach House, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding PlanningComment

An Anniversary Weekend

Last weekend, my hubby to be, and I, celebrated our 8 year (let's take a moment to talk about how crazy THAT is!!!) dating anniversary. It is something we have done every year, and I am always so glad that we take the time to carve out a weekend for each other. This year, with everything that is going on right now (crazy wedding schedule, planning of our own wedding etc...), we decided to skip the weekend getaway, and stay close to home. We spent Saturday doing all of our favourite things, and tried to focus on just spending some quiet, relaxing moments together. So, in lieu of the weekly edition of my weekend roundup...here's a sneak peek at one of our all time favourite things to do together... And thank you SOOO much to AMERIS for the fabulous photo!!

xo Barb

Barb WalkerJuly 15, 2014Comment

The Weekend Roundup

{I apologize for this being so late into the week...lets just say that wedding season is well under way, and the blog is suffering slightly! lol!} Well, the weather has been nothing short of spectacular as of late, and nothing suits a summer wedding better than a bright a fun palette!! That's exactly what we had last weekend, at the Inn at Laurel Point: a fun summer cocktail reception wedding, oozing with pink and orange details!! Just love! Everyone brought their a-game to this wedding (ahem...Verbena Floral Design, Airwaves Music, Decorate Victoria...), and I had SOOO much fun working with the couple throughout the planning, and designing their dream wedding!

And if these sneak peek's are any indication, Kim Kalyn Photography KILLED it!!! Can't wait to see more!!

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Taylor!!! You guys are so much fun, and I loved being a part of your wedding!!

xo Barb

Barb WalkerJuly 10, 2014Inn at Laurel Point, Verbena Floral Design, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning Comment

location

BASED IN VICTORIA, BC

AND AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE

EST. 2010

CONNECT

barb@frenchkissevents.ca

778-678-2902

Journal

location

BASED IN VICTORIA, BC

AND AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE

EST. 2010

CONNECT

barb@frenchkissevents.ca

778-678-2902