Beautiful Bouquets

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

Planning TipsBarb WalkerFebruary 11, 2015bridal bouquet inspiration, Clare Day Flowers, FLEURtacious, Rook & Rose Floral Design Boutique, Verbena Floral Design, Victoria Event Planning, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning, wedding flowersComment

FKE in Print: Wedding Bells

One of my business goals of 2014, was to have some of my work featured in print. Well, 4 features later, I would say that it is safe to say that when you put your goals out there, and are willing to work hard to achieve them, anything is possible! The most recent feature, is in the current issue of Wedding Bells (it's their anniversary issue, and oh man...it is a good one, so make sure to pick yours up!), and features Karly & Matt's Fairburn Farm wedding. It's full of charm, love, and gorgeous images (courtesy of Christie Graham Photography), and perfectly sums up this wonderful day. Thank you so much Wedding Bells, for the feature!! It is truly a career highlight, seeing our name in your magazine! Last summer, on the hottest (seriously) day of the year, Karly & Matt got married. And oh, it was lovely! I had been working with this sweet as can be couple, for over 18 months, and seeing everything come together just as they had dreamed it would, was so special! When the planning first began, all we really knew was that they wanted a venue that felt like home. Somewhere that they could relax with their family & friends, and celebrate in a space that truly felt like them. When we discovered Fairburn Farmstay, we knew that the hunt was over, and the planning all just fell into place after that!

With a vintage palette of blues, peaches and purples, the decor was kept soft and romantic, through the locally grown flowers, simple table settings and small touches of glamour. Lavender was found throughout (and was sourced locally here on the Island), and the lavender bridesmaid bouquets were just too pretty for words! Simplicity at its best! This wedding day was one of many laughs, beautiful moments, and the most perfect setting, and I am honoured to have been a part of it. And here's a look at some of my favourite pieces of the day, all made possible by the following amazing vendors:

Photography: Christie Graham Photography 2nd Shooter: Kelly Brown Photography Planning/Design: French Kiss Events Venue: Fairburn Farmstay Florals: Cartref Gardens Catering: Food For Thought Vintage Rentals: Simply Sunday Vintage Rentals Beauty: Belle Amour Wedding Dress: Ladybelle Bridal

FKE Featured, Real WeddingsBarb WalkerJanuary 16, 2015Christie Graham Photography, Farm wedding, Food For Thought Catering, Local wedding florals, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning, Vintage wedding inspiration, Wedding bellsComment

Year in Review: 2014

2014 has officially come to a close, and oh my goodness...what a year it was!! 16 weddings, 5 events, 4 styled shoots, and oh yeah...my own wedding to boot!! Here's a recap of what was hands down, the biggest year of my life! January kicked off with a very exciting front page feature on Style Me Pretty, right here. This was the first shoot of many, with my new friend, Adrian Michael Photography, and it was a stunner. And the fact that Nick & I got to model, of course made it that much more special. The rest of the month was spent catching up on a ton of office work, meeting with clients, and pulling together so many details for the seasons coming weddings!

Photos_by_JesseHolland_190 — Jesse Holland Photography

In February, I had a blast helping a former FKE Bride, throw a Gatsby inspired birthday soiree! The night was filled with gold details, great cocktails, and tons of dancing! Planning for the coming weddings continued, and in an attempt to completely unplug, we spent a weekend over on Salt Spring Island, with some good friends. We drank lots of wine, ate cheese, and enjoyed pancakes and mimosas for breakfast. It was heavenly. Also in February, I was thrilled to have this featured on SMP.

Studio 1079 Photography — Rita Steenssens Photography

This DIY project was featured in March, on one of my favourite blogs, 100 Layer Cake. It also inspired me to get more crafty with my Brides, and to continue growing my love of paper goods, and what they can add to a wedding.

Moroccan Surf Elopement-57 — Christie Graham Photography

Moroccan Surf Elopement-211 — Christie Graham Photography

In April, I headed out with a whole crew of wedding vendors, and put together the biggest styled shoot I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. The day was incredible, and was one of those ones that really makes you take a step back, and appreciate everything/everyone.

With the arrival of May, was the arrival of wedding season!! Woohoo!! So many wonderful couples, and so much pretty was made this season. And we started the season off right, by planning (alongside Jesse Holland), the 2nd Victoria Wedding Industry Meetup! It was a total success, and what a fun way to start a busy summer, with a party for everyone!

In June, Nick & I managed to escape away to Seattle for a weekend getaway. I love Seattle, and always enjoy getting to spend a couple of days eating and drinking. So good. And then, just a couple of weeks later, I was swept off to Pender Island, for my bachelorette weekend! Lets just say, the girls in my life know how to completely spoil me! The month finished off with one of my favourite weddings of the season, a black tie affair, that dripped in elegance. Amazing!

Holland_140628_6216_WEB — Jesse Holland Photography

Deringer_140628_5239 — Shane Deringer Photography

In July, 3 more incredible weddings took place, each one as different as the next. We got to play with tons of colour, incorporate family traditions, and work with a nautical theme that rocked my world! A pretty good month if you ask me!

Jesse_Holland_Photography-524_WEB — Jesse Holland Photography

In the middle of July, my best friends planned the worlds prettiest Bridal Shower for me (seriously!). And Nick & I celebrated our 8 year anniversary, by hanging out with these guys, and floating on a lake for our engagement pics.

S+P vendors-35 — Kelly Brown Photography

August was insane. We had 7 weddings in 5 weeks, and the month flew by! We travelled all over the Island, from Maple Bay to Campbell River, and got to soak in some pretty stellar venues. The month was capped off with a very special wedding, for 2 Canadian sports icons. It also just so happened to be featured in Hello! Canada. How cool is that?!!

In September, another wedding highlight of the season happened. Set amongst a rose garden, and a true farm to table gathering, this wedding was special. And later in the month, I did a MASSIVE happy dance, when our Mystic Beach shoot was finally printed in the Fall/Winter issue of Pacific Weddings. Can you say #careermilestone?!!

Feeling refreshed, October was finally here! But before heading off on our trip to get married, we helped plan the 3rd Wedding Meetup, another fabulous night with so many great friends! Also, I received a very fun box from Real Weddings BC, full of their newest issue, that featured this wedding. Pinch me now! Then, off on a plane, to the beautiful Island of Maui. It was truly a trip of a lifetime. Our wedding was perfect, and getting to spend so much time with our family and friends is something we will never forget. I can't wait to share all of our wedding photos, but here's a sneak peek to tide you over...

We returned to Victoria, halfway through November, this time as newlyweds! Still on cloud 9, most of this month was spent with a goofy grin on my face, and the desire to talk about my wedding to anyone who would listen. Amongst this though, I teamed up with some incredible vendors, on another epic shoot!! This one is a goodie....stay tuned this year to see all the gorgeous details! I also hoped over to Vancouver, for the BC Wedding Awards, and got to celebrate all the talent here on the Island, with great friends!

In the first week of December, I hopped on another plane, and joined Nick in Austin, Texas. He was there for a work trip, and I was lucky enough to tag along, and soak in all that Austin has to offer! What a cool city!! And the BBQ....yummmy!! Once back in Victoria, it was major catch up time, and starting to think about 2015. So much goodness is coming up, and I can't wait to see what else this coming year has in store.

xo Barb

Barb WalkerJanuary 6, 2015Victoria Event Planning, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding PlanningComment

Happy Holidays

With Christmas just 3 days away, I am actually feeling (almost) totally prepared! The stockings are hung, presents are wrapped under the tree, the cards have all been mailed (BIG thanks to Jesse Holland for once again, rocking our annual holiday card pic!), and the fridge is overflowing in preparation for this weeks festivities. 2014 was a big one: Not only did FKE have its biggest year yet (more to come on that next week), but I spent the year being completely spoiled with my own wedding prep and celebrations, and on October 30th, officially became a Mrs.!! It was truly a year to remember, and I am so incredibly thankful to all of those special people in my life (many of whom are in the wedding industry), who made it so special for me!! This year, as we celebrate our first christmas as a married couple, Nick & I are excited to be hosting Christmas dinner at our house, for the first time ever! We can't wait to spend the day in the kitchen together, spend lots of time with our family, and to start a new tradition. So, from our family to yours, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and that your holidays are filled with lots of joy, cheer, and eggnog (preferably spiked lol!).

xo Barb & Nick

Barb WalkerDecember 22, 2014Comment

FKE Featured in Print: Real Weddings

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

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