Posts in FKE Featured

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

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

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

FKE featured on Wedding Sparrow

Thank you so much, to the crazy beautiful UK based fine art blog, Wedding Sparrow, for featuring this incredible shoot earlier this week!! Working with such an incredibly creative and talented team, was a total dream, and then getting to share it on such a gorgeous blog, is the cherry on top!! Thank you SOOO much to Adrian Michael Photography, for once again, blowing my mind with your stunning images! I just cannot wait for you to finally move here! A HUGE thank you as well to Clare Day Flowers and Joanna Delaney Dressmaking for asking me to collaborate with you on this shoot. Designing a shoot around the dresses was such a fabulous approach, and I am thrilled with the results! And thank you so much to both Conscious Hair by Elena, Melanie Baird Makeup Artistry, and Laura Lavender Calligraphy, for joining our team, and being just so darn good at what you do! And here are some of my favourite images from the shoot (so hard to choose!!!).

And be sure to check out the feature here for more pretty!

xo Barb

FKE FeaturedBarb WalkerJune 12, 2014Adrian Michael Photography, Clare Day Flowers, Conscious Hair by Elena, Fine art film photography, Melanie Baird Makeup Artistry, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning, West Coast wedding inspirationComment

FKE featured on 100 Layer Cake

What a way to start the day!!! I am beyond

thrilled

to have Kristy & Matt's intimate barn wedding, featured today, on

100 Layer Cake

!! This wedding was unique in so many wonderful ways and I can't think of a better place to be able to share it! Thank you so much to

Ameris

for capturing it so perfectly, and also to all the other fabulous vendors that came together to make this 1 for the record books! You can check out my personal blog post about their wedding

here

Working alongside this couple was a dream come true! Not only did they have incredible style, but they knew what was important to them, and placed a strong emphasis on that all throughout the planning. I could go on and on about this day, but figure I'll let Kristy tell you, as she really sums it all the best! (thank you to 100 Layer Cake, for sending the following Q&A from Kristy my way!)

Can you tell us briefly a bit about you, and how you met? Matt and I met at a punk rock show in Victoria, BC.

How would you describe your wedding theme? We wanted a small rustic farm wedding with lots of antique touches for our theme. This included lots of wildflowers and colours.

Do you have any particularly significant stories about something that happened on or defined your wedding? Matt and I have a basset hound and we wanted him to be part of our day. One of my favorite parts of the day was seeing our hound spending time with all our guests. In lots of our photos you can see him with different people!

View More: http://ameris.pass.us/kristy-matt-married

Describe the inspiration for your wedding. What do you think made your wedding particularly you?

Before meeting Matt I never expected to want to have a big fancy wedding. However, once we got engaged I really wanted to celebrate our love, as cheesy as it sounds! We wanted to keep it small and informal. Our first decision for our wedding was that it must be on a farm. Birds Eye Cove was the perfect location and provided much of our inspiration. We wanted to play on its rustic features and add some of our own touches. Music was a must since Matt and many of our guests are musicians. We brought lots of records from our own collection and found a great Buddy Holly tribute band, Johnny Vallis.

Describe any awesome DIY projects? One of my favorite DIY projects was making our bourbon bar. We both love bourbon so we picked four of our favorite bourbons and created four bourbon cocktails. Guests could then pick which bourbon they wanted to try and in one of the cocktails. Barb, our amazing planner, and Erica, from Rook & Rose made this idea even better by featuring the cocktail and bourbon choices on a window pane by the bar.

What was your favorite part/memory of your wedding?

The speeches were my favorite part of our wedding. It was such a special moment. My grandparents' speech was incredibly sweet and had me, and many of our guests tearing up. Their speech was followed by some pretty goofy stories that had us all giggling our tears away after as well! I will never forget all the amazing people who spoke on our behalf and their wonderful words of wisdom and support.

What did you splash the cash on for your wedding and why? We splashed the cash on food and music (and my dress)! We both agreed that great food and music really make a great wedding. We decided to do a mainly vegetarian meal with a few seafood dishes. Food For Thought was the perfect catering vendor for us. We asked for a loaded dessert table and it was the most delicious table of goodies I could ever imagine! Having a live band was really worth splashing the cash as well. We love live music and Buddy Holly is one of our favorite bands. We discovered that Johnny Vallis, as Buddy Holly, was the best Buddy Holly tribute around and was right in our backyard so it was meant to be!What did you really save money on and how? Having a wedding planner really helped us save money and keep everything within our budget. Barb from French Kiss Events made everything possible! Without her and her team our wedding could not have been the perfect day. She helped us pick out the right vendors and realize all those special touches that made everything so beautiful and unique while still staying within our budget.

In retrospect, was there anything you would have done differently? I wouldn't change anything about our wedding.What advice would you give or lessons did you learn? What I took away from our wedding day and all the months of planning is to make it about love! Include what you love and let those you love help. It makes the day that much more special.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Kristy & Matt, for asking me to be a part of your wedding! I wish you nothing but the best, and can't wait to hear what is next for you 2!

xo Barb

FKE FeaturedBarb WalkerApril 29, 2014Ameris Photography, birds eye cove wedding, Rook & Rose Floral Design Boutique, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Wedding PlanningComment

FKE featured on Wedding Bells

The glamorous and seriously romantic wedding of Melissa & Sean is featured today, on Wedding Bells! Thank you so much to all the wonderful vendors who helped us make their wedding utter perfection, and a HUGE thank you to Ameris, for capturing it so beautifully. A blog post of my own about this epic wedding, will be coming up next week, but for now, definitely check out the feature! xo Barb

FKE FeaturedBarb WalkerMarch 10, 2014Comment

FKE featured on 100 Layer Cake

I am so excited to get to share this game changer of a DIY, that Laura, of Tuktu Paper Co. asked me to collaborate on! Laura has always impressed me with her craftiness, but my mind was seriously blown, when she first told me about the process of transferring. Basically, you can take any printed material (black & white OR colour), and "transfer" it onto a wooden surface. Talk about wedding planner heaven!! So, along with Rita Steenssens, of Studio 1079 Photography and Cassie O'Neil Cinematography, Laura & I had one of the most delightful mornings I can remember, shooting the quick and easy process, snacking on some cheese, enjoying the cheerful blooms, and catching up like good friends do. The finished product was even better than I could have imagined, and I just love how the final table came together!

I couldn't think of a BETTER place to share this DIY, then on the always inspiring blog, 100 Layer Cake! 100 Layer Cake is one of the first blogs that I check in the morning, as their bright, fun and trend setting posts always put a smile on my face, and so thank you sooo much to the ladies over there, for putting a HUGE smile on my face this morning :) Definitely make sure to head over to the feature to view all the steps, as well as check out Cassie's fun video here!

xo Barb

FKE Featured, Planning TipsBarb WalkerMarch 3, 2014Cassie O'Neil, Studio 1079 Photography, Tuktu Paper Co, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning, Wedding PlanningComment

FKE featured on Style Me Pretty Canada

Today, I am SOOOOO excited to be featured on Style Me Pretty Canada!! One of my all time favourite blogs, and it always makes my heart flutter when I get to see my work grace their beautiful pages! Back in June, I had the amazing opportunity to not only collaborate with these INSANELY talented vendors, but to do so on a BOAT!! How fun is that?!! Having lived on the west coast my whole life, I have always had a soft spot for the ocean and do my best to never take it for granted. Looking to do a different sort of styled shoot, Kim Kalyn Photography and Clare Day Flowers came up with the idea of stripping back a wedding to its simplest form: an elopement. And what better spot to shot an elopement, then out at sea! I am so honoured that they asked me to help them pull it all together, as I couldn't think of a more fabulous crew of ladies to work alongside! Thank you so much to Melanie Baird Makeup Artist and Conscious Hair by Elena for making the ladies look even more beautiful, Tuktu Paper Co. for the awesome paper goods, as well at The White Peony and Citizen Clothing for the seriously fabulous attire! And a HUGE thank you, to my friend Richard, for taking us out on his gorgeous sailboat for the afternoon, and for being such a good Captain! And to make a great day even better, Paper Heart Films tagged along, and put together the sweetest behind the scenes video for us all...it is the cherry on top of an already wonderful shoot! Here are a few of my favourite images from the shoot, but definitely make sure to check out the full feature and video on SMP!

xo Barb

FKE FeaturedBarb WalkerFebruary 24, 2014Clare Day Flowers, Kim Kalyn Photography, The White Peony Boutique, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning, Wedding PlanningComment

FKE featured on Style Me Pretty

Well, this is a special one! Not only was I fortunate enough to have teamed up with some of the best vendors around, and have it featured on the front page of Style Me Pretty (um...can you say, dream come true?!!), but my future groom to be and I, got to be the models!! Talk about a wedding planners ultimate dream!

Adrian Michael, a fine art film photographer based in Victoria, approached me about doing a winter engagement styled shoot, back in early December. And seeing as his work is breathtaking ALWAYS, I of course jumped on the opportunity! Nick's & my engagement was still fairly new, and so when it was suggested that we in fact be the models, how could I say no!! With it being just a few weeks away from Christmas though, and the fact that things were getting busy for everyone involved, we decided to keep it on the simple side, and really highlight the natural beauty that can be found here on the west coast. As you can see, the results were insanely beautiful, and (as Style Me Pretty said) "leave you stunned and speechless".

Vanessa, of Verbena Floral Design killed it with ALL things florals, and Erin Bradley hung out by my side all morning, making sure I felt gorgeous. Thank you also to the extremely generous ladies of Blush Bridal Boutique, who loaned us the perfect Pronovias gown, as well as Tuktu Paper, who designed the most luxurious and winter inspired Save the Date I have ever seen!! And finally, thank's to my handsome fiance, for being always game for anything, and for keeping me nice and warm on that cold, cold wintery day! Here are a few of my favourite images, but definitely make sure to check out the full feature, on SMP!

xo Barb