Posts in Real Weddings

On a bright and sunny day last April, these two lovebirds made it official. And can we talk about client love for a second? From the very first email I received from Jess, I knew that these guys would be special. Not only are they completely head over heels in love with each other, but they genuinely could not WAIT to be married! And isn't that really what it is all about? Working with them on the planning and design of their perfect day was such a treat, and I honestly cannot say enough about how grateful I am to have such wonderful couples to work with.

This was the first wedding of the 2016 wedding season for us, and let's just say we kicked the season off on the right foot! We were after a soft, romantic and relaxed celebration, and the rustic yet chic Church & State Winery was the perfect backdrop for us. We took inspiration from the natural elements found throughout the dramatic space, and integrated the soft colour palette with industrial statements and warm lighting, to create a vibe that was perfectly in keeping with the couples welcoming personalties. And then there was the party. The Broken Strings absolutely killed it on the dance floor, and yes, even had the Bride up on stage performing a rap with them at the end of the night. An unforgettable evening for sure!!

**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 AMERIS.

Planning & Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - AMERIS
Venue & Catering - Church & State Winery
Floral Design - Verbena Floral Design
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Erin Bradley
Cake - Ruth & Dean
Stationery - Caribou Creative
Music - The Broken Strings

Real WeddingsBarb WalkerNovember 8, 2016Victoria Wedding, Victoria Event Planning, victoria wedding planner, wedding planning victoria, Church and State Wedding, Verbena Floral Design, Ameris Photography, Winery weddingComment

Crystal & Dan

Here in Victoria, we are pretty lucky to get to call Hatley Castle one of our venues. Couples come from all over the place to get married at the Castle and live out their fairytale wedding. Crystal & Dan were one of those couples, and fell majorly, head over heels, in love with the Castle. And lucky for us, they asked FKE to help bring their vision to life! Overflowing with elegant details, soft florals and high-end furnishings, their classic wedding celebration was filled with style and glamour. We infused the elegant setting of the Castle into everything, and created an ultra romantic atmosphere through the pastel colour palette of blush and lavender.

There was SO much pretty at this wedding, I don't even know where to start!!! One of my ultimate favourite details though, has to have been the carnation curtain, styled as the backdrop to their cake. Fading from purple to blush, the ombre curtain was utter perfection! The couples signature drink, "The Rocha", featuring fresh blackberry's that turned the cocktail purple (obviously!) was also perfectly on pointe. And the gorgeous pieces of furniture, from Bash Specialty, helped create castle worthy lounge vignettes for the guests during cocktail reception and dinner, and provided the sweetest couples love seat I ever did see! My favourite thing about this wedding though, would have to be how lovely Crystal & Dan were throughout the entire day. Their love for each other overflowed to all their family, friends and vendors, and that is what truly makes a wedding incredible.

**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 Christie Graham Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Christie Graham Photography
Venue - Hatley Castle
Catering - Truffles Catering
Florals - FLEURtacious
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty
Hair & Makeup - Beauty & Style by Erin Bradley
Invitations - Wedding Paper Divas
Cake - Schur to Please

Real WeddingsBarb WalkerApril 21, 2016Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Hatley Castle, Christie Graham Photography, FLEURtacious, Castle wedding, wedding designerComment

Bretton & Chris: Featured on Wedding Chicks

A few weeks ago, Bretton & Chris' west coast wedding was featured on Wedding Chicks. This was exciting for multiple reasons, one of which being that it was our first time being featured on their blog (yay!), but also that we have been DYING to share these images since basically last September. As you go through the gallery below, I hope that you'll see why ;)

Working with Bretton & Chris was a total wedding planners dream. The couple was just so excited to get married and to celebrate with their friends and family, and they put a lot of trust in their vendors, allowing everyone involved to really stretch their creativity. The wedding took place at the Father of the Brides vacation property in Fanny Bay, mid Vancouver Island BC. Fanny Bay is world famous for their oysters, and picturesque beach front properties. We took inspiration from all of these things, and created a day that not only reflected the couples love of entertaining, but also our the location. One of our favourite details inspired from our location had to be the oyster bar! Obviously.

This was a wedding day filled with tons of emotion: a lot of laughs, some (happy) tears, and best of all, a party that the couple and their guests will never forget. I will always be thankful for Bretton & Chris asking us to be a part of their wedding, and for welcoming our whole team into their lives! I feel like we have made life time friends, and their wedding will definitely go down as a highlight for us.

**Make sure to check out the gallery of photos below, beautifully captured by Kristyn Harder Photography, as well as the video by the ever so talented Koyo Photography.

Planning - French Kiss Events
Photography - Kristyn Harder Photography
Videography - Koyo Photography
Floral Design - Verbena Floral Design
Hair - Andrea Williams
Makeup - House of Beauty
Catering - Custom Gourmet
Oyster Bar - The Wandering Mollusk
DJ - HiWay Productions
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty
Cake - Ruth & Dean

FKE Featured, Real WeddingsBarb WalkerMarch 15, 2016Comment

Kelsey & Colin

This wedding may seem a bit familiar, as it was featured a couple months ago on my favourite blog, Style Me Pretty (check it out here), and has also made numerous guest appearances in my instagram feed. And so I thought that it was about time that I shared my favourite images of this magical wedding day with all of you!

As you'll see for yourself in a second, Kelsey & Colin's wedding was special. Yes, it was beautiful. Yes, the vendors were outstanding. Yes, the couple was gorgeous. But it was more than just all that. The relationship that I built with K&C over the 18 months we worked together planning and designing, was one that I will always treasure, and the energy and spirit of their wedding day was one that you just can't plan for. I always say that a wedding day takes on a life of its own, and as the day continues to unfold, I love watching this happen organically. Kelsey & Colin's wedding day was a non-stop celebration, and I am thankful beyond words that I got to be a part of it. I could go on and on about my favourite details (The folk band that played throughout dinner, an insanely gorgeous dessert table, Kelsey's bouquet, photos strung along the path to the ceremony...), but I am going to let the photo's do it for me. This one is special folks...enjoy.

**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 AMERIS.

KELSEY COLIN MARRIED-RECEPTION DETAILS-0002.jpg

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - AMERIS
Ceremony Venue - Starling Lane Winery
Reception Venue - Sea Cider
Floral Design - Verbena Floral Design
Catering - The London Chef
Dessert - Ruth and Dean
Live Music - The O'Brien Family
DJ - Airwaves Music
Stationery - Tuktu Paper Co.
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Melanie Baird Makeup Artistry
Wedding Dress - Truvelle, from The White Peony

FKE Featured, Real WeddingsBarb WalkerFebruary 9, 2016Comment

FKE in Print: Wedding Bells

It is always an honour to have our work featured in print, and I couldn't be more thrilled to have Natosha & Bryant's spring 2015 Hatley Castle wedding, in the most recent issue of wedding bells. I mean, gorgeous jewel toned palette, classic with an edge design, and a head over heels in love couple?!! Pretty awesome if you ask me! Working with Natosha & Bryant on their wedding was a total treat and I loved every moment of planning and designing their day and seeing it come to life.

The first few conversations with a couple always give us a pretty accurate idea of their priorities, overall aesthetic and personalities. We like to get a good sense of how they decorate their home, what a perfect date night might look like, and how they normally celebrate with their friends and family. For Natosha & Bryant, it became very clear early on, that these guys wanted a day that allowed their guests to relax and enjoy the gorgeous grounds at the Castle, listen to good music and feel like them, even though they were in a castle. And so, with a personal style described to us as traditional, but with an edge, that is exactly what we set out to do. Fun pops of colour and watercolour were infused throughout, and texture mixed with soft blooms, took centre stage in the florals. Colourful lounge seating on the terrace, lawn games, and the formal dining room, all flowed seamlessly into one another, and was a space the guests could enjoy all throughout. And the music, both live and and a customized playlist of all the couples favourites, kept the guests dancing and mingling under the stars, all night long.

Thank you Natosha & Bryant, for trusting us with your wedding vision, and for having us be a part of this incredible day! And thank you to ALL the amazing vendors, who made this day not only perfect for the couple, but magazine worthy too!

Photography: Kim Kalyn Photography
Venue: Hatley Castle
Catering: Truffles Catering
Florals: FLEURtacious by Lynda Marie
Invitations: Rock Paper Square
Day of Stationery: French Kiss Events
Design: French Kiss Events
Furniture Rentals: Bash Specialty
DJ: Hiway Productions
Ceremony Music: Allegro Con Trio
Hair: Conscious Hair by Elena
Makeup: Beauty & Style by Erin Bradley

**All photos below courtesy of Kim Kalyn Photography

FKE Featured, Real WeddingsBarb WalkerJanuary 5, 2016Comment

Karley & Timon

Sometimes I can hardly believe how lucky I am to be doing the job that I am. Every couple that invites me into their lives during this incredible exciting time is special, and I love the relationships that are created with each one throughout the planning. Every once in a while though, a couple comes along that steals my heart completely. Karley & Timon were one of those couples. They immediately welcomed me with open arms into their lives, and our year of planning was filled with some serious laughs, lots of baby cuddles, hilarious antcidotes of motherhood vs. wedding planning, and more love than I can imagine. You see, Karley & Timon decided to take on the immense task of planning their dream wedding, right after the birth of their twin boys. Combine that with also raising the sweetest 4 year old around, you could say their life was a bit hectic.

It was such an honour to be able to create this day for them, and take away all the stress that can come along with planning. The details were absolutely exquisite and will go down as one of my favourite weddings of 2015. They wanted a day all about family & friends, and we designed just that. In the afternoon, an English inspired garden party took place, with 40 of their nearest and dearest. Elegant lounge seating, gourmet food stations (like a pretzel bar!), a live string strio and gorgeous florals, all helped to set the tone. In the evening, 20 of the couples closest friends came together and experienced one of the funniest evenings I have ever witnessed! A murder mystery group took over, and entertained the guests throughout courses of the gourmet dinner. Truly a day that I will never forget. Thank you so much to the incredibly talented Ryan MacDonald Photography, for the photos below. Make sure to scroll to the end, for a complete list of all the vendors who helped make this day so perfect.

Planning/Design: French Kiss Events
Florals: Verbena Floral Design
Photography: Ryan MacDonald Photography
Venue: Villa Marco Polo
Catering: Toque Catering
Tent & Rentals: Black & White Events
Furniture Rentals: Bash Specialty
Hair: Conscious Hair
Makeup: Melanie Baird
Invitation: Minted
Day of Stationery: French Kiss Events
Music: Allegro Con Trio
Murder Mystery Group: Victoria Murder Mystery

Real WeddingsBarb WalkerAugust 27, 2015Comment

FKE Featured in Utterly Engaged

Seeing our work printed, is always incredible. But seeing a wedding that was a true labour of love for all the vendors and for 2 very special people...well that is just as good as it gets folks! The most recent copy of Utterly Engaged is available to order, and amongst it's gorgeous pages of drool worth inspiration, is the wedding of Stephanie & James. I first met Stephanie through my good friend Vanessa, of Verbena Floral Design, who snatched her up to join her crew, once discovering Steph's insane floral talent! So, you can only imagine all the fun that we had planning their wedding, which included an over abundance of beautiful blooms, the perfect setting, a team of vendors who all know and love each other, and 2 of the best people I know! Thank you, Steph & James, for asking us to be a part of your wedding! We couldn't have asked for a better couple, and have loved being a part of your story ever since! And thank you to ALL the amazing vendors who helped make this day what it was! Make sure to read below to see some of my favourite moments from the day.

Photography: E/A Photography
Planning - French Kiss Events
Florals & Decor - Verbena Floral Design
Venue - Starling Lane Winery
Bridal Gown - The White Peony
Beauty Team - Conscious Hair by Elena, Melanie Baird Makeup Artistry & Beauty & Style by Erin Bradley
Cake - Pure Vanilla
Catering - Truffles Catering
Decor Rentals - Simply Sunday Vintage Rentals

All images courtesy of E/A Photography

FKE Featured, Real WeddingsBarb WalkerJune 10, 2015victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning, Verbena Floral Design, E/A Photography, Starling Lane Wedding, Rustic Wedding Comment

Our Wedding: The Moments

I can hardly believe that it has been almost 6 months, since my handsome hubby & I officially tied the knot! Where does the time go?!! Before I know it, I'm going to be on the hunt for something "paper" to celebrate our first anniversary! How exciting!

In celebration of our wedding being featured on one of my favourite blogs, Style Me Pretty, last week, I thought it was about time that I shared a more personal look into what truly was, the best day of our lives! Over on SMP, I wrote a long blurb (what Nick refers to as "the essay") that shares a bit beyond our story, the design inspiration, and why we chose Maui. Over here though, I thought I would keep things on the simple side, and share my top 10 favourite moments of the day.

So, without further ado, here are my Top 10 Favourite Moments (in no particular order), all captured beautifully, but the insanely talented AMERIS.

1. After arriving to the location where Nick & I would share our first look, I was informed that I had to hop the fence. Challenge accepted.

2. Our first look. I'm pretty sure Nick was feeling the same thing I was in this moment...

3. A quick pit stop with our wedding party. The guy at the taco truck didn't know what had hit him when we showed up.

4. The moment when my Dad came to get me to walk me down the aisle.

5. Exchanging our vows, and getting to share smiles with this man throughout them.

6. Our first kiss as a married couple. This was definitely a good moment.

7. Walking through our reception for the first time, with the amazing ladies of Belle Destination. It was fun getting to be on the other side of this "tour" for once!

8. Sharing our first dance, under the Hawaiian sky.

9. High Fives all around!

10. Laughing over the piece of cake that fell down my dress. Yup. That happened.

Real Weddings, FKE FeaturedBarb WalkerApril 22, 2015Maui wedding, Hawaii wedding, Maui wedding planner, Destination wedding, Ameris Photography, Mandy Grace Designs, Garnish EventsComment

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

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