If you've been following along on the blog lately, you may have noticed a few subtle hints that have been dropped.  Well, I am SO excited to be sharing with you all today, the very exciting (and slightly terrifying) news, that Nick & I are building a brand spankin' new home!  And not only are we building a new home, but we are having our current home removed to make room for the new one (and moving in with my parents in the meantime).  We started working on this massive project back in September, and to say that we are anxious for there to be a hole in the ground would be a HUGE understatement!  It has been a roller coaster of emotions over the past few months, as designs were perfected, building plans started, and the budgeting progressed, but we are nearing the finish line of the planning stages (yay!) and getting ready to move out.  

Now, as much as all this is incredibly exciting (and I am thanking my lucky stars every day that we are getting to do this), it is also quite bitter sweet.  Saying goodbye to our current home and watching it be taken away is going to be really hard.  It is the only house that Nick & I have known together, and our entire relationship has unfolded there over the past 11 years.  We have many wonderful memories in it, and I am going to miss so many little things about it.  It's the house we first brought our pup home to, and the house that Nick proposed to me in.  The house that hosted many (many!) parties, and the house where FKE was born.  This next week is going to be an emotional one for both of us, and I will be doing my best to keep it together. 

Over the next 6 months, I will be doing regular blog posts on how the build is going, and more importantly, how the design plans are coming along (more on that next week!).  For now though, I thought I would share my 4 favourite things about our old home, and I just hope that the new home will be filled with as much love as this one has been. (please excuse the poor quality of these photos....it's the best a gal can do when in the middle of packing...)

# 1

# 2

# 3

#4

1. Built-in Bookcase
This beautiful built-in was built by one of our very talented carpenter friends, and it is hands down, my favourite part of our house.  He matched it to the connecting mantle perfectly, and it suits the house so well, everyone always thinks it is an original feature.  

2. Photo Wall
In our kitchen, I have a wall dedicated to our latest and greatest pics (always printed from Artifact Uprising)!  It's located right next to our coffee machine, and so I always get a big smile every morning looking at them, while waiting for my first cup of the day to brew.

3. The Bar
It's no secret that Nick & I like our cocktails.  This little corner houses just a small selection of our favourite spirits, but it is always fun to look through it when entertaining.  And the table it's on?  Nick's grandfather made that, and after I gave it some TLC with a fresh coat of paint years ago, it looked good as new!

4. Glass doorknobs
Our house was originally built in 1943, and still has many of its original features.  These glass door knobs are absolutely beautiful, and will definitely be saved for somewhere in the new home.  They just don't make them like this anymore... 

So, when some of your absolute favourite people in the world make a baby, life is pretty great, right?!  Now, when those friends ask you to help them celebrate said babies first birthday?  It doesn't get any better than that...  That is just what happened last Spring, when I had the honour of planning a very special 1st birthday party for some of my closest friends adorable daughter, Georgia (aka. Gigi).  Having the opportunity to help my friends celebrate this incredible milestone in their lives was absolutely wonderful, and it was so much fun creating a magical space that could be enjoyed by kids, friends & family alike.  Set in the beautiful gardens of Starling Lane (a favourite of mine!), guests were treated to a lovely afternoon of visiting, baby snuggles, and lots of delicious food.  

When first starting the planning, I had lots and lots of conversations with Tara (Gigi's beautiful mama) all about Gigi's favourite things.  A colour palette was quickly established, based off of her nursery design, and then our conversation turned towards her love of animals and books.  We took inspiration from one of her favourite books, The Crown on Your Head, by Nancy Tillman (if you haven't seen this book, I highly recommend it!).  It is overflowing with beautiful animal illustrations, as well as darling quotes, many of which we styled throughout the gardens.  The crown theme was also carried throughout the party, including a fun crown station for all the guests to partake in!  My absolute favourite crown of the day had to be the feather crown made for Georgia.  My Mom actually made it (she's a pretty rad lady!), and much to everyone's delight, Gigi wore it the entire afternoon! 

This was an incredibly special afternoon, and I absolutely love looking back through the pics and remembering this day.  I am so grateful that we have such wonderful friends in our lives, and love getting to be a part of their families milestones! 

**Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the complete list of all the a-team vendors that helped make this day so incredible!  All photos courtesy of Kim Kalyn Photography.

Planning & Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Kim Kalyn Photography
Florals - Thorn & Thistle
Catering - Salt & Pepper Fox
Sweets - Ruth & Dean
Cake - Homemade by Tara
Furniture - Bash Specialty
Venue - Starling Lane Winery

Us here at the FKE Team team have been doing quite a bit of Spring shopping lately (oops!). Lots of fun trends and new arrivals in the fashion world has inspired us to do a fashion-focused Currently Inspired by! Scroll down for our three favourite trends at the moment.

Fun Groomsmen Ties
Guys should be able to have fun with fashion too! We are absolutely loving these quirky patterned ties. The Tie Bar is our go-to place for all things groomsmen.

Source: Style Me Pretty / Photography: Katie Grant Photography

Source: Green Wedding Shoes / Photography: David Matthew Fiser

Poppy Red
There is no colour more fun and sassy than bright poppy red! We have to say we got our inspo from Club Monaco which is currently rocking this colour hard. Splashes of poppy red are perfect way to make an outfit pop.

Source: Magnolia Rouge Photography: Nicole Berrett Photography

Source: Club Monaco

Bridesmaid Jumpsuits
A super fun twist on the traditional bridesmaid dress. One of our fashion forward brides is decking out her bridesmaid in a jump suit and we can't wait to see it come together. 

Source: JLM Couture

Source: BHLDN Weddings

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Photo by: AMERIS

For the past 3 years, we have had a tradition of spending the Easter weekend with friends (as seen here and here).  It is always perfectly timed right before the craziness of wedding season begins, and I love having a Spring trip to look forward to throughout the winter.  This year, we are hitting the road and heading to the Okanagan (aka. Canadian wine country).  It's an area I haven't spent a lot of time in, and I am so, so SO excited to take a few days to relax and explore it.  I will be sure to document a lot of our trip on Instagram Stories, so be sure to follow along here.  I will also be putting together a travel guide post after our trip, rounding up our favourite wineries and activities, so keep your eyes peel for that!  

Now, it is about a 4.5 hour drive (post-ferry) to the Okanagan from Victoria, and we will be attempting this drive with 4 adults & 2 dogs (1 being a puppy) all in the same car.  To say that the drive is going to be an adventure, is a bit of an understatement, but I have prepared a hilarious playlist for the occasion, and I couldn't be more excited!  Due to a lack of space, we will be all packing light, but I've rounded up below a few of the items that I will definitely be bringing along...  I hope that everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend, and that you get to take some time to recharge and get ready for what will be, an amazing summer!

1. - 4. Winery outfit essentials: Striped Top, Jean Jacket, White Jeans & Black Flats.  5. Notebook to journal our favourite wines & spots.  6. Flirty spring dress for a dinner out.  7. S'well water bottle, because hydrating is important.  8.  Book for the road!

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Spring is here, and that means a lot of couples are knee-deep in wedding invitations ('tis the season, right?!)  Understanding the etiquette around traditional wedding invites can be quite a daunting task, but modern couples can easily customize them to be minimal, extravagant, traditional or however they please! Many of the components in an invitation suite could alternatively be added to a wedding website (our favourites are via Riley & Grey), but for those who love stationery as much as we do, we thought we'd help out by breaking down all the different components that can go into an invitation suite.

Photo via: Pinterest | Invitations: Rachel Marvin Creative | Photography:Kristina Adams Photography

The Envelope - An obvious staple of the invitation! Typical wedding invitations fit in a standard A7 envelope (fits a 5" x 7" invitation). The guests names and address are written on the front and the return names and address are often on the back flap. You can handwrite on the envelopes, hire a calligrapher, or have them printed in a design of your choosing from sites like Minted.com. Don't forget you can also add a fun envelope liner to integrate design elements into your invitation.  When thinking about how to address the envelopes, here are a few rules you should consider: 

• List all the names of the guests invited, so that there is no room for misunderstanding.  If you are inviting all the members of a family, "The Smith Family" will work great.  But if just the parents are invited, then you should indicate so, like this: "John and Sally Smith"

• If you are having a fairly formal wedding, proper titles should be used (Dr., Mr., Mrs., Ms. etc.).  Otherwise, it is fairly common to address the guests without their title.

• Start collecting your addresses asap.  This always takes longer then you think it will.

Photo via: Pinterest | Source: La Happy

The Invite - The most important part! The invitation should include the who-what-when-and-where. It must include your names, the date, and the ceremony time and location.  This is also the perfect place to set the tone for your wedding, and to give your guests a sense of whether your wedding will be formal, casual, off-beat, adventurous (you get the idea...).  There are a lot of rules to wording your invitation, many of which you can find here, but here are some of the most important ones: 

• Whoever is paying for the wedding should be listed first.  If both sets of parents are contributing, a wonderful way to phrase  the start of the invitation is: "Together with our families".  

• The Bride's name is traditionally listed first.  For same sex couples, there are no rules as to who should be listed first, so go with whatever feels natural!

• List the actual start time of the Ceremony.  Some couples are inclined to list an earlier start time, to ensure that nobody is late.  This however can backfire, as most people know that the wedding time on an invitation is the start time, and so they arrive 15 - 30 min's ahead of time.  If you list the time too early, you will have guests arriving an hour before the wedding, which nobody likes. 

• If you would like your guests to follow a particular dress code, indicate it on the invitation.

• Do not include any information regarding your registry on the invitation.  This should be communicated to your guests either via your website or on a Details card.

Some couples opt to send electronic invitations, but we always encourage our couples to still send an invitation, even in its simplest form.  It is something physical that they can put on the fridge and be in their face, reminding them that they have to mark the calendar and save the date! 

Source: La Happy | Photography: The Nickersons

The Reception Card - The reception card is typically used if the reception is held at a different location than the ceremony. Therefore, it would list the the start time and address of the reception, as well as any additional information your guests will need to know.  If the reception is at the same location as the ceremony, the invite often will include a line that reads "Dinner and dancing to follow" or "Reception to immediately follow", so a reception card would not be necessary.  You can also combine all this information on the main invitation if you prefer.

Source: Minted.com

The Response Card - Traditionally, this is a card that guests fill out to indicate whether they can or cannot attend your wedding. They can also fill out the details about who will be joining them if they have a plus one, and their meal selection. It is very common these days to ask guests to RSVP online at your wedding website.  Either way, make sure to include a "please respond by" date, and give yourself enough time before the wedding that you can follow up with any guests that have no responded. If you do decide to have a physical Response card that your guests will be mailing back to you, make sure to include a return envelope with your address already written, and astamp to make it easy for your guests!

Source: La Happy | Photography: The Nickersons

The Directions Card - If the wedding events are at separate spots,or if the location is hard to find or complicated to get to, a directions card (with or without a map) for out of town guests can be a nice touch. You can also include useful information about the area and the accommodation information.  This is not necessary, but for those couples who just love all things paper, it can be a fun addition to the suite!

Photo via: Pinterest | Stationery: Elizabeth Baddeley Design | Source: Brit + Co.

Other - To tie all your beautiful pieces together, there are a lot of was you can do this, so get creative!  A belly band, ribbon, or sting are quite common, and will help make all the paper pieces feel complete.  

Source: La Happy

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It's pretty hard to get more picturesque than Hatley Castle, and for those couples wanting a wedding out of a fairy tale, this is the spot for them! Linda & Ying, are from Seattle, and after falling in love the Castle and Victoria, decided to host their summer wedding at this majestic venue.  We began working together around 6 months before their August wedding, and dove head first into the planning.  Food and overall guest comfort was top priority for these guys, and so a lot of planning went into their fantastic 3 course plated meal and all the transitions throughout the day.  And we infused so many fun little personal details into the wedding, that instantly made the guests smile!  My favourite of which being their "math problem" seating chart.  {Full disclosure: I had absolutely nothing to do with coming up with the math problems their guests had to solve in order to find out their table number, as if I had, everyones would have been similar to 1+1...}

Their classic palette of white, blush, champagne & gold, suited the castle beautifully, and I love the fresh/bright approach we took when designing the dining room, which is sometimes a tricky room at Hatley Castle.  Adding in the white chivari chairs instantly brightened the space, and the head table placed in the centre of the room, amongst all the other guest tables, gave the room a very sophisticated flow to it.  All throughout the night, it was so lovely watching Linda & Ying, a couple clearly ridiculously in love, spend meaningful time with their guests, and I know that everyone there felt right at home.  It was perfect. 

**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 Joanna Moss Photography.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Joanna Moss Photography
Floral Design - FLEURtacious
Ceremony Venue - Hatley Castle
Catering - Truffles
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Melanie Baird
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty
DJ - Highway Productions

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Spring has finally sprung in Victoria, and we are keeping super busy these days, as wedding season is just around the corner.  Lots of exciting things are brewing, and we have a very BIG move happening soon (more to come on that soon), so spring cleaning is a bit of an understatement.  To celebrate the start of a new month (hello April!), here's a peak into some of the office chatter that's been around these parts as of late...

Our Favourite Wedding Movies of All Time:

Barb: Father of the Bride

Paula: My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Laura: Bridesmaids

Current Spring Fashion Trend We are Loving:

Barb: Embroidered Tops

Paula: Clogs

Laura: Seaside Stripes

Our Current Reads:

Barb: Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

Paula: The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo

Laura: A Man Called Ove

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Music.  The soundtrack to your wedding.  It is one of our absolute favourite parts of a wedding, and has the power to instantly change the vibe of any space. There is always a lot of excitement around a couples First Dance song, and we love seeing what our couples come up with, hearing the story behind it, and knowing that it will forever be "their" song!  We decided to share some of our tips for picking out a first dance song, and some of our all-time favourite real FKE couple choices. 

First Dance tips & tricks:

• Take one of your favourite songs and have it performed acoustically

• Find a song that both you and your partner love! Think about songs that mean a lot to you both lyrically and melodically.

• If you are nervous to be hitting the dance floor, make sure to pick a song that isn't too long! Find a song 3 minutes or less, or see if your DJ or band can cut it down for you.

• Don't think your first dance song has to be slow and sappy. Upbeat songs are just as great!

• Consider having your first dance before dinner, alongside your grand entrance to the reception. It's a great way to get a picture perfect moment and also get over any nerves.

• Hire a dance instructor to show you how to properly dance to your tune. We're not talking a perfectly choreographed performance, but instead learning the basics of how to lead and follow (so you can be like Fred & Ginger on the dance floor!)

• Practice with your wedding shoes on.

• Make sure your wedding dress bustles so you aren't tripping over extra fabric.

• Don't be afraid to try something fun and different.  Your guests will love it!

Over the past 6 years of weddings, we have had the privilege of witnessing countless beautiful first dances.  There are a few that stand out though, and still give us chills when we think back to them.  Below are some of our personal favourite first dances from past FKE weddings.  Give the songs a listen, close your eyes, and we promise you'll end up having a huge smile on your face! 

Catherine & Patricio: Sunday Kind of Love by Etta James

Taylor Roades Photography

Brad & Nicole: Cheek to Cheek by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

Jennifer Ballard Photography

Lauren & David: A Kiss to Build a Dream On by Louis Armstrong

Jenna & Tristan Photography

Mica & Nate: Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You by Lauryn Hill

The Nickersons Photography

Barb & Nick: You Are the Best Thing by Ray LaMontagne (Acoustic Cover)

Ameris Photography

And just for fun here is our prediction for the #1 first dance song of 2017...

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Ok folks.  I am so, so, SO excited to share this one with you.  I've been holding on to it for way too long, as we had some publication hopes for it, but it is just too good to wait any longer!  This wedding had all of the key ingredients to make it incredible: beautiful couple, gorgeous venues, A-team of vendors, and a palette that has me craving a big glass of Sangria! Ok.  So now on to the details...

Roslyn & Luke’s whimsical summer wedding took place ocean side, on a hot and glorious day in the summer of 2015, and oh was it lovely!  Working with this adorable couple was an absolute dream, and their fun, quirky personalities paired with the drop dead gorgeous backdrop of the PNW, was the perfect recipe for wedding perfection.  The day was overflowing with whimsical and romantic details, fun elements and elegant touches.  The Bride’s parents home played host to the ceremony, and was the dream location to share their i-do’s!  The couple met at University down in the States, and so many of the friends and family of the Groom, were travelling to this beautiful part of the world for the first time.  One of my favourite parts of their wedding, was how we incorporated their dog into so many aspects of the day.  From the invitation and day of goods, to even a special floral dog collar…Milo was the centre of attention!  The stunning florals, designed by our good friend, Verbena Floral Design, also took centre stage, and wowed the guests from start to finish.  

The colour palette, inspired by Roslyn’s (and mine!) favourite summer drink, Sangria, was filled with rich plums, magenta’s, orange and peach.  The bouquets popped beautifully against the grey bridesmaids dresses, and the rest of the florals complimented the lighter blush tones throughout.  The invitations and paper goods, all custom designed by Caribou Creative., were illustrations of the couple and their dog.  And the large painting that hung above the fireplace at the reception, a surprise to the couple from Verbena & myself, helped to create a really cozy and intimate feel in the dining room.  This was such a beautiful and fun celebration, and one that we won’t soon forget!  

**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, and video courtesy of Orriss Films.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - AMERIS
Videography - Orriss Films
Floral Design - Verbena Floral Design
Paper Goods - Caribou Creative
Ceremony Venue - Private Property
Ceremony Catering - Toque Catering
Reception Venue & Catering - Brentwood Bay Resort
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Erin Bradley
Cakes - Schur to Please
Specialty Furniture - Bash Specialty

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I don't know about you guys, but I love a good cocktail. Nick & I have been serious cocktail lovers for years now, and even ensured that at our own wedding, the cocktails got as much attention as the rest of the decor (proof: here).  So when Cahoots, a "small-batch" simple syrup company based out of Vancouver, got in touch with us, we jumped at the chance to try out their products!  

I love that all of their syrups can be used to instantly elevate a drink, and when used while hosting (either at your home or large scale event), help to avoid all the mess & extra work that is normally involved when mixing drinks. Their site has a ton of fun cocktail recipes, with some of my favourite being the Lavender Gin Sour and the Aged Rum Old Fashioned.

One of the recipes that they sent over to us was the Cahoots Lavender Mojito.  Nothing sounded more refreshing, and so we did the tough task of trying it out....tough day at the office, right?! lol!  And I swear I'm not lying when I say that for this particular round, the drinks were made sans liquor.

Cahoots Lavender Mojito

2oz White Rum
3/4oz Cahoots Lavender
Half Lemon
Handful of Mint
Soda
Crushed Ice

Slice lemon into quarters and muddle in a shaker. Add the remaining ingredients with a small handful of crushed ice and shake gently just to incorporate. Pour ingredients into a double highball glass, fill with crushed ice, top with soda and garnish with a mint bouquet and/or lavender flower.

The cocktail itself was incredibly easy to make!  The Lavender Simple Syrup added a lovely light sweetness to the drink, and I completely devoured it (#noregrets).  Such a great way to elevate the average Mojito, and definitely a drink that we will be making regularly around here!  

So often at weddings, couples chose to offer signature drinks, and I honestly love how easy these syrups make that (and the bottles would definitely elevate the styling of the bar! lol!).  Thank you so much Cahoots, for introducing us to your products, and we highly recommend hoping over to their site to see where you can buy some yourself.  

Cheers!

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