French Kiss Events, Victoria’s luxury boutique wedding planning and design firm, specializing in creating weddings and events that are personalized down to the smallest detail.

Journal

Real Wedding: Tiff & Levi

Over 10 years ago, 2 teenagers met while on summer vacation at a campground in Canada with their families.   They instantly became friends, and not long after that, started dating.  After over a decade of growing up together,  falling in love, and building an incredible life together, they decided to make it official in beautiful Victoria, BC!  And I'm thanking my lucky stars, as they chose FKE to bring their day to life, and oh man...it was a good one folks! Taking place at the 2 most iconic venues in the city, Hatley Castle and The Empress Hotel, their wedding vision was grand from the start of the planning, and we pulled out all the stops to bring it to life!  

One of my favourite things about this wedding, was the epic seating chart that we pulled together.  I've had this idea for a few years now, and we were just waiting for the perfect wedding to create it at!  As guests arrived to the ceremony, all of their pics were snapped at a portrait station (thanks Four Frames!) near the entrance to the Castle.  Those photos were then printed and turned into polaroids that we displayed at the couples reception, acting as the guests personalized escort cards!  It was a huge hit, and something that everyonewas blown away by.

The reception space was overflowing with luxurious details and we infused the couples impeccable taste all throughout.  The neutral palette of soft creams, greys & blush tones, helped transform the ballroom setting into a modern day take on the traditional space. The menu, custom designed by The Empress's chef, was served tapa style, inspired by all the couples favourite eats! Ranging from sushi to maui rib sliders, the food was a hit!  And as the lights dimmed, guests partied the night away to Side One's 8 piece band (always a favourite of mine), photo booth, Mojito bar and Popcorn station!

It was definitely a wedding to remember, and for sure the party of the summer!  One of the things I love most about weddings though, is no matter how much planning you do and how many incredible details there are, often the best moments of the day are the unplanned ones.  This was definitely the case for Tiff & Levi.  After dinner, the couple sneaked out with Ryan Flynn and Kismet Creative for some sunset shots down in the harbour.  A band busking in the harbour congratulated the couple, and then asked them what their first dance was.  The song was "Georgia" by Vance Joy, and without skipping a beat, the band began playing it for them, and they had their first dance right then and there, in the harbour, just the 2 of them.  Pure magic!  You can see this gorgeous day unfold below, and make sure to check out the incredible video by Kismet at the top! 

**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 Ryan Flynn Photographer.  Video courtesy of Kismet Creative.

Planning & Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Ryan Flynn Photography
Videography - Kismet Creative
Ceremony Venue - Hatley Castle
Reception Venue - The Empress
Florals - Verbena Floral Design & Thorn & Thistle
Stationery - Love by Phoebe
Band - Side One
Cake - Passion for Cakes
Linens - Faire la Fete
Hair - Conscious Hair
Makeup - Carly Flint
Photobooth - Four Frames Photo Booth

Currently Inspired by: Edition 16

We have been knee-deep in design plans this month and we're not complaining! It is such a fun and creative part of the whole wedding planning process. We love taking our clients' vision and bringing it to life with our own flare, and then we get to present it back to them. We are so inspired by the things we have featured this month they have all made it into our design plans in more ways than one! Stay tuned to see how we incorporate them this wedding season.

Pampas Grass
We are getting serious Southern California vibes with the use of pampas grass lately, and we absolutely love it. This versatile grass works for bohemian to romantic weddings, while making a bold statement in a cost-effective way.

Source: Bridal Musings

Source: Bridal Musings

Source: Rock Paper Details

Source: Rock Paper Details

Unique Escort Card Displays
We love the opportunity to put a fun twist on traditional wedding components like escort cards! It's a great way to create a stylish vignette that your guests will have so much fun perusing for their names.

Source: Style Me Pretty

Source: Style Me Pretty

Source: Style Me Pretty

Source: Style Me Pretty

Colourful Cocktail Table Linens
Our favourite way to infuse our couples' colour palettes into the decor is through cocktail table linens! It is the perfect way to incorporate accents colours in a bold way that won't overwhelm the look of the wedding.

Source: Faire La Fete Linens

Source: Faire La Fete Linens

Source: Style Me Pretty

Source: Style Me Pretty

Office Talk: Edition 15

Hello March!! February flew by and we really had a lot to talk about in the office this month! We all love the olympics and enjoyed watching Canada kill it in nearly every sport (except hockey) in Pyeongchang! We also got to spend lots of quality time with our SOs and the whole family for Valentines Day and Family Day this month. Despite all that chatter and family time, we also continued to plan weddings believe it or not! We are seriously drooling over the design plans for this season, it's going to be our best work yet... Stay tuned!

Favourite event to watch at the Olympics!

Current Netflix Binge

Favourite way to get fit

Introducing: Baby Walker

It has officially been 2 months since I became a mother, and holy moly batman!  Speed is moving at warp speed, and I can hardly believe that I have a 2 month old! The past couple months have been the most incredible and transformative for all of us, and both Nick & I are head over heels in love with our little girl.  So, I figured it was about time to do a little introduction on the blog, because let's be honest, I can't get enough of her and just assume that you all want to stare at her as much as I do ;)  All kidding aside though, I have been blown away with the kindness that so many of our friends and family have offered us, and this whole having a baby thing really makes you realize how many people in your tribe are routing for you and sending you love in whatever way they can.

So, without further adieu, I am thrilled to officially introduce you to Madison Elizabeth Walker (aka: Maddie).  She was born on December 23rd, 2017, and yes, we did spend Christmas Day in the hospital.  We were prepared for this possibility though, and I honestly didn't mind one bit!  Everyone at the hospital was absolutely incredible and even though it honestly didn't feel like Christmas at all, it will for sure go down as my most favourite Christmas.  She was 8lbs 3 oz, and came out with a gorgeous head of hair, and the most beautiful blue eyes.  Everyone says she is a mini-Nick, but I am seeing more and more of myself in her as the weeks go on.  She has been an absolutely lovely baby, letting us sleep more than we thought we would get to, and stealing hearts with her serious expressions that has started to break into a joyful smile! (can you tell how much I adore her?! lol!).  

One of the most common questions I've been getting lately, is whether I am managing to get any work done.  And so far, it has been better than I anticipated.  Of course, everything takes about 5 times longer than it used to, and I usually break down into tears about once a week, battling the guilt of not being able to be fully focused on work and not being fully focused on Maddie.  But between the amazing Paula (who has been taking a lot of the pressure off me on the day to day tasks) and the support of Nick & our awesome clients, we have been figuring out our rhythm,and I am so grateful for how smoothly the transition has gone.  These first couple months have made me feel confident that yes, I will be able to put my heart into my business, while also being the best mom I can be. 

During our first few weeks home with her, some of my good friends from the wedding industry, surprised us with the most invaluable gifts.  I've shared some of my favourite moments below, and just want to give the biggest shout out to Jesse Holland, Rob & Julia of Ameris, and Chelsea of Paper Heart Films.  These photos & video are absolute treasures to us, and I honestly can't stop staring!  

xo
Barb

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: Jesse Holland

Photo by: Jesse Holland

Photo by: Jesse Holland

Photo by: Jesse Holland

Photo by: Jesse Holland

Photo by: Jesse Holland

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: Jesse Holland

Photo by: Jesse Holland

Currently Inspired by: Edition 15

This month we are inspired by colour blocking and the bold use of colour. We love when designers don't shy away from daring colour combinations! Incase you didn't know- the art of colour blocking is using colours from the opposite side of the colour wheel and pairing them together, known as complimentary colour blocking. This is the most common type, however there is using colours on the opposite thirds of the colour wheel called triads, or colours beside each other on the wheel called analogous. There is also the method of doing whatever you dang feel like, because there is no wrong answer! Take a look to see our favourite samples of colour blocking used in wedding design down below.

Lounges
Lounges are an easy place to add some colourful statements to your event! Splashes of bold colour using pillows or furniture paired with bright florals makes a big impact. 

Source: Michel B. Events/ Lounge Appeal/ Molly + Co Photo/ Rockrose Floral Design

Source: Michel B. Events/ Lounge Appeal/ Molly + Co Photo/ Rockrose Floral Design

Source: Bash Specialty

Source: Bash Specialty

Invitations
We love using abstract designs and geometric shapes to add colour into your invitations. This is a modern and clean way to incorporate your colour palette from the very beginning.

Source: Minted.com

Source: Minted.com

Source: Minted.com

Source: Minted.com

Tables Settings
Using complimentary colour combos like blue and yellow linens, or pink and green florals, are some of our favourite combinations to create a unique tablescape at your event.

Source: Faire la Fete Linens/Bash Specialty/ Verbena Floral Design/ Rock Paper Square

Source: Faire la Fete Linens/Bash Specialty/ Verbena Floral Design/ Rock Paper Square

Source: Bash Specialty/ Rook & Rose Florals/  Rock Paper Square/ Lille Louise Photography

Source: Bash Specialty/ Rook & Rose Florals/  Rock Paper Square/ Lille Louise Photography

Office Talk: Edition 14

Happy February friends!! That truly felt like one extra long January, so we are excited to welcome in a new month here in the office. This cold and wet time of year has us discussing our favourite products that keep our skin looking fresh and moisturized (take a peek below to check out what works for us),  as well our favourite things about Valentines day with our hunnies! Lots of love to you from all of us at the FKE office! Xoxo

Favourite Valentines Day Gift

Skincare Product We Are Loving

Favourite Latest Purchase

Real Wedding: Tara & Matt

We're diving a bit into the archives today, but I couldn't resist blogging this charming soiree from back in September 2016!  And to be honest, I'm not sure why I haven't shared it already! Where does the time go?! lol!  This wedding was filled with a ton of my favourite things: gorgeous outdoor spaces, a fantastic band, intimate candlelight, and a group of people that are filled with a whole lotta love!  

The day was filled with vintage touches, lots of music and a ton of fun!  We drew inspiration from both the prohibition jazz age and British post-war garden parties (a combo of both Tara & Matt's personal styles!), and created the perfect atmosphere to celebrate the couples new marriage!  Taking many cues from the garden setting at Starling Lane, the games, decor and food was a modern take on a vintage garden party.  And the music and drinks, featured all night long, had a fun throw back to the prohibition days! Our light and fresh colour palette of peach, apricot, blush & grey was tied throughout both Starling Lane and Fireside Grill, and the formal components found in Britain during the 20’s will be highlighted through the vintage place settings and elegant paper goods. 

And as always, so many vendors came together, to make the day as truly spectacular as it was!  It was our first time working with the fantastic husband/wife duo, Sambajoy, and they are as awesome as they are talented!  The band, Good Co. Music, came up from Seattle, and treated everyone to true jazz age entertainment.  And the food....oh the food...both Toque Catering & Fireside Grill hit it out of the park on this one!  Thank you, Tara & Matt, for having us be a part of your truly fun day!  And I hope that you all enjoy the photos below.  xo 

**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 Sambajoy.

Planning/Design - French Kiss Events
Photography - Sambajoy
Florals - Thorn & Thistle
Ceremony Venue - Starling Lane Winery
Cocktail Reception Catering - Toque Catering
Reception Venue - Fireside Grill
Band - Good Co.
Makeup - Melanie Baird
Hair - Mandy Rogers, Hunt & Gather
Cake - Ruth & Dean
Invitations - Minted

Currently Inspired by: Edition 14

This month we are currently inspired by Pantone's colour of the year- Ultra Violet!  We are loving this bold choice, and have been brainstorming all of the ways we can incorporate it into our colour palettes. 

1ee061235e789060f1fe9ed3ee59bff7.jpg

Stationary
Subtle touches in stationary is a unique way to make your invitations stand out.

Source: Zazzle.com

Source: Zazzle.com

Source: The Wedding Playbook

Source: The Wedding Playbook

Florals
Whether it's through blooms or succulents, this colour adds a deep romantic look.

Source: Itakeyou.co.uk

Source: Itakeyou.co.uk

Source: The Wedding Playbook

Source: The Wedding Playbook

Textiles
A watered-down version of this colour for your linens is a great way to include the colour of the year at your event.

Source: Style Me Pretty

Source: Style Me Pretty

Source: Canigueral

Source: Canigueral

Year in Review: 2017
Photo by: The Nickersons

Photo by: The Nickersons

As I sit here writing this, with my 2 week old daughter in my arms (one handed typing is super slow fyi!), I am blown away with how much can change in a year.  2017 was definitely a year of change for me personally, and chugging along beside all that change was a business that I love more than I thought possible, and a crew that is making it possible for me to balance life and work.  This past year, we tore down our house and built a new one, found out we were pregnant (yay!) and welcomed baby Madison into the world, welcomed 2 new planners to the Heyday team, and worked with 11 amazing couples, bringing their dream weddings to life.  It was a big year, and a really really good one.  As I have over the past few years, I thought it would be fun to take a look back over the year that and share with you the highlights.  So, without further adieu, here we go!

The year started off as I like it to...nice and slow...We had a really cold winter in Victoria (which is super rare!), and enjoyed lots of cozy nights in and even a few snow days here and there!  A highlight though was seeing Mica & Nate's wedding featured on SMP here.  If you remember this wedding from last year, you'll remember how special it was, and getting to see it published was such a treat!  

Photo by: AMERIS

Photo by: AMERIS

Come February, we took our annual trip over to Saltspring Island with some really good friends, and enjoyed 4 days of games, hikes, wine, runs & really really good food.  We also met up with AMERIS in February to take some new team photos for the site.  A whole lot of hilarity ensued (as it usually does with them), and I loved getting to update the site with Paula & Nick added on, as they are both so instrumental to FKE! With the arrival of Spring, weekends were completely filled with meetings, mockups, site visits, and full on prep for the upcoming summer of weddings.  

Photo by: Lauren Kurc Photography

Photo by: Lauren Kurc Photography

In April, I had the opportunity to team up with some seriously inspiring ladies, and put together a styled shoot that was totally out of my comfort zone.  The results were drop.dead.gorgeous., and I can't wait to share the images with you all very soon!  Stay tuned...  Paula & I also signed up for a Modern Calligraphy class taught by the wickedly talented Kate Campbell, and our obsession with wedding signage grew that much more!  In the middle of the month, Nick & I escaped to the Okanagan with some friends, for the Easter long weekend, for a much needed vacay before the craziness of wedding season began.  And let me tell you all this: the Okanagan is AMAZING!  Go there immediately!  So much delicious wine (obviously!) and food!  And the wineries...so many beautiful spaces!  I would absolutely love to start planning a wedding or 2 there each year, and so I am putting it out into the universe for 2019.  Any couples out there that love wine country as much as me?  Take me with you!

IMG_2811.JPG
Photo by: Jesse Holland

Photo by: Jesse Holland

After a really relaxing Winter & Spring, $*%t got real in May: We tore our house down and found out I was pregnant (all within the same week, just in case you were curious lol!).  Wedding season was just around the corner as well, and our sister company, Heyday, kicked off the season with a stunner at Starling Lane Winery.  This wedding was featured on SMP (woohoo!!).  And at the end of the month, we helped to gather all of our favourite people in the Victoria wedding industry at the annual Meetup.  This time, Toque treated us to an incredible sit down feast, and I honestly don't know how we are going to top it in 2018!  

Photo by: Taylor Roades Photography

Photo by: Taylor Roades Photography

Photo by: Ryan Flynn Photography

Photo by: Ryan Flynn Photography

June kicked off the FKE wedding season, and once it got rolling, there was no stopping until October.  This season was also the season of live music (woohoo!), which is hands down, my favourite part of weddings.  Our first 4 weddings all had bands, which kept the parties going well into the night.  We stayed close to home this year, celebrating at a family farm, an English estate, a winery, and some of the most iconic spots in Victoria (hello Empress!), just to name a few.  In June, I also took the leap, and started to take guitar lessons!  Random, right?!  I've wanted to learn for years, and finding out I was pregnant was the final straw that got me to the music school.  In my mind, I'm going to be able to play like this within a year, but in reality, we all know that is never going to happen lol!  

Photo by: Katrina Massey Photography

Photo by: Katrina Massey Photography

Photo by: Amee Nijjar Photography 

Photo by: Amee Nijjar Photography 

In July, Nick & I escaped to Vancouver to see Jack Johnson (#bucketlist), and then also managed to take off to Saltspring Island again for our dating anniversary.  We seriously love that place!  Upon our return, it was back to weddings!  There were some seriously stunning ones this year, and as the galleries come in, I'm reminded how lucky I am to work with such amazing couples, and equally amazing vendors who help me pull off these wicked celebrations! 

Photo by: Blush Photography

Photo by: Blush Photography

Photo by: The Nickersons

Photo by: The Nickersons

August & September took us to another farm, an Inn by the sea, an Island resort, a Castle, and back to the Empress (twice).  I also did a little happy dance when this wedding was published in Real Weddings (#pinchme).  

Photo by: Luke Liable Photography

Photo by: Luke Liable Photography

Photo by: Christine Pienaar Photography

Photo by: Christine Pienaar Photography

In October, feeling insanely pregnant (hello third trimester!), Nick & I headed off on a baby moon to our absolute favourite place in the world....you guessed it...Maui! Our days were spent debating whether we should go to the beach or pool (tough decisions!), eating a lot of delicious food, and really soaking up the last few moments of it being just the 2 of us.  Upon returning home, life started to move at warp speed. Our house was nearing the finish line, all things baby prep officially took over, and we were so honoured to have an incredible baby bash hosted for us by Laura!  I was also stoked to add Bonnie  to the Heyday team, and made it official with a new team shoot for the Heyday site!

Photo by: Jesse Holland Photography

Photo by: Jesse Holland Photography

At the beginning of December, we moved into the house!! Woohoo!!  The timing couldn't have been better, and our incredible builders, Philco Construction, worked their butts off to make sure we were in the house before baby came!  The rest of the month was spent unpacking, settling in, and working as hard as possible on all of our 2018 weddings before baby arrived.  And on December 23rd, our whole life completely changed, with the arrival of Madison Elizabeth Walker.  We are head over heels in love with her, and she has already stolen both of our hearts in a big way.  Basically the best way to end this incredible year, and I have no idea how 2018 is going to top it.  But...I am up for the challenge, and can't wait to see what the new year brings!

Photo by: Tegan McMartin Photography

Photo by: Tegan McMartin Photography

Office Talk: Edition 13

Hello 2018!!! We couldn't be more excited to start off a new year here in the office, with so many gorgeous weddings to plan. A lot happened at the very end of 2017- Barb finished building her dream home, we have a new office, and a tiny new FKE team member in the form of Madison Walker was born! We are sad the holidays are over, but so excited to get back into the swing of things and make some gorgeous events we can be proud of.

P.S. We decided to give our "Guilty Pleasures" a new name: Office Talk!  Stay tuned for our monthly discussions about what we are chatting about here in the office.

Favourite Christmas Gift

Goal for 2018

Current Netflix Binge