Freddie & Jeremy

A barge. A private Island. A Rabi flown in from Australia. Need I say more? The wedding of Freddie & Jeremy last summer, on a privately owned Island in East Sooke, was the definition of epic! Guests flew in from all around the world to spend the week with this lovely couple, and to party well into the night at their black tie affair. Being from England & Australia, Freddie & Jeremy really wanted to embrace the west coast, and the natural beauty of the Island, and with a setting like this, how can you not?!! They say it takes a village, but this wedding (in my mind) took a city of incredible vendors! Verbena Floral Design & her crew set up a mini floral studio on the Island, and blew everyone away with their floral creations! Nava Creative Kosher Cuisine and Side One (only THE best wedding band in BC) both made their way over from Vancouver and impressed everyone beyond belief! And a HUGE thanks to Ameris, for the incredible photos below, and for also being so much fun to hang out with on this wedding day!!

I am so happy that I was able to work with Freddie & Jeremy on their fairytale wedding, and still to do this day, get a huge smile on my face when I remember how incredible it felt to pull this one off! I wish nothing but the best for this incredible couple, and hope that our paths cross again in the future.

xo Barb

Real WeddingsBarb WalkerMay 16, 2014Ameris Photography, Side One, Verbena Floral Design, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding Planning Comments

The Weekend Roundup

Now that wedding season 2014 has officially begun, I am so excited to be starting a new weekly series, called The Weekend Roundup. A chance for me to share with you, a small glimpse into my weddings from the past weekend! And to kick it off, I spent this weekend at a Lawn Bowling Club....yes, that's right, a Lawn Bowling Club!! The place where they met as kids was the place where they said their i-do's, and I couldn't think of a more fitting place for Shannon & Steve's afternoon tea reception! And a HUGE thank you to Taylor Roades Photography, for these seriously AMAZING sneak peeks!! I can't wait to see the rest of them!!

Congratulations to the newlyweds! Laura & I had a blast being a part of your wedding!!

xo Barb

Real WeddingsBarb WalkerMay 12, 2014Lawn Bowling Wedding, Taylor Roades Photography, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding PlanningComment

Mothers Day Inspiration

With Mothers Day just a few sleeps away, I can't help but share these images from a shoot I had the ultimate pleasure of being a part of last Spring. It was a day that I will remember for a long time to come, spent with some incredible vendors (I'm talking about you, Kim, Vanessa & Erin), at one of the most wonderful treasures in town, Nourish (the best place to rejuvenate your soul here in Victoria!). It was featured last summer, on the cutest blog around, On to Baby!!

To me, Mothers Day has always been not only a day to honour our amazing Mothers, but also a day to celebrate the wonderful relationship between a mother and her children! A day to set aside some time to spend together, to enjoy each others company, as well as all the pretty things that surround us on a daily basis. Our vision was to create exactly this…a space where mothers & daughters could sit back, relax over a cup of tea, and escape together into a magical setting!

A massive thank you goes out to Verbena Floral Design, Kim Kalyn Photography, Erin Bradley, Freckled Stationery & Nourish, for working with me on this fun project, and for putting your heart into absolutely everything that you do!! And also, thank you to Amelia Lee and Fawn Children's Clothing, for providing the sweetest clothing I have ever seen!!

Happy Mothers Day to all those amazing women out there who make miracles happen every day for the rest of us!! (and an extra special shout out to my own Mom, who is basically the most amazing woman that I know!!)

xo Barb

Barb WalkerMay 8, 2014Erin Bradley, Kim Kalyn Photography, Mothers Day Inspiration, Nourish, Tea Party, Verbena Floral Design, Victoria Event Planning, victoria wedding planner, Victoria Wedding PlanningComment

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

Victoria Wedding Industry Meetup - Spring 2014

I am CRAZY excited, that we are just under 2 weeks away, from our 2nd bi-annual Victoria Wedding Industry Meetup!! And let me tell you, this one if going to be a good one! Hosted at one of the most unique venues in town, Pizzeria Prima Strada, there is going to be amazing pizza, great beer, and good times to be had by all! SOOO...if you are in the Industry, definitely make sure to RSVP ahead of time, as tickets ARE limited! Also, I want to give a HUGE shoutout to all of our AMAZING sponsors, who without their support, this event could definitely not happen!! Verbena Floral Design & The Inn at Laurel Point, are helping to host the #1 Wedding Band in BC, Side One! (These guys are THAT good!). And thank you to Tuktu Paper Co. for her seriously awesome graphics, Ruth & Dean for their delicious treats, and KGOOD Photo for some photo booth fun like no other!! And of course, the biggest thank you of all, to my co-organizer, Jesse Holland, the best co-planner one could ask for!

xo Barb

Barb WalkerApril 22, 2014Comment

Melissa & Sean

The story of Melissa & Sean's wedding is a good one (you might recognize Melissa from this party). 12 bridesmaids, champagne baths, a spontaneous dance party, white and gold (love!!), a stunning Bride & Groom, and most importantly, a LOT of heart. It can be best told, through these ridiculously amazing photos, courtesy of the ridiculously talented, Ameris. I have been dying to share these with everyone, and was thrilled to see their wedding featured on Wedding Bells last week. So before you loose yourself in the photo's below, let me tell you a bit more about this really special day...

I began working with Melissa & Sean almost 18 months before their wedding, back in the Spring of 2012. This power duo was after a wedding like no other, and placed a really strong emphasis on their guests and the coming together of their 2 wonderful families. Over the next year and a half, I loved getting to know them, their story, and being able to create a wedding that was perfect for them! From concept to execution, every part of the planning was just so much fun! And with a fantastic roster of vendors alongside us, the results were spectacular! Chocolate Lily Floral Design, Beauty & Style by Erin Bradley, Studio 745, Designer Weddings and Events, Passion for Cakes, and Melting Moments Catering, pulled out all the stops! And the talented team of iDo Productions created one of the best wedding videos I have seen to date! Definitely make sure to check it out at the end of this post.

Thank you, Melissa and Sean, for asking me to be a part of such a big part of your life! I am blown away with your kindness, generosity, and love for each other. I can't wait to see what is next for the 2 of you!!

xo Barb

And thank you so much Rob, for capturing this last photo. It is moments like this, that make this the best job in the world!!

And here's the video from I Do Productions!! Utter perfection!

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/75936894]

Real WeddingsBarb WalkerMarch 17, 2014Ameris Photography, Chocolate Lily Floral Design, Erin Bradley, Victoria Wedding, victoria wedding planner, Victoria 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

A Gatsby Birthday Soiree

Back in January, I helped one of my fabulous past Brides, plan her equally fabulous 30th Birthday soiree!! Never one to turn down a reason to party, Melissa wanted an evening where her friends and family could let loose, get glammed up, and dance the night away! A fellow lover of all things gold and sparkly, we took inspiration from The Great Gatsby, and had all the guests arrive in only 1920's appropriate attire! Gatsby quotes were sprinkled throughout the room, thanks to the talented Megan of Two Tiny Elephants, and an overload of candles lit the already glamorous space of Ma-luxe. The bar served up post-prohibition approved cocktails, and the party guests nibbled all night on delicious food provided by Food For Thought, and my personal favourite idea we had: A Chip Bar (you know...like a candy bar, but with chips!). A confetti bar was also set up, for guests to toss on the birthday girl, whenever the moment felt right! And to top it all off, Melissa had Jesse Holland Photography join the party, to document the evening, and entertain her guests with a seriously awesome photo booth. Ok. Enough from me. Check out the photos below (all courtesy of Jesse Holland), as they will have you reaching for the champagne ready to party yourself!

...and then the photo booth happened! And let me tell you, there isn't a crowd out there able to rock a photo booth better than these guys!

A confetti strewn floor never lies. This party was all kinds of fabulous! Thank you so much for having me be a part of it!

xo Barb

Barb WalkerMarch 6, 2014 Comments

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