Our Highlight Reel: The Good Party’s 2022 Wrap-Up

By Sarah Gray

With 2022 in the rear view mirror and 2023 ready to roll, our team has been reflecting on the past year and all of the incredible weddings, events, and experiences we got to be part of! First and foremost we want to say a big thank you to all of our wonderful couples, clients and friendors without whom we wouldn’t get to do what we love to do most – plan a good party!

In 2022 we had 110 weddings, dozens of events and countless (literally, we don’t want to count) balloon installations. Everything was pretty great and after reminiscing with the some of the team we wanted to share a few highlights that really made our heart eyes pop! 😍

 

A botanical moment:

Carley said, “For Rebekka and Cleve’s wedding we really ran with Rebekka’s love of plants and went with a botanical theme. The design included beautiful terrariums (created by Bespoke Blossoms) going down the centre of the table.

To pair with the terrariums we made custom placards using Bon Macarons. Melanie Ann Designs wrote each guest’s name on their very own macaron using edible ink. The macaron’s were placed in mini cloches just above each guest’s plate. It was an extra detail that ended up being such a show stopper!”

(Photography by Michael & Melanie Photography)

 

Fresh pie anyone? Us please!

Jules’ favorite memory was “Amanda & Gavin’s wedding because they were the best! But also because…

Their romantic backyard Parksville wedding was filled with the best DIY touches, beautiful pops of color, and of course, late night McDonalds. Their wedding was held at Gavin’s childhood home and when you stepped into the backyard you could tell it was made for hosting a wedding! Every bit of the day was personalized to incorporate Amanda & Gavin’s favorite things or to highlight their wonderful family and friends.”

(Photography by Aly Sibley Photography)

Amanda, Gavin and their family went all out with DIY elements at their wedding. A few adorable ideas we all loved:

– They incorporated cocktail hour food from a local family owned Thai restaurant (they’re basically BFF with the owners because they eat there so much!)
– Amanda hand painted table numbers on vintage plates (so cute!)
– Gavin and Amanda’s moms baked fresh pies for dessert (Nice job moms!)
– Their ceremony arch was handmade by an uncle (How sweet!)

When the dance party is everything it was built up to be

“Having become so close with my clients Austin and Trevor and hearing all about the “crab rave”, finally getting to experience it in real life with some of the best guests, high energy and awesome DJ was the BEST. THING. EVER.  The cellar at Bilston Creek will never be the same.” – Casey

When the bride ices the groom, the groom has to carry the flower girl up the aisle AND the the couples friend group has coined a name for their dance moves… can you really go wrong? We think not!

(Photography by Kea Mowat Photography)

Let’s talk about dessert baby, let’s talk about you and me…

“When working on the design and planning for Tori and Karlees wedding they mentioned that they love cannoli. I made it my mission to get them delicious cannoli and go ten steps further. So, we didn’t count the steps but I did collect desserts from bakeries and pastry shops in Victoria, Vancouver and in Squamish! The car was filled to the brim with sweet treats and don’t worry we didn’t forget about the dogs! That’s right folks, the dogs got special dog cannoli and cake too. After all the hard work that went into sourcing these special desserts it was so fun to see the brides reaction when they saw their cannoli towers (yup, towers) for the first time! They oohed and aahed and everyone agreed everything was delicious.” – Cassie

(Photography by Shari and Mike)

Cheers to all that is new and beautiful!

At first Chloe wasn’t sure what moment to share but ultimately went with her #1. Literally.

“Hannah & Mario were my first wedding clients. It was the first time that I was responsible for taking care of a very big day for two very special people and it really left a mark on me! Hannah & Mario fully trusted me with the design for their intimate tuscan inspired dinner in the Atrium. Their day is something I look back on often when I am thinking about how much I love what I do!”

(Photography by Lilly Ann Photography)

A love affair with Kelley, Eryn, and brunch.

Kelley & Eryn’s wedding was a beautiful family affair! Add a gorgeous farmhouse and a rustic barn and you’ve got perfection.

“One of the biggest highlights of my wedding season: a brunch themed lunch (made by Farmsgate Foods and Catering)! Topped off with the brides dress, that was passed down through generations. A cheeky Gelato truck and some seriously delicious shaft cocktails. This one will go down in history as one of my favorite weddings!” – Dakota

(Photography by Jon Mark Photography)

The perfect combination of funny and sweet!

When we asked Grace about her season she mentioned Maddy and Cory right away. “Their wedding party and a few guests were invited to write vows on pieces of paper. Their friend who performed the service took the vows and when it was time, handed them to Maddy and Cory who *plot twist* had not yet seen or read them! Parts of the vows were really funny and others were really sweet. I’d never seen anything like that before and it was such a fun idea. Plus, they had an epic dance party to end the night.”

(Photography by Molly Jane Photo)

When everything goes wrong and still turns out perfectly right!

“This summer was busy but fun filled and every wedding was so special! I have to give an extra round of applause for our couple Jenna and Caleb! In the wee hours of the morning of their wedding Caleb was rushed to the hospital with appendicitis! Jenna kept her cool (she was truly the coolest and kindest bride) the whole morning, not letting the stress get to her. Caleb was luckily allowed to leave the hospital just in time to get married and our whole vendor team rallied around them to change up the day, make sure Caleb was comfortable, healthy, that there wedding day as  similar to the one they had imained and still get him back to the hospital as soon as possible. No one could have predicted what happened but Jenna and Caleb handled everything with grace and so much love for each other, and it turned out to truly be, the best day ever!” – Marley

(Professional photography by Pala Mikayla Photography

Dreams come true in Qualicum Beach:

“Okay, my turn. Matt and Maddy’s Qualicum wedding was a disco ball, oceanside, satin gown, cheers with beers kinda party! Literally sprinkling disco balls throughout the entire reception space was a highlight for me – they shimmered in the late afternoon sun and kept the party sparkling right down to the last moves on the dancefloor!

I jumped on board to do month of coordination for these two lovebirds and it was so fun to see final details come together and to help make sure things ran smoothly day of. The venues were stunning and a big shout out to Rebeka who captured this day so beautifully.” – Sarah

(Photography by Venture Out Photography)

A Jaw-Droppingly Good Party:

“Planning Andrea and Jason’s wedding was such a fun and creative experience and one I will be forever grateful for! We wanted to incorporate lots of personal details, throw an epic party, and make it look jaw-droppingly good in the process. Having Bespoke Blossoms team take care of the florals was the best decision we could have made towards achieving that goal!

From the pre-wedding karaoke night at Bear and Joey, to the custom monogram designed by a close friend shown on all their stationery, to the extensive dinner and wine menu that all foodies dream of, to their custom giant fruit tart instead of a cake, to transforming the Cellar at Bilston Creek into one of their favourite New York City bars, their entire wedding weekend was truly an experience unique to them and a really GOOD time was had by all.

Having Meghan Hemstra there to capture the day was the sweetest cherry on top and seeing their photos a few months later felt like Christmas morning!” – Anouk

(Photography by Meghan Hemstra)

 

Bringing New York City to the West Coast:

“My most intimate wedding of the season was filled with some of the biggest decision challenges – my favourite projects are always the most logistically challenging ones! Hayley and Jordan were originally supposed to tie the knot in NYC in April of 2020. When Covid thwarted their wedding plans again (and again and again!) they brought us on board to help them celebrate in style at home on the West Coast.

Creating a restaurant, complete with a full working kitchen, right at the edge of the ocean was just the right challenge and seeing all of the guests arrive in the tent for the first time and realize the dinner was going to be a twist on the original wedding plan of dinner at New York’s Eleven Madison Park was so rewarding! I’d love to do it all again!” – Emma

(Photography by Myrtle & Moss Photography)

 

All in all it was a busy and epic wedding season here on Vancouver Island. We loved every celebration we got to be apart of and are excited to highlight more of the special moments and designs we helped create over the next few months!