Rad Occasions

Hmmmm, this is the second year in a row that our faces got a mountain of likes. We almost got beat out by a very delicious cake and the beautiful view at Long Beach Lodge! But seriously, are you telling us we should we be influencers or something?!?!

We started taking some time away to reflect on the year and plan for the next year each December and wow, what a difference it has made in how we approach everything in our lives! We may even take it a step further and take a small hiatus from social media during some of our days off because well - it’s been a year! Are you planning on taking some time off this holiday season or is it full force ahead for you?

Styled shoot but make it social distanced Back in May of this year I honestly think that we were just sooooo happy to be around people (other than our immediate households) that we didn’t mind all the requirements that came with having a safe styled shoot turned elopement! I’m so thankful for the vendor community on the island, couldn’t have made it through this pandemic that never ends without you!

I know planning a wedding in a pandemic is not an easy feat. You have to be ready at a moment’s notice to re-evaluate timelines, guest lists, floor plans, etc. and it’s downright saddening to have to re-imagine a day that you’ve probably envisioned in your head dozens of times. As I was flipping through our past weddings this image of A&D stuck out to me as a reminder that above all THIS is what matters right here - the feeling of happiness and comfort that you have met your person and together you will build each other up, celebrate the big and small moments in life, and be their shoulder to cry on when life gets them down. To all the pandemic couples out there - I hope you find some peace in knowing that your vendors are rooting for you because we simply adore these little moments that make up a lifetime of love.

...and sometimes we talk to other people who are experts in their field because we don’t have alllll the answers. Buuuttttt if you need some answers about the provincial health orders, planning a wedding in a pandemic, the best vendors for your day, or cake tasting we can help!

This time last year myself and many other Victoria planners were being hosted by the very generous @longbeachlodgeresort on a FAM (familiarization) trip. I haven’t been back since and am counting the days to when we will be back in March 2021 - fingers crossed that there are much less pandemic vibes by then!

Continuing our walk down memory lane with a flashback to @toquecatering’s prosciutto and grilled peach salad at A&P’s wedding at the beautiful @villamarcopoloinn. Hot tip: never skimp on the food - your guests may not remember the decor, the music, or flowers but they will DEFINITELY remember the food (good OR bad!)

A new episode has just been launched on Apple, Stitcher, our website, and more! Tell us - what did you learn in your first year of marriage?

Thinking about all the fur babies that have been a part of so many amazing ceremonies over the years. We took our little mew to the vet on Monday because she hadn’t been eating for a couple days but then she ate at the clinic and all vitals came back normal. She’s back home and eating again but is still so tired. Hoping that pumpkin purée and lots of cuddles will bring her back to the peppy, almost 14 year old mew she is!

Thankful today for the beautiful city we live in, ample access to healthy food, our cuddly cat, and our amazing new place. Thankful for our amazing clients, talented vendors, and all of the lives we get to touch through events. Thankful for family, friends and all their support - especially today, on Rob and I’s one year anniversary. ... Thankful for knowing those who are doing their best to unlearn and learn to create real and lasting change.

Our newest episode is live after some technical difficulties - check it out on Apple, Stitcher, and basically every other podcast channel!

Hooray! Thank you for listening in every week friends - we just launched episode 10 today and have just over 200 downloads!

Hoping we made budgets exciting in our newest episode! Now live on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and wherever else you can listen to podcasts.

Well this is exciting and 4 years in a row now too!

Our newest episode is live and it’s alllll about eloping - something that has been top of mind for quite a few couples for 2020.

Episode 7 is live and in my humble opinion it’s packed with so much helpful information! Thank you to our community for the questions, please keep sending them in and we will answer them in our next Q&A!

SURPRISE - we are published! Even though I am over the moon about this I think it is also appropriate for me to share something that needs to change within the... industry. I also submitted our wedding to another large feature account (I will not be naming names as this isn't about them in particular but a comment on the state of the wedding industry itself) and although the submission program said we had a 95% chance of being a match for the publication we were turned away for not being the "right fit." I was baffled as to why and then it became clear - every couple on their account was white and fit into society's hetro-normative gender roles. I did ask if my suspicions were true but those emails went unanswered. It seems these days that the majority of the wedding industry has either been silent or been a performative ally when it comes to racism. This same industry loudly exclaims that "love is love" but now it seems that for some the proclamation comes with an unspoken clause, that clause being " love is love as long that love fits into the exclusive environment of our creation." With that said, thank you to Brittny and the community at Love Inc. Magazine for creating a welcoming environment for ALL forms of love. Thank you to our amazing vendor team for helping us push the boundaries of what a wedding can look like - we couldn't have done it without your talents and smiling faces. Photography: Summer Rayne Photo Videography: Paper Heart Films Planning & Design: Rad Occasions Month of Coordination: Amanda Lee of Rad Occasions Ceremony Venue: dobosala cantina & ride thru Reception Venue: Fortune Gallery Flowers: Poppies Floral Art Dress: Willowby by Watters Suit: RW&CO. Cake & Desserts: La Roux Patisserie Inc. Catering: Toque Catering Music: Nic Whitehouse Hair & Makeup: Erin Bradley Rings: Emma Glover Design Decor Rentals: Bash Specialty and Designer Weddings Inc. Victoria BC Henna: Inky Orchid Henna Stationery: Minted and SJBarnes Design Bride's Shoes: ALDO Shoes

Episode 6 is now live and it’s all about Special Event Permits with a small portion episode dedicated to how COVID 19 has affected bar service. For next week’s episode we would like to host a Q&A session so please send us your questions and we will do our best to answer them!

Now if only I could snap my fingers and all of our things were packed, moved, and unpacked. I know I had promised that our How To Videos would resume in mid-August but now that we’re moving at the end of the month our videos will have to wait until we’re all settled into the new place. In the meantime tune in to a new podcast episode every Wednesday (link in bio).

Our newest episode is live on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you can listen to podcasts! This is the first of a mini-series that will be occurring throughout our podcast. A big thank you to House of Jimbo for providing all of our listeners 10% off their order when they use our special promo code, but you’ll have to listen to the episode to get the code. #teamjimbo #thatsrad

I would like to preface this by saying that I’m heartbroken for all the couples that had their hopes dashed and all the vendors who saw their income for the year disappear overnight. I’ve thought long and hard about this and have decided that in the interest of keeping everyone (clients, staff, other vendors, etc) safe we will not be taking on any further weddings for 2020. This decision comes on the heels of two PHOs released on July 23 and 27th specifically referencing cer...emonies and receptions. Seeing as COVID-19 is something that can be carried by people who are asymptomatic it worries me even more so to see that some people feel that the PHO is up for interpretation. This virus doesn’t care where the event is or what you’re celebrating. COVID-19 should be taken very seriously. If one recovers there are long lasting affects on the lungs and other organs. Maybe some people will think I’m being over cautious but I would rather be the person that’s over cautious than possibly have an event where people become sick from COVID-19. With that said, my hope is 2021 will bring us a vaccine and a return to celebrating all the love our couples have for one another.