Indulge in Luxury at FLEUR Vancouver

Vancouver welcomed its newest luxury wedding show, FLEUR this past Sunday January 21st. The event was created by Aly Armstrong of Aly Armstrong Event Planning & Design and held at Vancouver’s newest hotel, Parq by JW Marriott.

The moment Aly announced that tickets were available, I immediately purchased mine! I loved the concept, being French myself, and was excited for the unique aspects like the industry expert panel, and watercolour and calligraphy workshops by Love by Phoebe and Hello Maurelle! I was also looking forward to seeing what this new venue offered for events!

Allow me to share with you my experience attending FLEUR…

The Parq by JW Marriot is a gorgeous venue with such a luxurious yet natural feel. I was escorted up by elevator to FLEUR which shows the level of detail that this hotel puts into creating a wonderful guest experience. The elevator opened on to the conference level where I proceeded through the beautifully draped entrance and was greeted by a FLEUR attendant who provided me with directions to the registration desk. Registration was quick and the attendants were lovely. I was provided with a beautiful reusable bag branded with the FLEUR logo. I LOVED this! It is such a pretty bag and really shows the amount of work Aly put into every detail of this wedding show. Guests were provided with a passport that could be stamped by each vendor to enter for a chance to win the grand prize. This was very clever and ensured guests visited all vendors’ booths. It’s so easy to only go straight to the most eye appealing booths, but doing so may cause you to miss out on some really great vendors!

Aly created such a unique concept where guests could take a stroll through a `luxury decor walk` which consisted of room after room of lavish tablescapes and decor inspired by different cities from around the world. The vendors (or shall we call them artists) really went above and beyond to create awe-inspiring designs.

The first room was Paris-inspired and was created by Upright Décor with florals provided by Granville Island Florists. It included a live musical duo from Musical Occasions playing romantic classical music – the perfect addition to a Parisian experience. Upright Decor truly hit the mark with decor with beautiful art lining the walls, hanging umbrellas, an Eiffel tower, an abundance of lush florals, and a cotton cloud with hanging crystals. It had the most romantic air and definitely gave me a taste of Paris!

Through another beautifully draped entrance and I was transported to China. Chinoiserie was the inspiration for this room.  Soft pink lighting illuminated the space with beautiful white parasols hanging from the wall. The décor was stunning and designed by Debut Event Design with rentals provided by A&B Party and florals by the Flower Factory. I especially loved the use of different sized bird cages. Large illuminated letters spelling FLEUR were placed along one side of the room. The floral arrangements were incredible, complimenting the theme perfectly. The overall design had such a delicate, intricate, and detailed feel.

 

The next room was Whistler-inspired created by BOLD Event Creative with florals provided by Sunflower Florist. This was probably my favorite design. It was warm, inviting, full of texture and greenery. The tablescape was perfection – no detail was missed. My favorite part was the faux fur throws and a mixture of chairs and benches to surround the table. I could see this as decor for any type of event! Lush evergreens surrounded the room and it was filled with so many details including a sitting area with a faux fireplace and a small wood crate with rolled blankets. It was such a warm and inviting space.

 

 

 

And last but not least, one of my favorite cities – New York! Koncept Event Design created the design for this room with Flowerz providing the florals. It was a modern and luxurious take on decor with striking gold elements. I am a huge fan of gold, so I fell in love with the colour palette! I loved the three separate flower wall panels which were showcased with spotlights. The centerpieces were very unique and stayed on point with the trendiness of the inspired city.

 

 

This full-on sensory experience was elevated with assorted delectable canapes and desserts provided by JW Marriott catering that followed the theme of each room. They were so perfect that I didn’t want to touch, but I did anyway, and they were delicious! I wasn’t surprised how great they were though seeing how luxurious this venue was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One thing that really surprised me was how big this venue is! The event was quite spread out throughout the venue which also featured high ceilings, so it created an atmosphere of calmness that I enjoyed. It was nice to be able to take my time and enjoy each vendor without being overcrowded.

The next stop was the main ballroom. Aly really did think of everything – including having an Eiffel Tower replica designed as the centerpiece for the stage and runway. The stage was decorated by Upright Décor and florals designed by the Flower Factory. Signature tablescapes were placed throughout the ballroom and I must say that the vendors did an incredible job in creating such unique and breathtaking designs. There was something for everyone as the designs were so diverse table to table!

A cute little café with tables and chairs was setup which was so “streets of Paris”! (insert French accent here haha).

Each vendor’s table was well laid out throughout the ballroom with such unique features to compliment their setups! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The expert panel was one of my highlights. I was very excited to see Monika Hibbs, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Colin Upright (Owner of Upright Décor), Monti Samuel (Blush Bridal), Aly Armstrong (Aly Armstrong Event Planning & Design), Alison McGill (Editor-in-Chief, Weddingbells), and Dennis Gocer (The Collective You) in person and to hear about their experience in this industry as well as tips for your wedding day.

Here are some of their tips on how to successfully plan a wedding:

1. Be present and take some time for yourselves on your wedding day.
2. Hire a team that you can trust which should include a wedding planner. Trust the experts to handle all the details.
3. Be clear on your intent and who this wedding is for.
4. Know your priorities as a couple.
5. Be mindful of who you choose as vendors.
6. Focus on creating moments for you and your guests- from the vibe and ambience of the wedding, to the lighting and food.
7. Less is more.
8. Nostalgia – create memories. Set an alarm and take moments throughout the day to enjoy the moment with your partner and close ones.
9. Remember why you are getting married!

This was a great panel with a wide range of expertise. Any chance you get to hear advice straight from the experts’ mouths, take it! I always find it incredibly valuable.

And the finale, the moment we all wait for – the Fashion Show produced by Blush Bridal. All models had their hair styled by Veronica Gomes Hair and makeup done by the talented Jasmine Hoffman. This was an epic runway showcasing the most beautiful gowns from Blush Bridal. The models especially knew how to work that runway, showing off their gowns by twirling to great music by Beyond Sounds DJ! But this was not just your typically fashion show! We enjoyed a live performance from Amanda Wood Music accompanied by an electric violinist Suzka as well as a live tango performance! The show wrapped up with all the models on stage and the lighting of indoor sparkler machines! It was the perfect end to a wonderful event!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I look forward to seeing how Aly tops this next year!  If you didn’t attend this year, I hope this has given you a taste of what Fleur offered and will inspire you to attend next year!