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CHAPTER ONE
We are friends, mamas, and planners with more than 45 years of combined experience across the corporate, event, wedding, and community-building worlds.
We believe the best celebrations unfold with ease. Our approach is grounded yet inspired, allowing every detail to be held so you can be fully present for the moments that matter.
Hosting in the Southern Gulf Islands offers some of the most meaningful and worthwhile opportunities, as well as a unique set of logistical challenges. These celebrations are not for the faint of heart. Thankfully, we have fearless hearts, a well of local knowledge, and a remarkable community we are excited to introduce you to.
Rooted on Salt Spring Island, we serve the Southern Gulf Islands and beyond. We will go wherever our method and team are needed.
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meet your co-authors
Miranda Berber
EVENT PRODUCER & FOUNDING PARTNER
She easily sees the entire shape and emotional arc of a day. Holds the big vision and the smallest detail at once, as she builds celebrations that feel both effortless and intentional.
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Creating the conditions that invite everyone to be truly present in the moment. Spaciousness for sharing meaningful words and conversations. Generous hospitality that anticipates needs. Unique touches that are reflective of who you are, are exactly the things that people talk about for years to come.
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Being cool as a cucumber under any circumstance. Solved the problem three ways before it could even be explained. Thinks anything is possible after a crispy coke and a lil’ snacky snack.
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I wake up at 7:00am, snuggle the doodles and go back to sleep. I wake up fully refreshed, and it’s somehow still 7:00am. The whole day is before me! I let some creative writing flow while my wife and son are in the kitchen making eggs benny for family breakfast. We head to The Jam Factory for picnic provisions and hike Mt. Maxwell together. Lunch is eaten slowly at the lookout while we admire Fulford Valley and beyond. I get dropped off post-hike at Solace Organic Spa for my favourite treatments, and my girls meet me after to do some rounds in the cedar hot tub, sauna and cold plunge. So much laughing and being there for one another. I make my way home and it’s hot dogs on the fire for dinner. The night ends with stargazing, s’mores and dreaming with my love while our son has fallen asleep across our lap, dogs cozied up at our feet. There is much to be grateful for - we had another day in paradise.
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Foxglove · Digitalis purpurea ·
is wholehearted. It pours an entire life into one season of bloom, then gives a million seeds to the future seasons it won't see. I think about that a lot in this work: how we give it all to the day, knowing the memories and connections we helped create will carry on in ways we can't even imagine.
Ash Casault
EVENT PRODUCER & FOUNDING PARTNER
Connection and meaning are her raison d’être. Loved for her warmth, humour, and direct communication style. She makes people feel instantly at ease.
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It is always rooted in the depth of connection that I feel. I want ample opportunities to be present with loved ones and strangers, alike. I love the feeling of being held, often in invisible ways, where every detail has been quietly and thoughtfully considered. There is something unforgettable about that.
With my Taurean moon, my favourite kind of gathering is rich with beauty, entwined with nature, and overflowing with laughter, fine wine and delicious food. I love a good fire to gather around at the end of the night, too.
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Bringing warmth and ease into every room (or meadow). I’m quick, direct, deeply people-oriented, and am usually trying to make someone laugh along the way. I keep the tissues close because I confidently wear my heart on my sleeve.
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Coffee in my yard with my kids playing happily. Bare feet and hands in the soil, tending gardens. Space for noticing birdsong and petalled ones. Beachside picnic dinner with beloveds as the sun sets.
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Western Red Cedar · Thuja plicata ·
this plant-being has a rich significance across many cultures the world over. Its evergreen nature echoes its role as a bridge between the earthly and the sacred. To me, being used in many rituals, it is a herb of intention, and intention is something I want to move through life with.
In Hul’q’umi’num, an Indigenous Coast Salish language connected to this land, cedar is xpey’.
Jules Rieter
EVENT PRODUCER & FOUNDING PARTNER
She notices the small things, remembers the details, and checks-in in ways that make people feel genuinely looked after. Appreciated for her deeply thoughtful approach to hospitality, wit and whimsy.
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To me, a gathering is truly memorable when people feel held, when the little details are cared for, connections happen naturally, and everyone leaves feeling nourished in one way or another.
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Asking the hard questions, holding space, and thinking through the little details that make a big difference. I’m also the person making sure everyone is hydrated.
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It all starts with something delicious in my tummy, followed by some kind of outdoor adventure with my nearest and dearest. Simple moments, fresh air, and good company.
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Nootka rose · Rosa nutkana ·
an untamed PNW beauty. She’s a gentle symbol of open-heartedness and resilience - qualities that are essential in weddings and events, and equally meaningful within our most cherished relationships.
In Hul’q’umi’num, an Indigenous Coast Salish language connected to this land, nootka rose is quel’qulhp.
we are The Whole Story - an event planning, production and design studio creating beautifully held gatherings with an easeful, inspired planning process
It’s what we do best...
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CHAPTER TWO
our values
all stories are welcome here
There is no single right way to gather. Families look like many things and love takes many shapes. We warmly welcome LGBTQIA+ couples and hosts, events rooted in faiths and cultures of every kind, and any celebration that asks to be considered on its own terms.
A gaathering can hold tradition, depart from it entirely, or invent something new, and we plan them all with the utmost care.
It is our honour and responsibility to help create spaces where every person feels seen and supported.1% for community
The Whole Story gives 1% of our annual sales back to local community projects that keep our island thriving.—tws—