Wedding for the books!

What are  the elements of a memorable wedding day or any event for that matter?

You see if it's a wedding, the bride's mood usually dictates how the day will go and end. Most often than not, a happy bride equates to a very very lovely wedding. When we work on weddings, usually on our first meeting, I can already gauge whether or not our team and the couple would jive. If they do have pre-wedding jitters, we do too. Once we are starting to work on plans, the trust issue matters a lot. A couple who trusts us, would let us do what we are paid to do with just gentle inputs on what they want. The biggest no-no would be a client, telling us HOW it is done. Yikes! Quietly I would be asking, would you want to do it yourself, ma'am? Teehee!

Lovely gowns, of course! You have to be the most beautiful on this special day. Get a designer who will understand your needs... that is your body and your pocket! And one more thing, a piece of advice to those who are soon-to-be-brides... You see brides wearing lovely lovely gowns... do not take a photo of them and ask your seamstress or designer to duplicate for your event. That's a big No No. Don't you wish to be uniquely lovely on your wedding day? A true designer would not allow that, and would come up with a lovelier creation from that inspiration.

A guest list of folks who are closest to your heart, who have meaning to your lives, and in one way or another has touched you in ways you would only know. By having that, when the need arises that they have to deliver impromptu speeches, the hall won't be filled with non sense unrelated drama, rather you shall have a hall filled with laughter, hoots, and so much clapping... that like I've said earlier on, would feel like everyone is inside an Ellen Degeneres show. Don't we all wish for that? 

But if by need that you have to invite the whole city, it is but fitting that the couple think of ways how to include everyone else in the merriment and not have guests go eat and run out of boredom. 

An entourage who is GAME do help a lot too. They don't necessarily have to be good dancers or singers, but a little of would be lovely. Let them dance, the most immediate benefit? A few calories burned prior to the feast served in a few.

Hire a good band who'll amuse you and your guests, that it won't take too much prodding and let them kick their stilettos and go crazy on the dance floor. A lovely lovely cake, not necessarily too big or whatever you would prefer, but has to at least elicit some oohhs and ahhhs from your guests. And if you would be gracious enough to serve it, then it has to be pleasing for the palate too! A stylist who will give your guests a lovely ambiance. And the need to get crazy with the flowers after the party is over! teehee! And oh, don't forget what you will be serving, food! Very very important to have a menu that guests will forget about their diets.

Would you know why I have these lovely photos? Because these couple's hired good photographers for their day. If you are going through so much happy trouble in the preparations, hire someone who can capture your wedding day in photos or videos. Don't let the loveliness go to waste just because you shortchanged yourself by not getting someone good.

And the most important of all, marry the one you love. Marry the one you cannot live without. Marry the one who will fill your nights with love and days with laughter. Sigh! I did. 

Of Belles and Balls:: Djiana's 7th

Would it be safe to assume that almost all girls, at one point or another, did wish to become a princess? Djiana's Mommy, Donna Lyn, made sure her little princess would have a ball on her 7th. At first, she wanted our 3D castle, but then, if you would remember, I did donate that to a Day Care Center prior to her inquiry. Yikes! I don't regret not having that though since we've used it a lot of times already and I truly wanted something different for Djiana. We made her a nook of her own fairy tale castle.

D for Djiana in one of my lovely frames.

Hand piped scrolls on the castle cake by the Mister.

If the shoe fits.

My lovely bell and cake stand had to be more than that.

So we did that for Princess Djiana's 7th. She was so happy that she felt compelled to give me a kiss when I saw her.The August rains couldn't dampen everyone's spirits that day.

Happy birthday Little Princess!

Cake and Party Styling:: Ava's Cakes
Coordination:: Brandy Howards of Imaje Events
Venue:: Pacific Function Hall

Behind the scenes :: California loveliness

When we we're asked if we could do this California thing, I didn't think twice grabbing this opportunity to do some loveliness. The time constraint, no staff to work for us, the butterflies in my tummy... it didn't matter. I wanted to do it, and so we had to do what we had to do. 

My fuel source while working and the apples for our apple walnut cake. Which reminds me since my birthday is fast approaching, if you are thinking of giving me something, I would want that or an addition to my collection of cake stands. Teehee!

My Auntie Marsha coring the apples. For two days straight, we have been working until two in the morning just to come up with loveliness for Phil and Erika.

Our personal dishwasher. Whenever the dishes and pans would pile up, he would joke calling "Rodel, where are you Rodel?" Go figure!

The carrot walnut and apple cinnamon mini cakes were  a hit to everyone. Moist and not too sweet. 

This experience made me remember how everything we have started. In the early days of Ava's cakes, it would be only us, including my bestfriend Meliza, who would do the baking, covering, decorating of our cakes. Top the deliveries and manning of the store, too! 

The mister intently writing "Ring for a kiss" on the bells we found at the dollar store. 

Eliseo, unloading our lovely lovely flowers. The phalaenopsis were so crazy gorgeous, I wish he would consider exporting for us. My Aunt Marsha, really wanted this to happen that she made a way for us to be able to purchase a truckload of flowers. FYI, you just can't buy that many without a license in there even if you had the ka-ching!

My little piece of heaven on earth, helping us. Sigh!

Lovely lovely blooms. 

Gardenias are LOVE. 

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!
Picture! Picture! Picture!

The mister doing some lace work. And I was asked if was it freestyle or was he copying a pattern or using a stencil?
Freestyle folks. 

And so I mixed 17 batches of cake with just a hand mixer. Totally insane, but doable! So no sweat!
It was too cold to even perspire.

While waiting for the cakes to bake, we did favors for the luncheon rehearsal. 

How I love the floral foams they have. Water would seep in seconds and there's very minimal dripping when flowers are inserted. 

My makeshift work station. Foliage from the garden, not bad!

Ready to be lovely-fied!

Hello loveliness!

Delivery time! Sorry for blowing my own horn, but don't you agree that the cake was so lovely? Sigh!

The boutonnieres were done by my Auntie Marsha herself.

The Josephites as elves. Amazing how inexperienced hands did remove thorns and leaves of 10 bucketfuls of lovely dolce vitas, blush and white roses.

Family working for us on the wedding day, believe it or not my lola right there is 80 years old, yet she can still do the tango and carry birdcages. Clap! clap! clap!

So how would I rate the experience? That would be beyond the scale, it was an exhilarating first time to do styling beyond our comfort zones. And the heavens couldn't have sent better elves than the folks who helped us go through it in a breeze.

Thank you! And looking forward to another California loveliness next year!