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!