Hot Off The Press!

Metro Weddings Vol.8 No.2 is finally out! As a special double cover issue, it has bride Cheska Garcia twice as beautiful-- if that's possible.

About 2 years ago, Metro Weddings Magazine challenged Manila's top cake decorators to design individual interpretations of A White Wedding Cake. I came up with the Taj Mahal, an ivory version of the very first LANTERN CAKE I made that was for Jiggs and Ven (Laurel) Hermano. This rendition was covered entirely with Chikankari, Indian white-on-white embroidery done in icing, and topped with a dome patterned after that of the actual architectural wonder.

It was quite funny to come to a studio where there were at least 8 other cake decorators with 8 versions of white cakes. You just KNEW that they were checking YOU out just as you were checking THEM out. Hahahahaha! No one was being paid, it was simply a matter of pride.

That was the beginning of a trusting creative collaboration with the team of Romina Urra-Gonzales (editor-in-chief), Joan Soro (managing editor) and Kaye Cunanan (associate editor). For the same issue, I was asked to create another cake to coordinate with a concept board that sought to bring different elements of a wedding together in color and feel. The minimalist urban project reflected sleek and modern sensibility in gray, canary yellow and pool blue. Since Romina was especially supportive of my signature Lantern Cake, fashioned from the silhouette of the New York museum was, The Guggenheim.

A silver-winged gumpaste replica of the only souvenir I picked up on a trip to Vietnam was the accent for Dragonfly, the cake for MW's bronze, gold and pewter affair. Romina sent me a photo of a country wreath that, too, was copied in sugar and brushed to a shimmering antique finish.

And for this latest edition, I was assigned to make a cake to compliment a garden reception with down-to-earth chocolate, gray and sunshine yellow. I studied different versions of Paul Revere lamps in designing my colonial-style Punched-Tin Lantern.

Romina, Joan and Kaye are now moving on to other interesting fields and I wish them the best in their endeavors. Thank you for the opportunities. Our partnership brought out in me some of my most inspired work.