Bridal Gowns, Wedding Cake and Gorgeous Flowers at Ralston Hall Mansion

Last Sunday I attended "An Afternoon of Elegance" at the beautiful "Italianate Villa" styled Ralston Hall Mansion in Belmont, CA. which featured an exclusive fashion show of bridal gowns & special wedding fashions presented by Paper and Petals Bridal of Burlingame, gorgeous flowers from several Bay Area floral companies and more cake then you can imagine!

Preparing for the show... I believe there were 12 models who each did multiple gown changes. This was a show where you could see dozens of bridal, bridesmaid and Mother of the Bride gowns, along with a few cute flower girl dresses all live moving down the elevated runway.

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I snuck in for a quick picture before the show started then watched the models waft through the crowd wearing some really gorgeous gowns.

This is model Liz carrying one of DK Designs clay flower bouquets.

And this was DK Designs' booth. That's why I was at the show that day, to help as needed if her booth got swamped. And guess what? It did a few times over.

Close ups of some of Diane's clay bouquets and favor boxes. Gorgeous aren't they?

She made so many flowers for the show! And they can be used in so many ways from non-toxic cake decorations to bouquets, centerpieces, corsages and boutonnieres to hair accessories... There doesn't seem to be a limit on ways to in corporate her creations into your wedding day!

And these are individual hair pins that can be worn on your wedding day or for any special occasion. They would make really wonderful bridesmaids gifts.

And guess who else was there?

Yup, our good friend David Ethridge from A Video Reflection.

A little close up of his post cards.

Flirty florist Karen Baba from Plan Decor was also participating that day. I loved this bouquet! Model Ann Mary looks very flirty imo.

And her stunning table display with one large centerpiece, several bouquets and a tray of corsages and boutonnieres.

And what about this feather and flower bouquet? Perfect for a Maid of Honor or Bridesmaids.

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When I was given a sample of these "Caramels with Pecans" by Ciara Dolce I was told it would be the best caramel I'd ever tasted. And they weren't kidding. You will love the intense flavor of these soft and chewy caramels that would be perfect wedding or party favors.

They'll even customize the packaging allowing you to choose both the art and font to create a custom label for your favors.

If you'd like to win a box of Ciara Dolce "Caramels with Pecans" just leave me a comment with a link or drop me an email with your contact information. I bought a little box at the show just so one of you could try them too! I'll draw a random winner on Saturday :)

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When I saw the display for Studio Cake I thought to myself "Cute Cakes!" It took me a minute to realize I was face to face with the work of designer extraordinaire BethAnn Goldberg who recently was featured on The Martha Stewart tv show as a finalist in her Dreamers into Doers contest.

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I first saw BethAnn's cakes last year when she created a whimsical tortise wedding cake for one of wedding coordinator Jean Mark's clients.

And it's always a pleasure when I get to see and visit with Dianne Tatro, owner of "Honeymoon Under the Sun" (aka TravelQuest) a company that specializes in planning honeymoons and catering to the romantic needs of travelers.

And it had been years since I'd seen Cero from Cake Expressions. His booth was in close proximity to DK Designs' so I watched everyone feasting on his cake all afternoon long. I even grabbed a sample for myself at the end of the day. It was delish!