KATY CASTILLO WEDDING INTERVIEW

Aloha!!
We are starting a new feature for our blog. So many times when we meet with couples they ask for some recommendations. It could be for a coordinator, a cater, a photographer, a DJ, Etc.... I really enjoying meeting new vendors myself and when I admire someones work I will pass their names onto my clients.

Our new feature is to interview these vendors we work with and some that we may have come in contact with but do not know really well. I am really excited to be able to pass this information onto all of you and hope that it helps in planning your very special event.

Our first vendor is Katy Castillo with Katy Castillo Weddings. She is not only a very talented coordinator but she is a close friend of mine. We met through the business 2 years ago and have been working with each other ever since.

I had the chance to sit down with her and talk in detail about her business and what is important to her.

Katy Castillo Weddings
808.744.9519
http://www.katycastillo.com/
Serving the island of Oahu

Vikki: What is your style of wedding coordinating?
Katy: My style is classic, timeless, with a focus on design details.

Vikki: Can you describe a little about your coordinating services?
Katy: I offer personal service, one on one coordinating. I am also proud to offer Eco friendly wedding options.

Vikki: Do you have a favorite location for weddings/receptions?
Katy: I have quite a few but 2 of my favorites are The Bayer Estate and The Halekulani Hotel's Hau Terrace. They are both very beautiful.

Vikki: How far in advance before the wedding should a couple contact you?
Katy: As soon as they pick their date. Its always better to contact us sooner then later.

Vikki: What information should couple have ready when they first contact you?
Katy: There are a few things that couples should do before contacting me
-Have a date set.
-Have a general idea of how they want their wedding to be. And what I mean is as a couple they need to have talked about what they envision their wedding to be. And what they expect from me as the coordinator for their special day.

Vikki: What can you suggest to couples when they are choosing color/theme of their wedding?
Katy: They need to keep in mind the time of year. Even in Hawaii we have certain "seasons" meaning, not everything is readily available all year. One important thing to think about is daily inspirations of their life together, hobbies and what may interest them. This is how they can make their wedding more personal and unique.

Vikki: What can a couple expect from you throughout the planning process?
Katy: They can expect I will be their advocate. A lot of couples are not sure what to do. They have never planned a wedding before. This is a unique experience for them and it can get overwhelming. I am going to give them the whole picture so as a couple they can make the best decisions. The most important thing I am going to give them is honesty. That is very important to me and how I run my business.

Vikki: Do you prefer a couple who takes the backseat in planning or ones that are fully involved?
Katy: Actually, I like both. Some couples are working professionals and do not have time to do any planning so this is where I come in and help them. Its makes their life a lot easier. I also deal with a lot of destination couples who can not be here to plan anything so again this is where I come in and can help them with everything. Then their are our local couples who need guidance and advice but like to do planning themselves. I enjoy to guide couple in the right direction and just want them to enjoy this process and have fun.

Vikki: (This is a big obstacle couples have and one thing I hear a lot during tastings.)
What advice can you give couples when they are faced with the challenge of whether to have children or not to have children at their wedding?
Katy: This is a good question and can be a touchy subject. There are a few options for couples when it comes to this. Sometimes there is not much you can do when you have family that have children, especially if they are coming from out of town. There are babysitting companies you can rent for the night to watch the children. They will come to your hotel and take care of the kids.
Sometimes it is out of your hands and the children will be attending but there is a great book that would make a good gift. Sara F. Shacter has published a wonderful children's book. Its called Heading to the Wedding. This has been written to educate young children about what a wedding is like and how to behave.
The book centers around a young boy and girl who think of gatherings as parties where they can dress up and have fun. But they learn how to enjoy themselves and respect the special day of the bride and groom. The book also includes a glossary of wedding words.

Vikki: Do you suggest a couple start a wedding website? And if so which one do you like?
Katy: Yes I do suggest it. I think its a great idea. I really like mywedding.com and they have free websites.

Vikki: Last but not least our last question! This has been a lot of fun.
What makes you different from other wedding coordinators?
Katy: Honestly, every coordinator is different in their own way. There are no 2 alike. I am different because I am me. I want my couples to click and match with me and my style. It is truly an honor to be a part of each couples special day. I never forget my couples and always wish them well for a long, wonderful future.

Vikki: Is there anything else you want to add?
Katy: We are booking for 2010. We are looking forward to helping you with your special day.

Well that concludes our interview with Katy. I want to thank her for taking the time to talk to me so my clients can get to know her better. Contact her anytime for help with your wedding. Remember she also has Eco friendly options for your wedding!

Until next week when we will interview another favorite vendor of ours!
Have a good day

US ON HAWAII IN STYLE TV TONIGHT!!

ALOHA AND GOOD MONDAY MORNING!!

I wanted to let you all know that we are going to be on Hawaii In style Tv tonight at 7.30 on OC 16 TV.

We were invited to be a part of a sweet 16 party for a very lucky girl back in January. We made a 3 tier Topsy Turvy cake. It was our first candy land themed cake and it was awesome! Since we posted that picture on our website we have made 4 or 5 since.

To hear about all the details and see what this party was all about and meet all the other vendors that helped make this party a huge hit check out OC 16 tonight at 7.30.
For all of you who can not watch it live you can watch it on www.oc16tv.com. They will stream it live.

Let us know what you think
Have a great Monday

AL'S 50th BIRTHDAY POOL TABLE

ALOHA AND HAPPY THURSDAY!

I hope those of you who have off are enjoying your day today.

We helped Sonya's father Al celebrate his 50th birthday this past weekend. She had told me he loves to play pool so we made him a pool cake for his birthday. We made him a marble cake and covered it in Chocolate fondant.

Al's party was help at Hawaiian Brian's. I have to be honest but I have never been there. And if your not familiar with this place it is a adult arcade game/pool hall.

We arrived a little early so we dropped the cake off and waited for Sonya to arrive. We walked around to see what they had to offer as far as games. Right away I noticed skee ball. Skee ball is my absolute favorite game. It brings back such wonderful memories of playing "down the shore" as a kid. We would go to the boardwalk and go tot he arcade places and I would play for hours. When I was kid it was only 10 cents to play. Then I noticed the air hockey table. Another one of my favorites. So you know Nick and I had a good time playing some games and earning some tickets. I know our job is tough isn't it?

We hope Al had a great time celebrating his birthday with family and friends playing pool!

Happy Birthday AL!

THIS IS A BUST.....A BIRTHDAY BUST

ALOHA!

Welcome to Monday! Although for us I don't even know what day it is. The past 2 weeks have been super busy for us. There is a lot going on with us and we want to share everything with you. So keep checking back for updates.

The funny part of these past 2 weeks is that we only had 2 weddings. All the rest of our cakes have been birthday cakes. And unusual ones at that. All of our cakes this past weekend were cakes we have never done before. We had a pool table, a cigar box, Thomas the Tank Train, a hot chili pepper cake (and I don't mean the band)...along with some others. We will be posting all the pictures this week. But I wanted to focus on this cake first because as I was driving home today I was thinking of which awesome cake to begin the week with and then I saw 2 cops catching speeders and I thought that this cake would be perfect!

Jayne contacted me a few months back about her son's first birthday in April. We set up a tasting and got to talking and she mentioned her husband's birthday was coming up and she wanted to make him a cake. A torso cake of a female, and since her husband is Honolulu Police Officer she thought is best if the torso was dressed in a police uniform with A LOT of cleavage. My first thought was "wow you are a good wife" Not many people would get a cake like that for their husbands. So after some designing we can up with what to put on the cake.

We hope everyone had a great time and the cake was a hit. Maybe I can get some help with these speeding tickets I have!

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY OFFICER STUD" Hope it was a good one!
For more pictures of our cakes check out Sunshine's Cake Creations.
Until tomorrow, we have a lot to update you all on and our new weekly feature will begin!!

2 NEW CAKE FLAVORS!!

Aloha, Thats right we are adding 2 new flavors.

-Chocolate Chipotle Cake, you read it correct. Don't be afraid of this. Its different and so flavorful. We have a special blend of toasted spices that we add to our already moist chocolate cake. Its not hot spicy but it does have a zing. It leaves you with such a delicate flavorful taste in your mouth.

-Chocolate Guinness cupcakes. This is such a great moist cake. The after taste of the Guinness with the chocolate is a different take on chocolate cake. So if you like your Guinness and you like chocolate cake this one is for you.

Both cakes are filled and covered with chocolate butter cream. These are both really good with Chocolate fondant as well.

So, if your interested in these flavors and you have a tasting already these can be included for free. And if your planning on setting up a tasting and want to try these let us know and we can add these on for you.

Try something different. You may find you like them.

We look forward to having you try these flavors! For more information and more flavors check out our site at www.sunshinescakecreations.com
Aloha!

PINK POODLE IN PARIS

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I hope everyone had a good Saint Patrick's Day. Its hump day!!

A few weeks ago I got a call to make Pink Poodle In Paris theme cake. When I heard that I though hum, what is that? I never heard of The Pink Poodle before. So I did some research and found out what it was all about. This cute little pink poodle goes to Paris, pretty easy.

I made Amanda a one tier cake for her and her friends. She wanted a very specific cake. I made exactly what she wanted but I added some French sayings to go along with her cake. Amanda's mom did supply the cake toppers that Amanda wanted on the cake.

As I was making this cake and writing the french sayings it brought me back to being in France when I attended culinary school. We were mainly outside of Paris. We got to spend about a day in Paris. I loved France.

When we went to deliver this cake in Kailua it was rainy and chilly. Just like it was when I was in France. I walked into the house and they had it decorated in pinks and purples and Eiffel towers all over and french music playing.

Amanda and her sister were hanging out all dressed up waiting for her party to start. Amanda loved her cake. We

were so happy to be able to give Amanda exactly what she wanted.

We wish her a very Happy 10th Birthday !!

We also want to revisit another cake we made awhile back. Micky Mouse in Paris. This was made for another girl's birthday who like Disney. This was another fun cake to make. And this was made fro her and her classmates at her school. They loved this cake. And its good learning lesson about another country.

So if your looking for a cake from another country check us out and we can make it!!

Have a great day

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

HAPPY TUESDAY AND FOR ALL OF YOU WHO ARE IRISH HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY.

Just in case your not sure exactly who St Patrick is here is a little history lesson for you. I had to research it myself. I am not Irish but Nick is and I wanted to learn a little it about St Patrick and it is very interesting.

I am going to make Nick an Onion Soup made with stout and Irish cheddar, Shepherds Pie an Chocolate Stout cupcakes. which are going to become a flavor on our cupcakes menu. Check it out......

This has been taken from http://www.historychannel.com/

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.
Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders
It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)
Guided By Visions
After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God's-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.
To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.)
Bonfires and Crosses

Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. (Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries-spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.)

More cake updates tomorrow!

IF YOU DRINK GET A DD OR A CAB....BE SAFE AND HAVE FUN!

PAC MAN REVISITED

Aloha! Welcome to your Monday! HAPPY DAY BEFORE ST PATRICKS DAY!

I have been working with Joy on her upcoming wedding. Int he process her son Marcello turned 13 this past weekend and she wanted to surprise him with some cupcakes. Joy told me that he loves the video game Pac man. Who doesn't right?I used to love to play Pac Man as a kid on the boardwalk in the summers!

So Joy supplied a pictures of how she wanted her cupcakes to look. And with that I could not remember what color the ghosts were so I did some research and I found a website that has Pac Man for free so i had to do some research right!! I love Pac man although playing it on the computer and in an arcade are so different.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCELLO, we hope you had a great weekend!

PURPLE ELEPHANT FOR ULULANI'S 30TH BIRTHDAY

ALOHA,

Happy Sunday everyone. Its a beautiful day today after the horibble rain filled day we had yesterday. Although it seemed to stop raining each time we had to get out of the car with cakes. And we had 6 of them yesterday. The rain gods were looking out for us yesterday.

One cake we had yesterday was for Ululani's 30th Birthday. Her husband Bobby contacted us on Monday about her cake. He attended a party over the weekend where we had made the cake. When he emailed me I looked at our day and wondered if I could even fit him in. This was a very last minute order. But I worked some things out and I was able to make the cake.

He asked we make a light purple elephant. This was Ululani's favorite. She also like flowers such as plumerias and hibiscus. Usually I do not mix flowers for a cake like this but I did this time and I thought it came out cute. I loved the elephant that Nick made. It was so adorable.

We arrived to deliver the cake I noticed the Eagles logos on their car and in the window. I also noticed the PA tags on the car along with Jersey tags. Its a small world. I found out that Ululani is from the same area as me in PA. And they were in Jersey before they came to Hawaii. I love to meet people from back home.

We hope Ululani enjoyed her cake and was surprised. It was a great that Bobby got her a special cake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ULULANI!

Aloha!

Last week we made a cake for a long time client of ours. This cake was for her daughter Quimara's Birthday. She was having a sleep over party with some of her friends and her mother wanted a cake to reflect her party. This is such a cute cake and Nick made most of it and he did an awesome job. I love the little girls feet coming out of the top of the bed. So cute.

For some new cakes that we have posted check out www.sunshinescakecreations.com
Have a great day!

GOLFING GROOM AND DAD!!

Wow, Its been a week since I posted a blog. I have been super sick and not able to do much. Thank God for Nick who has helped me out a lot this past week.

So I am back and feeling better and want to tell you about 2 golf cakes Nick made a week and half ago. Its funny how requests come in pair. 3 weeks ago we had our rocking week with a guitar cake and the soundboard cake for Star 101.9. Last weekend it was golf. We had our first cake for a grooms cake. I met with Tamara and JB about their wedding and she added on as a surprise a golfing grooms cake for him. We were excited to hear how much JB loved his cake.

We were excited to be able to share in Tamara and JB's wedding day. They both look beautiful and we wish them many years of love and happiness.

And our second was for the next day for Katy's Dad, Tom. He loves to Golf as well. We made his a little more humorous. Katy is a good friend of ours and I knew her dad would get a kick out of a funny cake. We found out the next day that Tom loved his cake. He even ate the head off of his figurine. How funny!

We want to wish Tom a Happy Birthday and hope he has many more years of golfing!

Until tomorrow Have a great night.

AVA'S 1st BIRTHDAY CANDYLAND CAKE!

Aloha!
Happy Monday everyone!
I know its not to happy for some people on the east coast. My family sent me tons of pictures of all the snow they got overnight. Some areas had almost a foot of snow. BURR!!! And I am complaining on how cold I am here!

Anyway, February was an extremely busy month for us. I think the busiest I have ever had. I had events everyday last week to end it with 6 events over the weekend. So with this coming week we will be posting a lot of those cakes. I wanted to start off with this cake first because Nick took charge on this cake and made it by himself while I worked on other cakes.

Miriam contacted me 2 weeks ago about 2 cakes. One was her anniversary cake. And the other for her Daughter's 1st birthday cake. Miriam celebrated her 2nd wedding anniversary on Wednesday and her daughters birthday on Tuesday but they had Ava'a birthday party on Saturday. She wanted a 3 tier Topsy Turvy cake with the candy land theme. She saw our other 2 blogs recently about candy land themed cakes and she wanted the same cake. but to make her cake different we decided instead of separating them we would stack them.

The only request she had was that we use pink and lots of candy. She also picked our pineapple coconut, chocolate praline, and strawberry shortcake flavors.

Nick handcrafted all the stars and candy from sugar and all was completely edible. He did an awesome job on this cake. And proof was when we showed up to deliver it. Miriam was so surprised and excited to see this cake. Her and her husband could not stop talking about it. It was awesome. Not only because we gave them an amazing cake but because I knew that Nick made it almost by himself. His work is almost flawless. He has some great ideas and I am proud that I have someone I completely trust to work with and to share life with.

Miriam was quick to get back with me about her cake and this is what she e-mailed me yesterday.

Hi Vikki!
I just wanted to let you know that the cake was a HIT! Everyone could not stop raving about it. I was swamped with a lot of questions like, "who made it?" and "can we eat everything on that cake?". I passed out all of the business cards you gave me. They wanted to know if you had a website. I enjoyed/loved talking about your cakes. A relative of mine wanted that cake for her sweet 16...and she's only 12 years old. There were definitely a lot of "oohs" and "aahs" Some thought the cake was fake and was just a display! One more thing, the cake tasted SOOO good. Everyone loved it! Of course I had all three flavors....I just wanted to let you know that you and Nick did a great job! You guys are awesome. I hope you guys had a great weekend!
Miriam

E-mails like this are so awesome. they make me feel so good. It was a pleasure to be able to share in Ava's 1st Birthday.

Stay tuned tomorrow for 2 more cakes that Nick made on his own. Have a great day!