Dear all,

As some of you might have already seen on my facebook page, I’m in this month’s Praew Magazine along with my family. For that interview, I was asked to bake a couple of desserts, arrange some flowers, and set up the tables for the shoot. So I would like to share the pictures that I was unable to share with you guys prior to this issue’s release. Here are some of my pointers:

1. Plan ahead: that’s the best piece of advice I’ve got. Write out lists, draw out pictures, do whatever works best for you. But, please, please do not start one hour before your guests arrive because SOMETHING WILL GO WRONG

   

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2. Always play with height: use different sized vases, cake stands of varying heights, or different sized plates. If you are short on supplies, you could even stack up some nice coffee table books and put you plate on top for a modern twist.

   

3. Do not clutter: give your dishes/ bouquets some room to shine! You spent all that time on them, might as well let your guest get a full 360 view of them! (But if you feel like you do not want that much attention on a particular dish, maybe that dish should not be on the table in the first place!)

   

4. If in doubt, stick with one type of flowers: within the same container, that is. It requires a lot of skills and practice to mix and match flowers and nicely arranged them into a harmonious bouquet. So you might as well skip all that mess and just use one type of flowers (I usually prefer them to be of the same color too) within each container. This way, your vase would surely look neat and modern.

   

5. Pick your star flowers and work around that: If you intend to use more than one types of flowers, keep in mind that flowers could be expensive, especially big and beautiful ones such as roses, hydrangeas, peonies, and tulips. I suggest that you pick only one type of these and use complimenting flowers that are cheaper and smaller in other vases. This will prevent your table setting from looking too cluttered and you from breaking your bank.

   

6. Keep the desserts exciting: variety is the spice of life, spare your guest the boredom and give a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Unless it’s your theme, do not bust out 5 chocolate desserts, even if they are your absolute favorite ingredients on the face of the Earth. What if your guest has chocolate allergy? (Yes, this dreadful condition really does exist!) Or what if someone is watching their weight but still want to have a nice end to their lovely meal? So give them variety, my love. Not only would you be showcasing your skills, but you would more than likely please more of your guests as well.

   

7. Add at least one unexpected item: because people get bored easily. People strive for excitement. These are the facts of life. So give them what they need! Surprise them! But how? You may ask. Just put yourself in you guests’ shoes, and think of what would excite them when they see your table. Maybe do what I did for this shoot and use vintage containers as vases, use fruits instead of flowers, write the name of each dishes on a rock. I don’t know how weird your friends are, so I can’t decide for you. But I’m sure you get the idea!

   

Bon Appétit!