Part I: The Sweet Taste of Collaborative Success

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by Danny de la Cruz with special thanks to Rechie Valdez and Frances Murray[/x_text][/x_column][x_column bg_color=”” type=”3/4″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_text]When you hear the word “wedding”, so many images come to mind, especially this time of year when the wedding season is in full gear. For bakers and creative artists, Frances Murray and Rechie Valdez, their thoughts immediately turn to the dessert table and how they can deliciously bring the couple’s vision for their special day to life.

This is no small feat—it takes planning, thorough communication, time management and creativity. For these ambitious women with two very distinct backgrounds, it’s their common desire to create beautiful and delicious dessert tables, cakes and treats for their clientele which drew them together.

After meeting in the Spring of 2016, they quickly identified the benefits of collaboration and what developed was a deep, trusting friendship and an even stronger working relationship. Both Fran and Rechie are successful Corporate moms, each with a family and two kids. In between their busy lives, they continue to develop their individual businesses after hours. Fran brought many years of baking experience, a love of recipe development, keen sense for flavors and technique. Rechie brought innovation, contagious zeal, a fresh perspective and a passion to learn. Both women have a knack for creativity, art and a strong attention to detail. Through their projects, they discovered ways to leverage each other’s strengths.

Fran and Rechie found synergies through supporting one another and continue to sponsor events with the same underlying goal: women supporting women, moms supporting moms. They have supported organizations that help women navigate through their passion and goals which include: Women in Film and Television (WIF-T) and Young Women in Business Toronto (YWIB).

Their advice—develop organic relationships rooted in trust and sincerity—this is the key to elevated performance and success. Fran and Rechie’s desserts reveal their creative passion through each intricate detail and their joy for baking through each scrumptious bite. These two boss ladies elevate any special event by producing dessert tables that will inspire guests and have them wanting more.

Get to know Frances Murray and Rechie Valdez. 

A Dessert Table Collaboration

For their latest wedding project, Rechie and Fran met with Karissa, the bride, and asked her several questions about the venue, the wedding day, the number of guests etc. For desserts, the bride wanted them to be simple and delicious, and to match her yellow theme. Rechie and Fran were also provided images for inspiration and guidance on flavors, but ultimately had the creative freedom to decide on the final dessert table.

The desserts that were created were simple, yet elevated to ensure that they met the overall feeling the bride wanted her guests to experience when they saw the dessert table. An added touch was the strawberry/strawberry shortcake infusion into the desserts since the bride provided homemade strawberry jam as give-always for all the guests. She had gone strawberry picking with her close family and bridesmaids for the giveaways and she loved this experience. What better way to incorporate it then integrating it into the desserts and offsetting the yellow theme with pink and red tones and accents.

Cakes

• Vanilla cake decorated with brushed on buttercream details and adorned with an edible flower and custom cake topper
• The accompanying cake was a chocolate semi-naked cake, drizzled with white chocolate, topped with macarons, buttercream embellishments and hand-crafted chocolate clam shell.

Cupcakes

• Vanilla cupcakes and strawberry shortcake cupcakes made with Swiss meringue buttercream

Cake Jars

• Strawberry shortcake cake jars filled with vanilla cake, strawberry reduction, vanilla buttercream and topped with a macaron shell

Shot Glass Desserts

• Strawberry shortcake cheesecake and Lemon cheesecake

Macarons

• Vanilla and strawberry shortcake flavored macarons

[/x_text][x_line][x_text]Credits

Desserts: Rechie Valdez of Chietopia
Desserts: Frances Murray of Chez Fran Desserts
Photography: Jonathan How of Made by Ten
Cake Topper/Labels: Teresa Pham of Luna Belle Design[/x_text][/x_column][/x_row][/x_section]