Two Fridays ago I got up extra early (mom and Rex in tow) and drove an hour outside of Sacramento to Arbuckle, where a lone dirt road led us to the dreamiest ranch. The ranch was in full bloom with some of the most gorgeous citrus trees I’ve ever seen, and acres upon acres (for as far as you could see) of almond blossoms–giving me my first true dose of spring excitement. My girlfriend Ashley had asked me to help consult and style the lunch for her client, Blue Diamond Almond Breeze and before she even showed me a picture of the barn I said yes. I pulled Jessica of Oak & Ash whom I’ve been collaborating with a lot lately in on the project and we dreamed up an organic and free flowing tablescape that matched the mood of the ranch perfectly. The goal was to elevate the barn setting and to make the meal extra special. According to all of the compliments I received afterwards I think we did our part to create something magical!
Bistro lights were strung (this was actually the most stressful part of the job as I feared we wouldn’t have enough), calligraphy was sketched (isn’t Jessica’s handwriting beautiful?!), almond branches were placed down the center of the tables, and florals were organically woven into the scene. I wanted a very natural, “off the farm,” feel to the florals and elevated the setting with brass and gold details.
I loved being on the other end of the event (behind-the-scenes styling) as opposed to a guest. Since the lunch was for press and influencers I knew exactly what instagrammable shots they would want, making my job easier, ha! And with that said it was fun to then sit back and watch them all snap away as they arrived.
Meanwhile, while I set up, my mom and Rex spent the morning walking up and down through the almond orchards… often peeking in at our work in the barn. It was a bring your mom and baby to work kind of day (so thankful that worked out, ha!).
A huge thank you to my girlfriend Ashley for asking me to be a part of this event. To Jessica for inspiring me and creating something gorgeous! And to Jillian who beautifully captured these “before” and behind-the-scenes moments (all on film!).
Concept + Styling | Alicia Lund
Florals | Jessica Miller (Oak & Ash)
Photography | Jillian Gorman