GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Forget Me Not Florist has been selected to help decorate the White House with first lady Melania Trump this year.
Mother and daughter duo Theresa Cuevas and Courtney Jane Cuevas applied to be among the floral designers nationwide that President Donald Trump and the first lady welcome into their home for the holiday festivities this year.
“When it (the application) became available, I said let’s do it, let’s try it,” Theresa said.
The good news came a month after the two applied by the Oct. 1 deadline.
“We were so excited, very happy,” Theresa said about the moment the two got the confirmation email. “She was screaming,” Courtney said.
Theresa’s mother opened Forget Me Not Florist in 1978, and her grandmother was a florist as well. The flower shop has a location in Gulfport and Long Beach. Courtney, her daughter, has helped with the shop along with her siblings since she was a little girl.
Although she’s a student at Southern Miss and plans to veer away from the flower business, she was excited for the opportunity to volunteer with her mother. They’ve made a few trips to Washington, D.C., but this one will be special.
“I knew she would just love It,” Theresa said. Courtney is in school for legal studies and is interested in politics. They hope that while volunteering they’ll be able to see a different side of the White House.
Soon after they learned of their selection in mid-October, they shared the news on the store’s Facebook page. The mother and daughter said they were proud to be able to represent the Mississippi Coast.
“It’s a huge honor to be able to represent Long Beach,” Courtney said.
The two will leave for Washington on Sunday, but not before getting orders ready for the next couple weeks. The shop has two large orders for a wedding and a dance recital this weekend.
The mother and daughter duo will help assist the White House florist and other volunteers from around the country make the White House a winter wonderland with the First Lady.
They’re not sure yet sure about their specific tasks, but they’ll help carry out this year’s theme and design once they arrive.
They were also invited to eat lunch with Melania Trump on Monday, something that they are looking forward to.
“We’re both so excited to meet the first lady,” Courtney said. “It’s going to be a great moment.”
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