CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Sinton man chosen to decorate the White House for Christmas is back home. And he's sharing all the details of his trip! Here's an exclusive look into his experience.
Back from the White House, Adrian Alaniz is still fresh with excitement
“The feeling and the amount of emotions that were running through me were just amazing,” Alaniz said.
Alaniz said the first day he arrived at the White House, he was handed a pass and an apron and got straight to work.
“I did a few trees inside the Blue Room, a few trees inside the State Dining Room and, of course, the Grand Foyer,” said Alaniz. “A total of 50 trees were decorated.”
He had help though, as one decorator from each state was chosen for this special job; Alaniz proudly was representing Texas.
But while others were garnishing the halls, and parts of the East Wing, Alaniz and just a handful of talented people were given special decorating tasks in other parts of the Executive Mansion.
“I also had to sign a non-disclosure agreement,” said Alaniz. “I was given some jobs at the White House that I am not able to talk about but they will forever be inside my heart, some memories that I will never forget.”
But the presidential highlight was getting to the meet the First Family the morning of the reveal, as Melania Trump came down to express her gratitude to everyone.
“She did a wonderful job and she was very graceful and a beautiful person,” said Alaniz. “I got to see President Trump, and we got to see them take off immediately following the grand reception.”
Now that he's back, Alaniz said his customer base has widened, as well as the community support.
“We have customers coming in from literally all over the state and calling from all over the country, so the experience has opened many doors for me and for the business,” Alaniz said.
Soon he plans to open a location in Corpus for his design and floral shop in addition to his original location in Sinton.
Alaniz also said there is an 85 percent chance he'll be invited back to the White House next year. There will also be an HGTV Christmas special featuring all the decorating they worked on, that will air December 15.
