Meet My Mentor in Floral Design Flower PPoowweerr
When I first got Jonathan’s name, I had high hopes for a future partnership. “I know you do amazing event design, and I do production and lighting,” I told him. “I’d love to get to know you and learn more about your work.”
Years ago for an event, I hired a team of artists to craft massive, 5-foot-wide flowers from fabric and paper. They created peonies, roses, and tulips that were almost as expressive as living plants. Walking through them felt like becoming Alice and stepping into Wonderland. But as magical as those art pieces were, they didn’t hold a candle to the real thing. Like lighting and music, florals can make or break the mood of an event. Flowers can be simply decorations, but they can also be a standalone method of expression. A good floral arrangement should tell a story all by itself.
Then things took a turn for the worse.
“Are you Jewish?” he asked.
“Yes,” I told him, confused.
“Do you observe the Sabbath?”
I didn’t figure this out on my own. I learned everything I know about flowers from one man: Jonathan, the mastermind behind Jonathan Couture. Our friendship had a rocky start. It was 2008, and I was just dipping my toes into the corporate events world. One of the first large events I worked on was an awards show-themed dinner for a pharmaceutical company. I had a vision for the space: Classic Hollywood
“I do.”
He said, “Well then, we can’t do business together” — and hung up! I couldn’t believe it. I stood there for a minute holding the dead line in my hand. Eventually, I shook my head, put my phone back in my pocket, and went on with my day. But Jonathan’s credentials stuck in my mind.
decor with a black, white, and red color scheme, white feathers and yards of elegant drapery and linens. It was a solid foundation, but I was missing a crucial piece of the design puzzle: the florals. To bring my theme to life, I had to tie it into every part of the event experience. I needed floral art that dripped with old Hollywood charm and went beyond a simple centerpiece. Luckily, one of my catering clients knew the perfect man for the job — Jonathan. There was only one problem. I’d already called him, and it was a catastrophe.
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