Mariah Jacobson

My Project

While I was on my internship at Modern Display my roommate (at the time) Melanie was planning her wedding to Dusty. It was a pretty exciting time. The date they picked was mid December soon after the semester ended. Melanie wanted silk flowers because she was getting married in Rexburg, then having a ring ceremony and reception in Washington, and needed her flowers to last. I was able to look around Modern Display at all their high quality silks. Mel had requested white callas and anything else, but no roses. I found some white

callas right away. I didn’t know how many I would need exactly, but there were only two boxes left, so I took both boxes and any that I could find on the show floor. I stored them in my cubby until I knew what else to put with it. The colors were then decided; Ivory and Crimson. Since it was winter time, the only thing in nature that was red in white snow was berries. I looked for a long time trying to find the right berry. Did I want large berries, small berries, plain red berries or some that were dark red and had varying shade up to crimson? I found a few that I liked, so I kept them as samples. Some of the other florists gave some great advice, and I narrowed down to two berries. One berry branch had large berries with varying shades of red; the other had smaller berries that looked quite plump with varying shades of red. I also wanted to add a little greenery. There were so many options, but I decided I wanted a soft looking juniper to match the Idaho wedding, and Christmas season. It all looked a little vintage to me, yet very elegant, and that matched Mel’s style, and the style of her wedding gown. I bought the product and headed home, where I could work and get things just right. To begin, I cut up the berry branch and wired and taped them, so I would have the individual stems to work with. I did that with the juniper too, so I could mix it in and spread it evenly around the flowers to make a collar.

I decided to do a hand tied bouquet. I hadn’t done one for a while, so it took quite a few tries. This took me a few days until I finally had the spiral right, and the berries and juniper were mixed in. The next step was to decide how to display the stems. The natural stems were very long, so I had to cut them Because they were silks, another issue with cutting the stems was the wires sticking out, which could potentially scratch, or even worse, snag the wedding dress. I knew I couldn’t leave them bare, so I found a wide ivory ribbon and wrapped all the way up the bouquet. I used pan glue to secure it. I then found a beautiful crimson ribbon, which would reflect off different shades of red, and had a really cool texture. I wrapped this ribbon around the base of the bouquet, with just a little ivory showing below, and then I would twist the two strands of ribbon from each side around and create a little knot, then wrap the ribbon to the other side, and create a knot, until the very top. When I got to the top of the stems, I tied an actual knot that looked quite similar to the other knots, and placed a pearl pin through the center to hold it in place.

Then next step was to create some corsages and boutonnieres for the parents and the groom’s boutonniere. I didn’t want to cut a calla lily that small, and I didn’t have enough, so I decided to use the berries and juniper, then a add a little branch with some snow on it.

I had only four calla stems left, and the bride had requested two throw bouquets. Instead of making bouquets with the works, I thought it would be cool to keep these ones simple, so I just wrapped two callas together with the ivory ribbon, and then tied a small red ribbon bow around the ivory ribbon. Looking back I should have trimmed the stems, but at the time I thought the long stems were so beautiful and elegant. But even though they were elegant, they were a little unpractical for the throw bouquets.

My other roommates made the cake for Melanie, and it turned out beautiful! They used white fondant, and drew with red icing a beautifully elegant design. As I was preparing to head down to the wedding, I wanted some calla stems for the cake. I was going to add berries (both large and small) and some juniper, but I wanted to add the callas. I scrounged around like crazy trying to find more at the store, and just as I was leaving I thought, I should look in the white display flowers one more time. I found four more stems! Just what I thought I would need.  I origionally wanted to do a desing with the callas and berries and juniper on the top of the cake, but when it came down to it, I didn't have the right materials, or the time, so I just added the callas around the base of the cake.

A few weekends before the wedding, during Thanksgiving time, I went to visit, and with Dusty’s family (I was engaged to Dusty’s brother at the time) we went and found some Christmas trees and cut them down and stored them for the reception. We set them up and put white twinkle lights on them. They were very elegant and wintery and added a beautiful touch. We also used a barn wood fence to divide the gymnasium in half and at each connecting point there was a spot for flowers. I used some other white silk flowers and made some sweet arrangements.

Laura Dowling

Laura Dowling is a wonderful designer. She specialises in garden style designs. Garden Style design focuses on natural arrangements with contrasting elements and integrating innovative color combinations, distinctive materials and sophisticated design aesthetic. In garden style arrangements, fruit and vegetables are often used, to add their flavor of color and texture. They also add originality and interest.

Laura's designs are chic, but have a casual elegance created by using flowers from the woods, meadows, vineyards, and gardens. Her rule is to follow principals of exquisite design, highest quality materials and exceptional service.

I love what she said, Nature inspirations, trends in fashion, decorative arts influence the poetry and artistry. Floral design really can be poetic, and it definitely is art. As I think of all the art forms that I have had contact with, I can see a place where flowers fit, and can easily become a part of that art form.

Laura is described as always featuring special elements. An example of this is using organic containers, floating 'butterfly' orchids, and 'dancing' branches to create a unique effect.

Laura has a blog, where she displays her creations, but also gives tips and ideas on all aspects of her designs. Click here to veiw.

She spent many years in France studying this style of garden design, and it shows. Her work makes me feel like it is part of a garden, and there are so many details.  I love her work!!

Life 3

Number 2. Life 3
Per Benjamin,
Thomas De Bruyne, and
Max van de Sluis

Life 3 started in 2002 after the three designers met at a competition when, after the show they were talking and began critiquing each other’s work. They hit it off and started their company six months later.

All three of these great designers have worked in all fields of floristry. They focus on the emotional side of flowers and teach throughout the world and in their own countries. Each has their own consulting and design companies.



“For me the challenge is not to find the most beautiful and rare flowers but to find new ways to use the ordinary ones and show their beauty….Focusing on color, being the first and strongest impression, I play with accessories of all different materials and textures to put a new focus on, and show the beauty of, any and all flowers. Not to see limits and old traditions as obstacles; on the contrary to see them as possibilities and inspiration for new ideas is my overall intention and challenge” Per Benjamin




“Sometimes it seems there are no limits.” Max van de Sluis







“As a floral designer, I try to strive for harmony, commercial as well for artistic. Harmony is a subtle co-existence of contrasts: light and shadow, continuity and discontinuity, soft and harsh. The balance has to be present in all aspects varying from color to form and proportion. It is harmony, which gives an extra value to a floral arrangement. It is the combination of technique, knowledge and respect of creativity that will develop into a piece of perfect harmony.” Thomas de Bruyne

Here are some pictures of their Artistry: