Lynne Tischler CPFD
- Feb 13, 2017

KDIOF Goes To Washington

Every florist knows designing for events is hard work, and I can tell you from my own experience that the presidential inauguration was no exception. But with hard work comes great reward, and being given the opportunity to design for a Presidential Inauguration was one of the most rewarding projects I've ever been a part of.

I’ve been known to have many titles throughout my career: shop owner, wife, dog-mom, adventurer, foodie, and artist, but one of the best ways to describe me is ‘floral junkie.’ I have been designing in the floral industry for over 20 years. I have lived, breathed, and even eaten flowers (if you have never tried stock, it tastes like radishes.) When it comes to the floral arena, I can never get enough. This passion has led me to some unique floral design projects. Some of my favorite and more unique designs have been a 3-story interior waterfall, a suspended installation for a Nobel Peace Prize exhibit, and the Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn in 2016. So, when the opportunity to design for the 2017 Presidential Inaugural event arose, of course I jumped at the chance!

I worked with an amazing floral design and event production firm called Amaryllis, located in Washington DC. I worked with them for six days as a member of their floral production team, which consisted of regular staff as well as other designers from around the world. While we were designing in the studio, each designer had their own work space and our roles were like a part in a finely-tuned machine. Studio employees processed thousands of flowers and brought them to us while we put together the grand arrangements in containers that were already prepped.

When Amaryllis told me they specialized in grand events, they were not exaggerating! The recipes for the centerpieces offered finished creations that were lush and voluminous. They were filled with hundreds of stems in varieties of roses, spray roses, carnations, and mini carnations in shades of saturated red and velvety burgundy. The arrangements were then packed and taken to their locations, while we focused solely on designing. Over the week, we created centerpieces for 22 private inaugural events which included a candlelight dinner at Union Station and the Armed Forces Ball.

We also helped with setup on-site; my favorite was for the Liberty Ball at the Library of Congress. The building itself was magnificent. I’ve never seen such exquisite mosaics such as those that grace the floor and ceiling.

As a floral junkie, designing is also exhilarating, rewarding, and fulfilling. Having the opportunity to create for such significant events magnified the rush from designing, and it is a feeling never to be forgotten. I am so grateful for all that I learned with this amazing project.

*I was not permitted to take my own photographs of the designs we worked on, but Amaryllis shared a couple of photos on their Instagram account, which you can click on to see more of their event and floral design work.