A Dinner Under the Trees

I’m excited to share with you the floral installation for my birthday celebration at Comedor! If you remember the invitations I sent out inviting friends to this dinner, it was a glass box with letterpress invitations and a bonsai tree. My goal for the invitation was to give guests a little snapshot of things to come. Comedor and its modernistic aesthetic of high ceilings and glass walls are represented by the glass box of the invitation. And then within the glass box, the bonsai tree represents 1) the life (of the party) that will be brought into the space and 2) actual trees brought into the space to create a wild forest. It may have seemed a little cryptic to guests receiving the invitation, but hopefully it all made sense on the evening of the event as the full picture of the experience is revealed.

With the incredible cavernous ceilings, I wanted to create a scaled experience with tall spruce trees that lined the dining tables. The tall trees would give presence to the installation and the space below the canopy would give guests a comfortable dining experience under the trees. The wildness of the forest floor is captured in the wild greens and natural wildflowers. Individual bud vases of anthurium and Queen Anne’s lace is an elegant take-home gift that leaves them with a piece of the forest. The juxtaposition of the hyper-modern and minimalistic space paired with a super lush and wild-like forest brings a sense of beauty and symbiosis to leave guests in awe. I loved creating this installation and more than that, celebrating with friends.

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TABLETOP WILD FOREST

8 Centerpieces + 18 BUD VASES

FLORALS + SUPPLIES

• 8 (12” x 12”) black marble trays

• 8 medium downswept green spruce trees

• 18 glass cloche bud vases

• Oasis floral foam

• Green floral tape

• Black duct tape

• 6 bunches of cedar green branches

• 4 bunches of white pine green branches

• 18 stems of white anthurium

• 4 bunches of white Queen Anne’s lace

• 3 bunches of chocolate lace

• 2 bunches of white heather

• 4 bunches of green ball dianthus

• 2 bunches of bunny tail grass

• 2 bunches of aster solidago

• 4 bunches of maiden hair, cut

STEPS

1. Separate the bases of the tree and secure to the marble tray with black duct tape. Make sure all surfaces are dry so that the tape will adhere well.

2. Using the cedar and white pine branches, cut small branches and attach to the downswept spruce trees using green floral tape. This will create a more natural and fuller tree for the dinner experience.

3. Cut and fit the marble tray with floral foam.

4. The following instructions are for each individual marble tray:

   1. Take 1/2 a bunch of the green ball dianthus and create a mossy base by spreading the dianthus and arranging them throughout the marble base.

   2. Take 1/2 a bunch of the maiden hair and arrange to create a “forest floor growth” look. Use the hair to cover portions of the floral foam.

   3. Using 2 to 3 stems of the aster and white heather flowers, cut them short to create “low plant life growth” to fill in the arrangement.

   4. Using 2 to 3 stems of the white Queen Anne’s lace and the chocolate lace, arrange a few stems closer to the base and a few stems at it’s longest length for a wild flower effect.

   5. Add in a few stems of the bunny tail grass for additional wildness and texture.

5. Attach the tree trunk to the marble base.

6. For each cloche bud vase, place one stem of white anthurium and two stems of white Queen Anne’s lace.

7. Spritz the florals with water to hydrate petals.