{"id":21660,"date":"2017-06-19T14:56:05","date_gmt":"2017-06-19T19:56:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.weddingsinhouston.com\/blog\/?p=21660"},"modified":"2017-06-19T14:56:05","modified_gmt":"2017-06-19T19:56:05","slug":"celebrity-style-qa-with-floral-designer-jeff-leatham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.weddingsinhouston.com\/blog\/celebrity-style-qa-with-floral-designer-jeff-leatham\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrity Style: Q&A With Floral Designer Jeff Leatham"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JEFF-LEATHAM\"<\/p>\n

Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Leatham<\/p>\n

In international event-design circles, he\u2019s known as the \u201cking of clean.\u201d But floral genius Jeff Leatham<\/a> is so much more than the reigning monarch of the monochromatic arrangement. As artistic director for the Four Seasons George V in Paris, Leatham\u2019s bold, vibrant floral installations and event design work have won fans including Tina Turner, Oprah Winfrey and Madonna. He\u2019s partnered with Hermes, Rolls-Royce and the Dallas Museum of Art. His book, \u201cVisionary Art and Floral Design\u201d (Rizzoli, 2014), is a must-have. He turned Kris Jenner’s Gatsby-theme 60th-birthday bash<\/a> into an instant Instagram darling<\/a>…and he just designed one of the most lavish weddings<\/a> in wedding history. Leatham\u2019s thoughts on flowers, color and weddings with inimitable personality are the subjects of this exclusive Weddings in Houston<\/em> Q&A.<\/p>\n

Weddings in Houston: How were you first introduced to the world of floral design?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jeff Leatham:<\/strong> It was really an accident. I had been living in Los Angeles, doing a lot of retail management. I started modeling, went to Europe, and when I came back to L.A. I didn\u2019t have a job. I put it out there to friends, asking if they knew anyone who was hiring. A friend had a friend who worked at the flower shop at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. I went in to help her for a few days\u2026and it was so much fun, such a great experience, she asked me if I wanted to come back the next week. It was the first time I saw flowers as art\u2014and it just grew into something I really wanted to do.<\/p>\n

\"Jeff-Leatham\"<\/p>\n

Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Leatham<\/p>\n

WIH: How did you end up at the Four Seasons George V in Paris?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

JL:<\/strong> When the Four Seasons reopened the George V, they asked me to come work there. The hotel\u2019s renovation was so exciting, there was so much press around it\u2014and so much money to be spent. In the first year alone the hotel spent nearly $2 million on flowers. It was a major undertaking, and it really put me on the map. I was able to experiment and try new things. If they didn\u2019t work, I could just toss them out and start over. That\u2019s when I started to work with really clean design and big bunches of flowers.<\/p>\n

\"Jeff-leatham\"<\/p>\n

Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Leatham<\/p>\n

WIH: How would you describe your signature style?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

JL:<\/strong> It\u2019s funny really. Jean Paul Gautier designed that pointy bra costume for Madonna\u2014since then he will always be known as the \u201cpointy bra guy,\u201d even though he does so many different things in fashion. I\u2019ll always be known as the guy with the big bunches, big vases with flowers leading up the sides. But really, for me, mixing it up is important. I don\u2019t always do the clean, monochromatic style. Sometimes I\u2019ll do an English Garden design, or really romantic pink flowers. But it is funny\u2014I\u2019ll put a really pretty arrangement like that up on Instagram<\/a>, and it will get 2,000 Likes. Then I\u2019ll put just a huge bunch of hydrangea up, and it will get 5,000. I find that simplicity really gets people\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

WIH: With Houston\u2019s heat and unpredictable weather, most brides opt for indoor venues. What are your favorite ways to transform a basic ballroom into a lush, vibrant wedding\u2026<\/em>experience?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

JL:<\/strong> You only have one chance for a first impression, so an entrance piece in your reception area is so, so important. For centerpieces<\/a>\u2014\u201ctable art,\u201d I call them\u2014remember that people are going to be sitting in front of those arrangements for three or four hours. People are going to be looking at them, touching them. You should have three different centerpiece designs, to bring depth and texture to the space. But keep it monochromatic, though just different enough, and never use more than three different types of flowers. It\u2019s so important\u2014and difficult\u2014to know when to \u201cstop\u201d with floral design.<\/p>\n

\"Jeff-leatham-Eva-Longoria-Wedding\"<\/p>\n

Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Leatham<\/p>\n

WIH: What\u2019s the single most important aspect of reception room design?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

JL:<\/strong> Lighting. Find the best lighting company<\/a> you can, even before you find your florist. Then focus on the table art.<\/p>\n

WIH: What\u2019s your best advice to brides for working with a floral designer?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

JL:<\/strong> Every bride has always imagined that<\/em> day. When I work with a bride, it\u2019s important to have her explain to me what her dream wedding is. I ask the bride to stop, close her eyes, tell me with her eyes closed what she sees her wedding feeling like. Then we go from there. I work best with brides and clients when they really trust me. So, trust you wedding designer. Don\u2019t micromanage. I do understand that wedding flowers are a big expense, and sometimes the couple or their family has saved a lot of money to spend on those flowers, and they want to make sure they are spending it well. But if you can just trust your designer, you will always get a better effect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Leatham In international event-design circles, he\u2019s known as the \u201cking of clean.\u201d But floral genius Jeff Leatham is so much more than the reigning monarch of the monochromatic arrangement. As artistic director for the Four Seasons George V in Paris, Leatham\u2019s bold, vibrant floral installations and event design work have won Click here to read the rest of this post \u00bb<\/a> […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>
Share this post<\/div>