The Flower Bar
““In joy or sadness flowers are our constant friends.””
Flowers ready for delivery to the luncheon on February 15, 2019
Just after Valentine’s Day, I had the opportunity to facilitate a flower-arranging activity for the annual Widows Luncheon hosted by Cook Funeral & Cremation Services at Sunnybrook Country Club in Grandville, MI. During the planning stages, as I collaborated with Melissa Mitchell and Emily Merritt from Cook Funeral & Cremation Services, we felt this event would have too many guests for a traditional flower bar that would be found at a bridal shower.
We decided to turn the guest tables into their own mini flower bars. The tables had six vases, each with a different variety of flower. The vases of flowers were arranged in the center of the table before the luncheon began and served as the centerpieces for the luncheon.
Widows Luncheon welcome table with a compote arrangement of ranunculus, hellebore, hyacinth, and scabiosa.
In addition to the vases of flowers, signage and scissors for each guest to cut their stems were placed on the tables before the attendees arrived.
Mini flower bars at each guest table. Photography by Amber Kieliszewski, Courtesy of Cook Funeral & Cremation Services
Melissa Mitchell of Cook Funeral & Cremation Services welcomes attendees of the Widows Luncheon on February 15, 2019. Photography by Amber Kieliszewski, Courtesy of Cook Funeral & Cremation Services
Photography by Amber Kieliszewski, Courtesy of Cook Funeral & Cremation Services
After the meal, the participants had the opportunity to use their own creativity and personal style while selecting their preferred blooms and vase. This activity added a casual, social component to the luncheon. The act of gathering and styling from the shared blooms fostered conversation and interaction.
Photography by Amber Kieliszewski, Courtesy of Cook Funeral & Cremation Services
The flower bar didn’t require any formal instruction. It was meant as more of a personal expression exercise. I mingled through the tables and offered assistance where needed. I do wish I’d had more time to spend at each table. If the opportunity arises in the future, I think one designer per three tables would be ideal.
From left to right: Melissa Mitchell, Jennifer Schuitema, and Emily Merritt. Photography by Amber Kieliszewski, Courtesy of Cook Funeral & Cremation Services
I’d like to thank Melissa Mitchell and Emily Merritt of Cook Funeral & Cremation Services for planning and coordinating such a welcoming event. Their warmth and kindness was felt by the whole room. They cultivated a place of friendship, community, and joy, and it was obvious that the guests in attendance appreciated and enjoyed a great luncheon.
Jennifer Schuitema
Co-Owner of Wyoming Stuyvesant Floral, Wyoming, Michigan
Third-generation florist working in the same location established by her grandparents. She’s worked in flower shops most of her life but only in earnest since 1998, when she graduated from Western Michigan University with a BBA. She lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
