‘Together We Grow’ Organic Woodland Themed Gala at The Thaden School

LOCATION: Bentonville ARcorporate events

Apr 29

statement tree thaden gala bentonville rose of sharon organic woodland corporate event

For the past five years, we’ve had the pleasure of designing florals for the Thaden School Gala in Bentonville, Arkansas. Every year brings a new theme and a new way to make the space feel special.

This year’s theme, “Together We Grow,” was guided by Event Manager Laura Hammarstrom, with a vision that felt natural and green-forward.

For the entry, we layered in moss as a feature element and built out lush arrangements and live plants to welcome guests in. The larger pieces were full of texture, with greenery like plumosa, bear grass, Sea Star Fern, and Sticherus Fern. We kept the palette classic in whites and greens, using blooms like orlaya, stock, viburnum, green hydrangea, wax flower, campanula, and veggie roses (a new rose variety).

For the centerpieces, we worked with the chef’s vision to incorporate appetizers being displayed in and among the florals. We designed mossy, textured arrangements that tied back to the larger installations, then added white dendrobium orchids, local white snapdragons, green trachelium, and the veggie roses for a clean, fresh finish.

We also made a few choices with sustainability in mind. We used bamboo plates as eco-friendly disposable containers, and we incorporated living plants that can be featured again in upcoming events. Bamboo is invasive and not something we typically choose, but in this case it was foraged locally from a stand that had already been marked for clearing. We also used as many locally grown flowers as possible.

Our favorite part of the design was the statement tree behind the bar. We used metal framework to support bamboo and smilax, creating a tree that was over 20 feet tall. It anchored the room and was one of those pieces guests kept coming back to.

The talented Alex Villar of Villar Photo Co photographed the event. Take a look through the images below. Enjoy!