When the world looked at Joan Rivers, they saw a pioneering comedienne. Me too, but I also saw the woman who pushed me into a career in wedding planning. How could an insult comic I never met set me on the creative path that’s landed me as a wedding planning, etiquette and fashion authority at the top Palm Springs florist? Here’s how.
In 1998, Melissa Rivers, Joan’s daughter, got married. Joan swung into action as a celebrity wedding planner, seeking out the services of innovative event designer Preston Bailey to create a glittery snow garden inspired by “Dr. Zhivago” with 30,000 white flowers for the wedding at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
![Inspired by Dr. Zhivago, Russian opulence permeated the wedding.](https://mylittleflowershop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/melissarivers-231x300.jpg)
The magazine photos live in my brain to this day. When a client says “winter theme” that’s what I see. That extravagant celebration showed me what was possible, what creativity could imagine and what opportunities were there to be a part of such events.
Thank you Joan, for your inspiration towards stylish entertaining – and being entertaining.
Be well and love well.
Dinah
A lovely post script: Joan officiated at the wedding of Preston Bailey and his partner Theo Bleckmann on Valentine’s Day in 2013.