Design: The Art of the Celebration

For master floral designer Jason E. Howard, a well-designed ambiance starts with a feeling. The founder of JEH Designs has built a career around creating those experiences. For more than three decades, he has worked across florals, weddings and events, interiors, and holiday décor.

How It Started

Howard began event planning through floral design when he became a formally trained master floral designer. From there, his work expanded into weddings and special events, shaping everything from the flowers on the table to the entire room or venue.

“It’s a true gift,” Howard says.

One wedding stands out as a favorite. After he and his team spent countless hours perfecting the details and lighting hundreds of candles to ensure the room was ready, the couple entered for their first look. The bride screamed, danced around, and ran towards him for a high-five and a hug.

That’s when it’s all worth it,” he says. “When you know you gave it your all.”

Designing for the Moment

Milestone celebrations are built on those finishing touches. The key, he says, is listening.

Howard begins by understanding what matters most to his clients, then he blends their vision, memories, and emotions with his own artistic perspective. “You pull them into your creative process and marry the two together,” he explains.

Some of his holiday clients have worked with him for 20-plus years. In one meaningful full-circle moment, the daughter of a longtime Christmas client asked Howard to design her mother’s memorial. He created a secret-garden setting to honor her life in the very garden tucked away in the family’s backyard.

Christmas, by the tree-full

Holiday decorating entered Howard’s career almost by accident.

As a floral designer, clients began asking whether he would decorate their Christmas trees. One tree led to another. Then came the mantels, front entrances, tablescapes, and entire homes. During the busy season, Howard and his team decorate between 60 and 70 trees from November to early December.

The requests are always different. One client may want a tree and mantel refreshed. Another needs multiple trees, several rooms, and a front porch transformed. A client who moves into a home with soaring ceilings may need a taller tree, larger ornaments, and more substantial ribbon. What would take a homeowner several days, Howard’s team finishes in several hours. Some clients even “sneak” him inside by clearing a space in their garage for his car so they can claim they did all the decorating themselves!

From Side Business to Something Bigger

Then came the bows.

When the pandemic brought weddings and events to a halt, Howard watched a year of bookings vanish.

A poem he wrote out of deep despair became the inspiration for the Original Bow Movement, a side business built around handmade decorative bows. He sold 1,200 bows in the first three months and has since shipped more than 10,000 bows to customers in all 50 states and over 15 countries.

“It’s rewarding to make someone’s day or to be a part of someone’s special event or holiday season,” he says gratefully.

This October, Howard turned that same instinct for storytelling inward with the release of his memoir, “In His Eyes 10•10•10.”

Connect with Jason for all your celebration decorating needs throughout the year at: (919) 794-1177, facebook.com/jehCares or @_jehdesigns_.