Dinner is Served

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a State Dinner

Rusty Young placing floral arrangement on table (© Mark Kauffman/Getty Images)

White House florist Rusty Young places a flower arrangement before a party for visiting British royalty at the White House in 1965. (© Mark Kauffman/Getty Images)

White House florist Rusty Young places a flower arrangement before a party for visiting British royalty at the White House in 1965. (© Mark Kauffman/Getty Images)

White House florist

Woman carrying arrangement of roses (© Carolyn Kaster/AP)

A woman with a flower arrangement pushes though the State Dining Room on January 19, 2011, as she prepares for a state dinner in honor of China's president. (© Carolyn Kaster/AP)

A woman with a flower arrangement pushes though the State Dining Room on January 19, 2011, as she prepares for a state dinner in honor of China's president. (© Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Not easy! You’ll need to choose blooms that marry qualities of the United States and the visitor’s home. The flowers for the March 2016 state dinner honoring Canadian President Justin Trudeau were inspired by the scenic lands between the U.S. and Canada and the colors of spring. “We have incorporated some yellow, which is the first color of spring, and it’s the color of friendship,” chief floral designer Hedieh Ghaffarian told the media.

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