Jackson Durham: An Event to Remember

New York City may be the center of the universe - or so they think - but when it comes to big parties, big weddings, and big fun, Dallas is in a galaxy all its own. Jackson Durham Floral Event Design started five years ago in Atlanta (no shortage of fun in that city either) with co-founders Heath Alan Ray and Charles Vance, and branched out to Dallas in 2012 with the addition of partner Sara Fay Egan.

"It's where everything is right now," says Ray, who serves as Creative Director. "They love to have parties. It's just growing; the art scene is huge. Everyone's moving to Dallas now, and none of them are from Texas."

And when you're a company that prides itself on big weddings and flowers in abundance, along with a dollop of tradition (the company name originates from the two partners' mothers' maiden names), the Lone Star State fits right into the heart of things.

"Our look is very classic," says Ray. "It's very lush, but not super traditional. We bring our design expertise to the table while maintaining the client's original vision."

"Flowers are 80 percent of every wedding we do," adds Ray. "That's what we are known for, but we do weddings all the time that aren't designed that way. Sometimes it's because of the budget; sometimes it's more about the party. We're doing a wedding this spring where 70 percent of the budget is going toward candles."

The company also hopes to do a bigger percentage of gay weddings in the near future-they just booked two-even if neither state has officially recognized same-sex marriage. (Dallas, according to census reports, has the highest percentage of gay people of any Texas city; Atlanta has the third-highest percentage of gays of any U.S. city, after Seattle and San Francisco.) Jackson Durham also works out of state and gay couples can have weddings regardless of legality. As Ray notes, same-sex weddings are getting bigger every day.

"Gay couples are more formal than straight couples," says Ray, adding that it's most likely a reaction to marriage equality. "In Texas it's not uncommon to have five hundred people at a wedding. Our Atlanta clientele is smaller; it's a good central base, and a travel destination. We just had five hundred people from Dallas at a California wedding."

A Long-Distance Love Affair

Jackson Durham is no stranger to long-distance affairs, and the company has produced more than 25 events this year. Ray and company travel to the site in preparation and offer a lot of advice for any couple planning to have their guests hop on planes to make it for the Big Day.

"It's asking a lot of guests to attend a destination wedding," he says. "They are paying a lot of money for flying and for the room. So a really good amenity bag is a great idea. Also, giving them wonderful ideas for things to do in the area. If it's a weekend wedding, we like to do a welcome party on Thursday night - light and casual."

As a general rule, says Ray, "our destination weddings are never super formal - hometown weddings are typically more formal. We do more cocktail weddings with hors d'oeuvres."

Popular destination weddings right now, according to Ray, are vineyard weddings and beach affairs. "And we're doing a lot of weddings in California," he adds.

Beyond Trends

When asked about new wedding trends, Ray says it's not a phrase he uses often. "I don't like being very trendy because it implies that what we're doing will go out of style in five years. I'm very frank with couples. I don't want them to sit down with their wedding book twenty years from now and go 'Oh, that was so 2014.' I want the event to honor their aesthetic."

To that end, should you set up an appointment with Jackson Durham, Ray says, "we let the client drive the first twenty minutes... how they became engaged, favorite flower, food. We try to hone in on five things that help you come up with an initial design plan. We have some clients who manage everything down to the last detail. We also have people who say 'Here's our budget, now run with it.' I prefer the fifty-fifty, where we all work together."

Ray also likes etiquette. The biggest wedding mistakes made these days involve "stationery or not sending out save the date cards. The invitation process doesn't have to be formal, but it should be followed," he says. "I'm constantly trying to get people to write more thank-you notes."

Because of social media and the Internet age, Ray says, "I think etiquette in general, in regards to events, is going out the window."

On a related note, he mentions the all-too unfortunate cash bar or incomplete bar. "If you expect people to fly in for your wedding, you should have a full bar, not just beer and wine."

Ray's dream-plan destination wedding is in France, or "anywhere in Europe," he says, admitting he's been a Francophile since he was 14. In the meantime, he's content living and creating in the heart of Texas.

"Dallas is an awesome place. I'm fortunate to see it growing at such an unbelievable time. Last time I was in L.A. I had five people ask me about Dallas and talk about moving there."

God and guns aside, LGBT'ers are clearly arriving in droves to Dallas, and when they're ready to get married, Jackson Durham will be ready for them.

Want to see more of Jackson Durham's work? Visit their online portfolio.

David is an established columnist with EDGE. Follow him on Twitter at @DRToussaint.

This story is part of our special report: "Gay Marriage". Want to read more? Here's the full list.