Chic + contemporary floral DESIGN
Madison, WI — CHICAGO, IL — Phoenix, AZ
with an stylish, romantic approach
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ABOUT SARA JIHAN FASSIL
OWNER + LEAD FLORIST
i’m a gemini (the good kind)
very into cheese and crackers
i’m half moroccan + Norwegian and irish
i go by my middle name, jihan (pronounced jee-haan)
but my friends call me JiJi (pronounced jee-jee)
i’m a dog mom to a pitbull-husky mix, Lina
Going to Concerts is my favorite thing (next to floral design)
i hoard books that I have never read
croatia and egypt are at the top of my travel list
love-in-a-mist (nigella) is my favorite flower
i heart huckabees is a great movie
i’m all about anything pistachio
“I think of 1209 Creative as a visual storyteller using floral design as a way to heighten the love story our couples want to share with those attending their wedding day. I consider this job very meaningful and feel privileged that I get to be a part of these intimate moments.”
photos by Courtney Breider Photography
We service the Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, Scottsdale, and Phoenix areas for weddings and special events. we’re also available for other destination events. We provide our couples with a quality experience and strive to create the most beautiful floral designS + Installations for every Event. We believe in supporting local and american grown as often as we can, but also use seasonal, internationally grown flowers. It is important to us to do our part to be eco-conscious in our efforts to reduce waste + pollution. This applies to materials we use for designing, how we source our products/ supplies, and reuse or dispose of materials after an event.
Floral design has not always been my focus or passion. It was something I accidentally stumbled upon. It was hard for me to ignore how much I loved creating with flowers, so I wanted to figure out how I could make this my full-time job. In short, I am a journalist turned florist. I still laugh when I think about it. One day I was writing for magazines, newspapers, and trying to navigate the world of PR. And the next, I was attempting to pronounce names of flowers I never heard of, anxiously drafting wedding proposals, and constantly asking the universe if I was an insane person for attempting to start my own business as a florist. But fast forward to today, I am still very much obsessed with [almost] everything the life of an entrepreneur/ florist has to offer.
What I create is temporary art. But that was — and still is — a part of the attraction. Flowers are filled with so much beauty, and they really are able to transform and elevate a space with their presence. The idea that I’m intentionally designing for a special occasion where those particular arrangements or floral installations will only be tangibly experienced by those attending… never to be experienced again unless through photographs or videos. It’s kind of bitter-sweet, but I find that pretty cool to think about.
“This flowering life is the life for me, and I strive for that to be visibly and emotionally reflected in my work.”
I grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, and in later years lived in the downtown Phoenix area. In 2019, I made the decision to move to Madison. People always skeptically ask why I would move to Wisconsin from Arizona? I’ve always felt a sentimental connection to Madison since it’s where I spent my childhood summers with my sisters and grandparents growing up. Plus, Phoenix summers are brutal, and I was sooo over it.
Inevitably, I got older and life sped up, so visits became less and less. One of my sisters sparked the idea that I could have the best of both worlds — with wedding seasons being opposite, I could work summers/ fall in the Midwest, and winters/spring in the Southwest. So I packed my bags and took this an an opportunity to grow 1209 and connect with new people. I currently reside in Madison, but frequently travel between AZ, IL, and WI for my events.
I am incredibly thankful for my clients who trust and inspire me, for the continuous referrals from the event vendors who I’ve been so fortunate to work with, and for the support system always rooting for me near and far. This flowering life is the life for me, and I strive for that to be visibly and emotionally reflected in my work.
— Jihan