Weddings & Events in New York

Weddings & events in New York: from West 28th Street to the reception

Weddings & events in New York often start on West 28th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, where cut-flower wholesalers have traded since the late 1870s. More than 200 firms worked that block at the peak, and some still open before dawn on weekdays, long before a single stem reaches a bride's bouquet. This section holds three things: the bride's bouquet, wedding bouquets and gifts from guests for the couple, and each one is put together to order once payment clears.

Peonies for an early-June bride, lilies and jumilia in any month

Peonies in the Northeast bloom from late May into early June, so a bride marrying in those weeks gets a bouquet cut from the local season. Outside that window the flowers travel further: the Netherlands ships peonies from late April to June, and Chile sends them from October to December.

Florists cut peony buds at the marshmallow stage, soft enough to open within 24 to 48 hours in warm water and daylight. A bouquet meant for a Saturday is worth ordering with that window in mind, so the peonies are open rather than still tight on the day itself.

Lilies and lisianthus are greenhouse flowers and sit in the catalogue every month of the year. Jumilia has a bud up to seven centimetres across, with a white base and a pink edge.

The Duo of Peony Roses and Peonies pairs peony roses, usually English varieties bred by David Austin, with peonies in a single bouquet, for a bride who wants both in one hand.

A gift from the guests: on the venue table or in the couple's flat

A flower basket's stems sit in soaked floral foam, so the basket stands on its own and goes straight onto a table at the venue, no vase to hunt for first.

Lilies are poisonous to cats in every part, including the pollen and the water left in a vase. Where the couple keeps a cat at home, a lily basket is better left at the venue, and 51 Jumilia in Airy Wrapping travels home instead.

Jumilia holds in a vase for up to two weeks with ordinary care, longer than most flowers chosen as a parting gift.

A guest who cannot make the wedding can still send something; sending flowers to New York from abroad covers hotels and orders placed from another city or country.

Events in Midtown and the Financial District: the stage and the table

Weddings & events in New York don't stop at the altar. Midtown is the largest business district in the world, and Lower Manhattan ranks as the city's second financial centre, and flowers for a launch or a gala there answer to the venue's own clock.

Delivery time is arranged with the venue's manager, and flowers can be timed to arrive for dessert, for a toast or just before someone walks onto the stage.

JFLOO also handles flowers for companies. On request, a manager can invoice a business directly and prepare the paperwork a bookkeeper needs, and a standing agreement covers accounts that order regularly. New York's heating season runs from October to May, and steam radiators warm many of the city's pre-war buildings, worth a thought when flowers move straight from a cold street into a heated hall.

Orders for a set date and time slot are accepted in any zone, and booking early leaves more slots open. Before the courier sets off, a photo of the finished arrangement goes to the sender, who can still ask for changes. A change is possible up to six hours before delivery; delivery zones shows how the city is covered.

Weddings & events in New York come down to choosing the right subsection and matching it to the wedding date. Open the bride's bouquet for the one bouquet carried down the aisle, browse wedding bouquets for the wedding party, or look at gifts for the couple for guests who want to leave something behind. For a wedding set in late May or early June, peonies are the place to start.