There are many bright colors available year-round... These are just some of them!
Hello Friends!
After a long hiatus from our blog and as our scribes grew stale, we needed to jump-start our adventure all over again. I wanted to title this entry “Starbright is Back” but that would not have been accurate as we never went away. Our amazing flowers have been around all year-long and our decor has graced more venues than you can possibly imagine. We have really had a fun year so far.
So much fun in fact that while we did not forget to blog, the truth is that we lost our stride. Our fingers clamped up and the writing side of our brain stopped thinking (or writing what we thought!). Anyways, here we are and I almost would like to take a moment to reintroduce ourselves, who we are and what we do….
Starbright Floral Design (www.starflor.com) was started in 1994 fifteen years ago as a premier floral provider to the special event and hospitality markets of New York City. Since then we have grown to offer world-wide delivery of flowers, plants, orchids and gifts of all sorts. We have won many awards and accolades (both local and national), but what we are the most proud of is the reviews that you will see about Starbright online.
If you go to Citysearch, Yelp or even Google, you will see that we are one of the most reviewed florists nationally and certainly the most reviewed in Manhattan.
Stay tuned for many great articles that are getting ready to come down the pike. In the meantime, if you would like to send someone amazing flowers give us a call at 1-800-520-8999. Or you can visit our website at www.starflor. com. We would love to hear from you and help in every way that we can.
Many thanks to all our friends and clients. We will always look forward to being of service.
Warm regards,
The Official Florist.
Starbright Floral Design – The Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps
We are located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District. On 28th Street, in Chelsea – between 6th and 7th Avenue.
Just this past week we had the opportunity to work with the Etheopian World Federation (an NGO based inside the United Nations Headquarters in New York City). A memorial service was held and we donated the flowers for the Meditation Center at the UN. While we are extremely proud of every donation that we make and every cause/event that we are a part of, this one was very dear to us. It is always an honor for us to help and to assist those that need it the most and those who are not the popular or “in” charities that easily obtain funds and donations. Below are the thoughts that were shared with us by our client…
Hello Mr. Faitos
The Ethiopian World Federation just wants to thank you for your donation.
On July 30th at the United Nations Meditation Center The “YEWMBA” Ye Ethiopia Wiyen Mahber Be Alem celebrated the Birth and life of Emporer Haile Selassie. The Memorial for Emperor Haile Salassie was a memorable and inspiring celebration of a great king and African pioneer. He was a man that stood for international Human Rights and Africa’s Human rights. He believed that in order for a country to prosper there must be modernization and centralization. In honor of his legacy Delegates from the Ethiopian Federation attended the ceremony along with many spectators. Highlighting the celebration three dozen beautiful white roses was the center piece signifying spiritual love and respect. We will all remember his movement, his voice, his struggle and his courage.
Pamela Vera
(917) 536 – 6465
Ad Hoc Unit Coordinator
New York City Headquarters
Ethiopian World Federation
A little bit about Starbright…. Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district. Our studio is centrally located in Manhattan. We offer local and worldwide delivery of flowers, plants and gifts of all types. In addition, we are a premier provider of decor in Manhattan for corporate and social special events. To gain a bit of a broader perspective on our organization and on the work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com or reach out to us by phone at 800.520.8999. We are located in Studio 201 at 150 West 28th Street. We hope to see you soon!
On any team, in any company or in any organization people join in every now and then that you “just know” are going to be around for a very long time and will contribute in a super meaningful way… Barbara is just such a person. Last year we were short-handed for what was the largest wedding production that our organization had ever been involved with. It took our entire team, plus a freelance group (that Barbara was a part of) to basically decorate the Brooklyn Museum. That is when we met Barbara and have not let go since…
Flowers, Festivals and Romance
In her own words, life in the wonderful world of flowers –
At ten years, the floral design industry is one of my two longest-lasting relationships, (the other is my husband, who’s been my partner for seven.) Following are a series of brief descriptors of the business.
In a cash and carry shop I worked at, customers were constantly walking in and saying how wonderful the store smelled. I’d smile and agree, and even lead them to the fragrant flowers if they asked, although I’d been in the store long enough that I couldn’t actually smell them anymore. A favored expression in this business is, “hurry up and wait,” meaning that work is not a steady flow; rather, everyone rushes to meet a deadline, or prep to begin work on an event…and then we just hang around for go time. The florally-related holidays, such as Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, Easter, and so on, do produce weeks’ worth of intense work. Sometimes, if a store is lucky, there is more work than even the best-equipped store can handle. Those times generally wear on everyone’s nerves- frazzling coworkers to the point that they want to strangle each other. The hours become long and the amount of work slavish. These periods are counter balanced by the quiet periods, such as January or midsummer, when customers are traveling, or the calendar is empty of a special occasion which calls for flowers. Since flowers are generally short-lived, a commodity rather than a necessity, customers also frequently haggle about the price, or the fact that, yes, there is tax on flowers.
How does the floral business sound after the above descriptions? If the job had been described as such, I probably would’ve looked for a job elsewhere before walking into my first interview with a shop. The truth is, however, that I am, and always have been, hopelessly addicted to flowers. My interest was piqued at an early age by my grandmother, who was a landscape architect. But familial dedication isn’t really enough to explain why I’ve returned again and again to the floral business over a decade. Flowers, if you can stop to take a deep breath and appreciate them, are beautiful in themselves. But let’s face it… how many people can stop to smell the roses? This work is worthwhile to me for the good moments, to be found in every day. When an arrangement comes together, it gives a sense of satisfaction that is immediate and complete. When coworkers also find beauty in something you’ve made, it’s an additional bonus. The maximum gratification comes when a customer’s eyes light up at seeing what you’ve made for them. I’ve also been fortunate to work with many excellent people, not least among them the crew at Starbright. (Especially Brian!!!) There are always laughs to be shared, as well as the sense of accomplishment when a large job is completed, at having contributed to a significant moment or event in someone’s life. If I’m waxing too poetic, sometimes there’s satisfaction at simply having gotten through another day, and having managed to create something in the meantime.
A little bit about Starbright…. Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district. Our studio is centrally located in Manhattan. We offer local and worldwide delivery of flowers, plants and gifts of all types. In addition, we are a premier provider of decor in Manhattan for corporate and social special events. To gain a bit of a broader perspective on our organization and on the work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com or reach out to us by phone at 800.520.8999. We are located in Studio 201 at 150 West 28th Street. We hope to see you soon!
So you decided to get married? Congratulations! Your special day is coming! It is truly a big day for you, your partner, your family and your partner’s family! A big congratulations to you all…
Tom and I were talking and in casual conversation the subject turned to what some of the more common mistakes are that brides make when planning their wedding. Well in his own words, some of the pitfalls… Read On!
In my humble opinion, the most common mistake couples make in regards to their wedding flowers is listing too much to other people’s opinions. A wedding celebration should ultimately be a reflection of the couple and THEIR tastes, not a conglomeration of their friends and family’s style.
I often find myself repeating the mantra, “It’s your day, it’s about you two!” Brides are commonly overly concerned with what their guest’s opinions may be and often fear being judged for making certain bold choices. If your friends are critical and negative in regards to the choices you’ve made, are they really friends worth having?
Selecting décor that is opposition to the colors or architecture of the venue is another error that is common. Don’t fight it! Go with it! It will always look better if you chose a color scheme that works within the room’s existing décor. If you don’t have the budget to drape the room completely and create a blank slate, you will always have a more harmonious design scheme if you complement the surroundings.
You will spend less of your budget if you are not trying to distract from or cover over the undesired elements of the room’s trappings.
Here in New York City we have many venues with incredible views. If your venue has stunning skyline or river views, why distract your quests with overly complicated, tall centerpieces?
Generally, you’ve paid a pretty penny for the view! Why take away from that?! I would suggest doing a lower centerpiece so that your guests’ eyes go toward that stunning vista. Perhaps it would be better to create a composite style of arrangement with multiple vases that echo the skyline your quests will be spend the evening admiring.
A little bit about Starbright Floral Design… Starbright is a full-service florist that offers a wide array of services to its clientele. We are located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District (on 28th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenue). We serve the general public, our corporate clientele and the Manhattan Hospitality and Special Events Industry all from one central location. Delivery of Flowers, Plants and all types of gifts is available from our store at 150 West 28th Street, by phone at 800.520.8999 or by visiting our website at www.starflor.com. We hope to see you soon!
Every year in January, Tom Sebenius (our Creative Director) takes a sabbatical to go to his home state of California to work decorating floats for the Rose Bowl Parade. This past January there was a professor and some students from BYU that were a part of the creative team in Pasadena as well. Through good old fashioned networking, Tom heard about Jaime Garrett (A BYU – Idaho) who was just dying to find an internship in a high impact florist and would just be thrilled with a New York City experience in the Summer of 2010.
After a few back and forth emails, Jaime packed her bags from Idaho and headed East for the summer. She has been with us for about six weeks now, taking in the New York City experience and having the time of her life in our store. All I can say is that I truly hope that she is enjoying her time with us and getting as much out of this experience as we are by having met her. Jaime is an amazing, dedicated and super dynamic person that will truly be missed when she heads back to school at the end of her internship.
They say that a worthwhile life is a life that you spend positively touching the lives of others. Jaime has touched us all with her smile, her positive outlook and her attention to detail. A true pro in the making. JAIME: You have made lifelong friends at Starbright!
Here is a short version of Jaime’s experience at Starbright in her own words:
I am Jaime Garrett and I am a student at Brigham Young University Idaho. I am currently studying horticulture with a floral design emphasis. One requirement of a horticulture major is to do an internship. Ever since I learned that I would need to do an internship, I knew I wanted to intern in New York. There was something about the city the never sleeps that always intrigued me. So, when the time came for me to find an internship I made a list of different floral shops and began my hunt to find the right place for me. I found Starbright Floral Design through students and teachers from school who had worked with some of the Starbright team at the Pasadena Rose Parade. When Starbright said they were willing to take me on for the summer I could not have been more excited.
When I arrived in New York I was overwhelmed with the millions of people, the crazy taxi drivers and the very confusing subway system. But, I was not going to let a little culture shock bring me down! I was ready to start work at Starbright. Things were definitely different and new to me when I first started working and I had a lot to learn. I was excited to learn more and adapt to their style of design. Everything about they way the designed impressed me and made me want to learn more.
I have now been working at Starbright for a few weeks and am really enjoying myself. Some of the things I have had the great experience to be part of are; working on events and parties, working on site at hotels, and helping with wedding work. I have learned more than I could ever imagine and am still learning more each day. My time here is not done, and I am really grateful for that!
A few words about Starbright Floral Design:
We are a premier New York City Florist (highest rated on Google and Citysearch) that specializes in décor (plant and cut flower) for corporate and institutional clientele. Our plantings and floral is featured in many prominent New York City offices, hotels and restaurants throughout Manhattan (references are available). We are permanent members of NYC & Company and HSMAI. Our presence in the corporate community has been well documented since our inception in 1994.
Starbright is located in New York City’s Historic Flower District on 28th Street. Our location enables us to provide outstanding service and prices while offering displays whose freshness is at its peak.
You may visit us online at www.starflor.com or call us at 800.520.8999
On Thursday the First of July Starbright Floral Design will be featured on the Today Show in the 8AM to 9AM time slot. Our very own Stephen Faitos leads our team in the execution and design of a backyard deck for a couple in Brooklyn… Watch the Today Show tomorrow and see what we are all about!
Visit our website at www.starflor.com to learn more about our organization and the type of work that we do. Would you like to send someone a gift anywhere around the world? CLICK HERE for the gift section of our site or CLICK HERE if you would like to see our online portfolio for events. We would love to hear from you! Give us a call at 800.520.8999 or go on line.
Thank you to all our friends and clients that have made the last fifteen years of Starbright more amazing than we could ever imagine!
Our new designs are here! Introducing the Starbright Exclusives…
We invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com and once on our site click on the giant “G” for gifts. There is an entire section devoted to Starbright Exclusives. (It is listed on the top left). In this section you will see new, modern and unique gift ideas that were created at our own design table.
Apple Lime Ice
These gift selections are not part of a mass catalog that any FTD-type florist can recreate. Rather they are bespoke and created with individuality and to your taste. The Starbright Exclusives section is a line of floral gifts that is available in New York City (within our own delivery area) and in most major markets where we have developed strong partnerships with florists that adhere to the same principles of design and customer service that we do. This is a group of stores that has developed a code of standards that exceeds the typical flowers by wire environment. By placing your flower order with us, you know that your request is in great hands and your gift will always be delivered just as you requested. Click on THIS LINK to see all our unique designs.
What is even more fun, is that as our designs are being rolled out we are giving our clients the opportunity to name the arrangements! Every time we are about to add a design to our collection, we will post the photo on our Facebook page and we will ask our fans (over 1600 at the present moment) to submit their ideas of what we should call each composition. Names have been created like “Purpleberry Lady”, “Orchid Alleycat” and “Apple Lime Ice” and they have all come from our friends and fans.
Exotic orchids, amazing calla lillies, elegant presentations of spring flowers and the most modern presentations imaginable are all there. Have a look at our collection (CLICK HERE) and have a look. We hope you find the presentations to be both refreshing and an interesting alternative to common flowers!
Starbright Floral Design is a leading floral organization in the New York Metropolitan Area with our studio located in the Historic Flower District on 28th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. We have been honored by our audience as the most reviewed florist in New York City (consistently earning five stars), recognized by Citysearch and The Knot as the top florist in New York City for 2009 and 2010.
Flowers, Festivals and Celebrations. It is what we do!
Cheers, Nf
Find us online, give us a call (800.520.8999) or stop on by. We would love to meet you!
Starbright Floral Design was recently named a member of Teleflora’s National Account Program, an elite incentive and loyalty program that is created exclusively for the tom member florists in the United States. This program was created by Teleflora as a way to recognize the top tier florists throughout America and to recognize/support hard work, excellent quality and tremendous customer service.
Starbright Floral Design was founded in 1994 and is located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District on 28th Street (150 West 28th Street, Studio 201). Over the past twelve months we have been recognized in several other categories of quality and service – including: The top pick florist in Manhattan for weddings by The Knot and also The Best Florist in New York City by Citysearch for 2009. In addition we are both the highest rated and most reviewed florist on line with over 70 reviews and five stars.
We are very proud of all the awards and accolades that have come our way. None are we more honored of than the oooh’s and aaah’s that are expressed by receiving a gift from Starbright. Give us a call (800.520.8999) or visit our website for worldwide delivery of the most amazing flowers and gifts!
On the 08th of June it was a very special day in the history of hotels and hospitality for New York City. The newest hotel opening in our city took place. The Eventi officially opened its doors with a spectacular opening bash and a party for the press and everything travel, tourism and hospitality. The hotel opened in the center of New York City’s historic flower district and the property naturally has a flair for “everything flower”.
On the opening day, we were involved with many areas of decor throughout the hotel. Here are some examples of what we did:
There was a “Flower Garland” cutting ceremony instead of a ribbon cutting ceremony.
We supplied thousands of flower blooms that were on display in compositions throughout. The lobby of the hotel, the meeting rooms, the suites and even the spa were all decorated…
The front sidewalk of the hotel was converted into a public flower market where the general public walking past the hotel was welcomed with rare seasonal blooms.
The hotel ballroom was decorated with flowers, balloons, champagne and votive candles in the theme of a New Year’s party to depict the start of a New Era in hospitality for New York City and beyond. We want to thank our partners who invited us on the team to be a part of this historic day at the Hotel. The Eventi (a Kimpton Hotel) and M. Silver Associates (msilver-pr.com) the PR agency that we worked so closely with to make so much of this happen and to make it a reality.
Here are some photos of the day – enjoy!
Celebrating a New Begining in Manhattan Hospitality!
An Outdoor Flower Market… Starbright Flowers Everywhere!
Amazing Blooms and Blue Skies Over Manhattan!
Cutting the Garland Ribbon to Officially Open the Hotel.
Starbright Floral Design (www.starflor.com) is a full service floral design studio in New York City. We carry the most amazing seasonal blooms and deliver gifts daily (seven days) up to 8PM. In addition to local flower deliveries, we also handle worldwide flower requests, special events, press junkets, plant care and much more. Give us a call (1.800.520.8999) or visit our website (www.starflor.com) to learn more about our organization and the work that we do. We look forward to hearing from you and to meeting you soon!
Mother’s Day at the Ronald McDonald House is really special. This year it touched our hearts in a very special way. The New York City Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org/nyc) organized a very special Mother’s Day at the Ronald McDonald House in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Moms and kids got to spend the day together. There was fun, there was laughter and it was a very special day. Hearts were touched as only hearts can be.
Starbright Floral Design proudly provided floral decor and centerpieces for the room where food was served and everyone lounged for a lazy afternoon. The real highlight? Every child got a rose to give to his/her mom. For many years now we proudly support and sponsor both of these organizations and we have worked with both very closely. When the LLS called us to ask us to do this event, they did not know that we already work with the RMH and bringing these two groups together was really special for us. We would like to encourage everyone we know to support these two amazing groups that do so much for all of us.
Mother's Day was really special this year!
About Starbright Floral Design – Starbright (http://starflor.com/) is a full service florist and floral delivery company located in Manhattan. Our store, our studio and our offices are in the wholesale flower district on 28th Street and 7th Avenue. We provide same day delivery of flowers everywhere, event decor, corporate and institutional services, etc. Starbright is the most reviewed florist on the web and we have a consistent FIVE STAR ranking everywhere. Please feel free to visit our website to learn more about us, our flowers and the work that we do.
Blooming Thoughts 