A trenton Floral and Event Décor business specializes in unique designs for high-end bridal affairs

by Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos BY Tina Colella

After being in the floral business for more than 20 years, crafting elaborately unique bouquets and sprays of romantic blooms in her charming Hamilton Square farmhouse boutique, Karen Vernon-Stewart saw a change in the way brides were planning their suddenly intricate flower schemes.

“A lot of them were going to floral designers to create their centerpieces and bouquets instead of local flower shops,” said Vernon-Stewart, owner of Petal Pushers, a full-service retail flower shop that has been creating stunning arrangements for almost three decades. “Bridal was becoming very detailed and elaborate; there were themes and other ornate requests; instead of just a beautiful display of roses and peonies, these brides wanted more.”

So about five years ago, the floral designer opened Magnolia Exquisite Floral and Event Décor, a sister company that operates out of her Mercer County store.

“It opened up a whole new market,” Vernon-Stewart said. “Instead of just designing bouquets and boutonnieres, we were designing the entire event.”

Featuring a staff of six designers, Magnolia caters to high end weddings and other exquisite events, crafting every floral element of a function from personal arrangements to sprigs of burlap-tied peonies that fill miniature mason jars at the after party. It’s an ornate process that begins with an initial consultation during which brides outline their every wish and whim.

“We start at the top, reviewing every detail of the ceremony and even personal details about the bride and groom’s hobbies and interests,” Vernon-Stewart said. “The very idea of this service is to represent the couple in every aspect of their wedding, so we discuss the cocktail hour, the reception…even the color of the lighting at the hall.”

Together with her staff, Vernon-Stewart uses that information to design an entire floral theme, carrying similar details through bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces.

“I like to think our work is a little on the Victorian Garden side—a romantic look that is always classic and on point—but if a bride or an event needs to be a little more modern or chic, we could do that too,” the owner said. “Many brides like to carry the same flowers their mother carried, some even take a piece of their mother’s wedding dress and incorporate that into the bouquet. I had one bride recently request the use of these beautiful lockets that carried the pictures of deceased family members inside. It’s those types of personal touches that make floral design so special. Brides are able to incorporate something old and something borrowed within their bouquet.”

Magnolia also offers modern, whimsical touches, too, building arrangements based on a couple’s shared interests.

“We throw in little surprises based on what the bride and groom are all about and what they have in common,” Vernon- Stewart said. “I had one groom who told us about his love of Ommegang beer, so we did a great little arrangement in beer bottles. Another couple talked about their signature drink—a pumpkin martini—so we filled oversized martini glasses with beautiful fall flowers and miniature pumpkins at the cocktail hour. But we take inspiration from our couple: we’ve done special arrangements based on sports teams and Harley Davidson motorcycles. We tailor our designs around the couple’s interests and just really have a lot of fun with it.”

And of course trending florals are always added to the mix.

“The whole burlap and lace trend is leaving, and we’re seeing a lot of garden roses—really large fragrant heavy petal count flowers that when opened fully almost resemble a peony, which is our other go-to for wedding work in the spring,” Vernon-Stewart said. “We’re blending color into our bridal bouquets, too: blush tones are very popular, as well as anything with a champagne undertone. And we’re also adding just a small sprig of hypericum berries here and there for added texture and tone.”

For the groom, boutonnieres are also anything but basic.

“It’s no longer just a simple rose,” Vernon-Stewart said. “We’re doing boutonnieres tied with burlap, twine, leather—so they’re a lot more fun than they used to be. But that’s what Magnolia is all about, creating something unique to mark a day people will remember forever.”