The sweetest table in the room

The Sweetheart Table is a beautiful way to create a vignette for the newlyweds.

What is a Sweetheart Table? It is the table at which the newlyweds sit at their dinner and reception. Set apart from the rest of the tables, it is typically a rectangular table and places a lovely focus on the wedding couple. Often this is the most photographed setting during the reception, so we aim to soften and frame the happy couple with florals!

Here are three examples that we love!

Fall scene with changing leaves and tapered candles at Factoria at Charles Point in Peekskill, NY. The arch was used for the ceremony, and we repurposed it to frame the sweetheart table for the reception. The eucalpytus and copper color of the fabric and candles were a perfect match! Lanterns placed asymmetrically in front of the table lent a lovely glow to the flower garland on the table.

Below, we featured lush greens and whites to offset the rough brick and stone of this historic building at the Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville, NY. With the prohibition on open flames, our LED pillar candles set the mood.

This beautiful riot of color for a late summer wedding was impactful with a trio of bud vases and and floating candles. Once again, we repurposed the floor installations from the ceremony and moved them to frame the Sweetheart Table at the Abbey Inn & Spa in Peekskill, NY.

We are wedding and event floral event specialists in Northern Westchester County. Call or book our wedding consultation and let us help make your dream day come to life with flowers!

Wedding Centerpiece Ideas

There are a lot of difficult decisions when planning a wedding. It’s our job as florists to take your dream Pinterest board and apply it to the party of your life. Here are a few creative ways to personalize the space with florals. 

Candles and greenery with pops of flowers adds so many layers of interest to the table! Floating candles of different heights brings warmth to an evening reception, or transforms a rainy day into romance. Using greenery such as italian ruscus extends the tablescape, and select blooms in your color palette bring energy and joy.

The Abbey Inn & Spa, Peekskill, NY. Photo Credit:@copperandtodphotography

Design dishes to create an alpine meadow field as seen at Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville, NY. Using LED candles and lanterns is a perfect way to accommodate venues with an open flame restriction.

Consider a Bud Vase Runner to showcase your favorite seasonal blooms. This is a perfect way to elongate a rectangular table and bring flowers to each guest. To start, we laid a cheesecloth runner, layered some greenery and then finished with bud vases and votive candles.

Hudson Loft, Irvington NY. Photo Credit: Ali Levin Photography

Another lovely option for a rectangular table is to stagger similar vases of different sizes. Below, we have a runner of soft pink ceramic vases in different shapes and sizes, seashell elements, and LED votives in frosted holders.

Sarabeth’s NYC.

You can’t spell team without tea!

We were so excited to take a morning for ourselves outside of the flower shop for “Anytime Tea” at Baked By Susan’s!

Naturally, we put the Upper Village Blooms spin on the experience and adorned the table with vibrant fall flowers, including local dahlias grown by Alex of Finney Farm Fine Foods. Place cards with dried flowers, soft table linens, and fresh waxflower in the napkin rings completed the overflowing table.

Once all 8 of us were seated, each selected the tea variety of our pot. From a selection including a rich Assam and a creamy Earl Grey, it was difficult to choose. Tiers of treats were placed on the table for all to share. We had a delicious assortment of savory and sweet options, and went about discussing our favorite bites!  The mini cucumber sandwiches, tiny croissants stuffed with egg salad, lemon poppy scones, and chocolate chip cookies were delectable. Susan makes her clotted cream herself, and it was out of this world!

Satisfied and nourished, we reluctantly said goodbye to Susan and to one other, but we each had a to-go box of goodies! We highly recommend this outing for a mini-staff retreat, birthday celebration, or just to add some magic to an ordinary day. 

To experience the tea service at Baked By Susan, visit their website or call (914) 862-0874.

If you’d like to add flowers to sweeten the occasion, contact us for free delivery!

The ambience of the Bakery, with sunlight and all the lovely smells of breads and pastries made our tea extra appetizing! It was a pleasure to treat ourselves to this festive experience here in Croton.

It's Prom Season!

The history of American high school prom goes back to the mid- to late 19th century and often marked the first milestone for high school students. The Prom, shortened from the word Promenade, was originally modeled after upper class debutante balls.

Throughout the decades as American middle class expanded, the formality of the event became more extravagant. Stretch limos, spray tans, and promposals have all come in to fashion, and maybe some of these trends have faded out of popular culture.

Wrist corsages and lapel boutonnières have always been a part of the Prom Costume, yet lately new trends in Prom Flowers include hand-held bouquets and corsage rings in lieu of corsages. For those wearing suits, lapel boutonnieres are perennial, but the pocket square is an eye-catching trend that we hope stays!

To make your flower ordering easy, consider what color your outfit will be, and then decide if you'd like to make your outfit the focus, or your flowers. If you are wearing neutral colors, go for vibrant and bright flowers! For outfits with a stronger color, we recommend letting your outfit shine and choosing flowers in a softer color, such as whites/ivories/creams, pale pink or pale yellow.

For prom flowers, we choose hardy flowers that will hold up out of water, such as mini roses, and we accent with varieties such as waxflower, limonium, thistle, strawflower, delphinium, and sometimes baby's breath. Adding other accents such as lavender, bunny tail, or decorative feathers changes the feel dramatically, effectively communicating a personal touch!

The labor-intensive floral jewelry we make for Prom goers are individual works of art, and we are proud of our craft. Because of the effort involved in creating corsages and boutonnières, the last day to order them is Tuesday June 6th.

Whether you say "go to the prom" or "go to prom", we hope you have an exceptionally fun time at your prom, and wear your flowers with pride!

See some of our past creations for both Proms and other events in our Floral Jewelry Gallery.

What, June, already?!?

So many reasons to celebrate, June is so jam-packed that we need to reach out! 

Hello, Early Summer!

Many of life's occasions are made more lovely with fresh flowers-- proms, graduations, weddings, and end-of-school year gifts. Our Grab & Go fridge is stocked with a selection of luscious blooms from $32 and up. If you have a special request, call us for your custom vase arrangement or wrapped bouquet! 

June Highlights:

-Sunday, June 4: Venture out for a day of fun in the Upper Village! Mark your calendar for the Village of Croton-on-Hudson's Summerfest. This favorite local event starts out with a parade and includes street vendors, entertainment, food, and live music! The streets will be closed and the weather forecast is looking good!  

-Tuesday, June 6: Prom season is here! Tuesday June 6th is the last day to place an order for the Senior Proms of Croton Harmon, Ossining and Briarcliff high schools on June 8th. For those of you who want to stand out, we recommend a corsage ring or a pocket square this year. Have a look at some of our favorite creations on our Floral Jewelry Gallery. Attending a different prom? Call us in advance to order.

-Thursday, June 15th: Our next design workshop held in-store is now open for registration. Covering the basics of design with chicken-wire mechanics in a wide mouth vase, this is our most popular class! For more information, or to register, visit our website. You can also join our Class Announcement Mailing List here.

-Sunday, June 18: Father's Day! We have a GRAND selection of cards, games, plants, gourmet food & novelty items for Dads and Grandpas. 

-June 19-23: The last week of school for Croton public schools. We deliver to our CHUFSD schools for free– that's right, no delivery fee. Packaged securely in a box to take home, Croton teachers love our flowers! 

-Thursday, June 22: CHHS Graduation, 6pm at Croton Point Park. Congratulations to the Class of 2023 as well as our very own employee, Nate! 

-Friday, June 23: PVC Graduation, 9 am at Croton Point Park. Congratulations to the rising Freshmen, the Class of 2027! Graduates of all ages appreciate a bouquet of flowers to commemorate their accomplishment. 

Hosting a small event and need flowers? Don't delay in reaching out! Here's a look at some of our past events, which include tea parties, bridal and baby showers, engagement parties, and dinners. And, yes we deliver to NYC. 

We post daily with updates, please follow us on Instragram @uppervillagebloomscroton

Mother's Day 2021

This year, we are facing a serious flower supply issue due to last year's pandemic shutdown. There has been a shortage of labor, plant material and bulbs, and an increase in extreme weather patterns in growing areas since 2020. Farms reacted to the pandemic by downsizing, cutting their crops or switching from flowers to marijuana. Furthermore, increased shipping costs due to curtailed passenger flights and freighter aircraft shifting their cargo to PPE and vaccines have impacted the price of fresh flowers.

We have been monitoring the flower markets to purchase our flowers at the best prices, however we are at the mercy of what will actually be shipped. Therefore, we urge you to order your flowers extra early this year!

Thank you for supporting us, your local florist. We are working without the global yoke of order gatherers.

Finney Farm Fine Foods

One of our favorite local purveyors is Croton’s own Finney Farms Fine Foods. This local treasure began with when Vanessa Sudnik was faced with an her over-enthusiastic husband’s home garden. Out of desperation, she began making her Tomato Jam in order to use up all of the end-of-season fruit.

This delightful concoction can be described as an American chutney —it is lighter in body with a perfectly balanced flavor. Vanessa’s Tomato Jam pairs well with most cheeses, can be your secret ingredient as a sauce for fried chicken, and it takes any potato —roasted, mashed, fried— to the next level! It dresses up grilled cheese sandwiches as well as turkey like you wouldn’t believe.

This year, after many sleepless nights, Vanessa was determined to create an herbal tea that was more relaxing than chamomile and less potent than gin. Carefully crafted with organic chamomile, passionflower, hops, orange peel and mint, this tea —named Goodnight 2020— will relax you.

We are now offering a limited time gift box set with a few local goodies! Included in this gift box are Goodnight 2020, filter tea bags and a tea spoon, along with Catskill Provisions Raw Wildflower Honey.

To enjoy one’s tea, we need a Croton-on-Hudson mug. These mugs feature the original artwork of Jeff Thornton and come in two different designs —the Croton Dam and the Hudson River.

Lastly, two Finney Farm Fine Foods vanilla caramels and an air plant round out the box. This thoughtful gift is sure to please any local tea lover!

Shop securely on our website at your convenience!

New Products!

After quite a long and slow summer, we have begun restocking our shop for the colder months and will continue to restock until the winter holidays!

We have restocked old favorites, such as Nectar Republic Apothecary Candles and White Sage Smudges and their best-selling winter holiday scent, Mistletoe.

From Maryland, we have discovered delectable chocolate covered caramels from Chouquette. Their flower designs are a perfect addition to our shop. Also very exciting — Popette of Pendulum lollipops are a new discovery. They specialize in deluxe vegan hard candy with no known allergens. Made in a peanut-free, tree nut-free and gluten-free facility —this is our new favorite lolly.

Sardine Clothing in Philly has the most adorable upcycled cashmere accessories! We have restocked their popular fingerless gloves, which are like candy.

We have also hundreds of glass animals back in the store! Local kids have been coming in and adding to their menageries. (The birds are super popular, but so are the bugs.)

Stay tuned, as in the next 8 weeks we will be unpacking our shipments and making room on the shelves for new items!

And of course, we now offer Seltzer Goods in shop — their tote bags and stickers have been a huge hit! All of our VOTE 2020 items are now on sale. Mention that you are voting for a 20% discount on tote bags and 10% off stickers and face masks. PLAN YOUR VOTE and make your voice heard.

Caring for Succulents

One of the most popular houseplants at Upper Village Blooms are succulents. They are easy to care for, aesthetically diverse, and ideal for small spaces.

A few tips on how to give your succulents the best possible care:

Light

Give your succulents enough light! They typically need about 6 hours of sun daily, depending on the type of succulent.

Indirect light is best— in the summertime, move them away from southwest facing windows where they could burn, or provide some protection with a sheer curtain.

Rotate your plants regularly so the entire plant can benefit from the sun. 

Water

Succulents like to be dry in between waterings. It is better to under water them than over water. When in doubt, don’t water.

Our preferred way to water them is to sit the pot (make sure your pot has drainage holes) in a shallow dish with about 1/2 inch of water for about 20 minutes. Remove when the top layer of soil is moist. They will absorb the water to the roots and stop drinking when they are full. They need more water in spring, summer, and fall and much less during the winter months. They store excess water in their succulent leaves —if leaves are not plump, water them.

Do not spray water on your succulents. Excess moisture will cause rot.

Soil

Succulents should be kept clean and dust-free. A small paintbrush is handy for getting into crevices. 

Keep an eye out for bugs and mites in the soil or on the plant. If there are insects, isolate the plant from other plants and spray the soil with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Bugs and mites are usually caused by over-watering and over-fertilizing.

Fertilizing only in the growing months— spring and summer. Use a fertilizer that has an appropriate NPK ratio for succulents, and dilute it in half. 

With a little care and attention, you will probably need to repot your succulent in soon to accommodate for its growth! Repot in a larger pot (with drainage holes) and use a succulent soil blend. We like Organic Mechanics Brand Cactus and Succulent Blend.

Do you need to ID your succulent? Snap a photo and email to us at info@uppervillageblooms.com and we will do our best to help you identify it.

@aimsmoonpaperie cards

We purchased these gorgeous flowery cards from St Louis based Aims Moon Paperie back in February. A lot has happened since then, but we will always celebrate and support black women. 

Backyard Coconut Candles

We are thrilled to announce a new product at Upper Village Blooms --Backyard Candles!

Backyard Candles is very close to our ideal company —somewhat local in South Windsor, CT and with the deeply held conviction that we all share a collective Backyard. This sense of community is the cornerstone of their commitment to the stewardship of our planet.

Backyard Candles are handmade using all natural soy and coconut waxes, cotton or wood wicks, and pure therapeutic grade essential oils. Made with materials that that are up-cycled, recycled, renewable, or can be reused, and their packaging is also 100% recyclable.

We now stock their coconut candles in 8 scents! The coconuts are made from up-cycled coconut shells (a waste product that is typically burned). In several different sizes and fragrances, you will have a difficult time choosing just one. Backyard Candles offers 53 candle fragrances —we also had to limit ourselves to seasonally perfect scents.

The half-shell coconuts float in water and are essential for self-care these days. The outdoor Citronella and Lemongrass candles are available in a standing coconut cup and are burnable outside. Come in and sample these divine fragrances!

Lastly, 5% of the purchase price is donated to environmental causes.

Click here for Backyard Candle’s donation details.

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Administrative Professionals Week

Now that your Administrative Professional Genie is working from home, flowers are needed more than ever!

Brighten up their WFH set up with gorgeous blooms that express how much you appreciate them.

We have Luxe Blooms available that are arriving fresh bi-weekly from our flower suppliers, so order with confidence on our website. Call or email if you have any questions and we will happily answer any.

Make this Administrative Professionals Week extra-special for your support team because even though NYS is on PAUSE, they are still working!

Administrative Professionals Week

”If people know how it’s done, all the magic goes.”

-Charlie Chaplin

Support Local Businesses!

During this time, we are encouraging everyone to support their local businesses!

Square has a made it very easy for you to find your local small businesses who offer e-gift cards! Visit Give and Get Local, type in the zip code, and you will find a selection of local businesses to support.

Sending an e-gift card to a friend is a thoughtful way to tell them you are thinking of them.

Together we can make it through this!

Thank you for your support.

Happy St Patrick's Day to You!

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, which is why Upper Village Blooms offers a signature posy for your lapel! Our Luck o’ the Irish boutonnieres are priced right for your Parade march, and the hardy carnation will last until that very last stop on the Irish Pub Crawl in Peekskill!

It’s best to pre-order but we are making some to have at-hand for the Parades in both Westchester and NYC.

Saint Patrick’s Day Parades in Westchester County

White Plains Saturday, March 14 at noon

Peekskill’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, March 14 at 3 p.m.

Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown Annual St. Patrick’s Parade Sunday, March 15 at 1 p.m.

The Eastchester Irish-American Social Club St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sunday, March 15 at 3 p.m.

Sound Shore St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sunday, March 22 at 1:30 p.m. on Mamaroneck Ave

Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, March 21 at 1:00 p.m. on McLean Ave

Green Carnation with Weeping Podocarpus, Eucalyptus, Black Tree Fern, tied with a black organza ribbon and finished with gold …what else?!

Getting excited!

Stop in to see the fun gifts and gorgeous flowers for Valentine’s Day!

Love In Blooms Part One

We really LOVE Valentine’s Day! It’s a day celebrating love and it’s filled with chocolates and flowers —we all could use some extra love, chocolates, and flowers in our lives right now.

In the quiet days of January (it’s like a retail freeze), we have been doing research and getting inspired. It’s a new year, and we have been thinking about what we want to feature at Upper Village Blooms.

We have brought in some old favorites, such as botany + wax reed diffusers and Nectar Republic Apothecary Candles and their very popular Bath Salt Test Tubes. We have added two new formulations of Bath Salts: Peppermint Tea Tree and Grapefruit Lemongrass.

In addition to the Apothecary Candles, we are introducing Nectar Republic’s 1776 Collection. These fragrances are inspired by the gentlemen of the Revolutionary War, and are a soy/beeswax blend and wrapped with a leather cord.

Also new in the shop is Thesis Beauty’s Chocolate Heaven Mask, an organic, vegan mask made without any chemicals —but with pure organic cacao.

Teaposy’s Heart of Love Blooming Tea, a blend of Rose,  Lily, and Silver needle white tea, scented with fresh jasmine flower. Each bloom makes 6-8 cups of tea and is delightfully citrusy.

Furthermore, we have selected a new greeting card and stationery company, Brooklyn-based Open Sea Designs. Drawing creative inspiration from Victorian botanicals, esoterica, the animal kingdom, and the occult, they are a perfect fit for Upper Village Blooms. We now carry their Spirit Board Market Pad and Lucky Me Notepad, in addition to their oval Calendar card (not pictured below), we have some lovely Open Sea Valentine’s Day cards.

Stop in to see the new items we carry and pick up a Valentine’s Day giftie for your love.

Nectar Republic

Apothecary Candles & Bath Test Tubes

Nectar Republic

Bath Salt Test Tubes

Nectar Republic

Apothecary Candles

Nectar Republic

White Sage Bundles

botany + wax

Home Fragrance Diffusers

Nectar Republic

1776 Collection

Nectar Republic

1776 Collection

Thesis Beauty

Chocolate Heaven Mask

Teaposy Heart of Love Blooming Tea

Tic-tac-XO

Olive & Company

Till Death Valentine’s Day Card

Olive & Company

Perfect Match Valentine’s Day Card

Open Sea Creative

Postage Stamp Flirtation Valentine’s Day Card

Open Sea Creative

Love Aeternum Valentine’s Day Card

Open Sea Creative

Valentine’s Day Cards

Open Sea Creative

Market and Note Pads

Smitten Kitten

Cupid Valentine’s Day Card

Gifting Tranquility

The holiday season is one of the most stressful times of the year, and yet we strive to smile and carry on!

Here are some ideas to gift or give yourself to restore some peace. Be kind to yourself and don’t neglect the self-care this chilly holiday season!

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Holiday Wreaths!

Here are just a few of the wreaths we’ve made for clients. Our speciality this year are small, Lilliputian wreaths that say “Less is Way More”.

We also have larger 22” wreaths, cemetery cones, pillows and blankets for memorials.

Stop in and choose one that you like, or order your custom wreath today.

New Products for the Holidays!

We have been super busy, gearing up for the giving season! We are receiving inventory nearly every other day and furiously trying to keep up with the unboxing!

In addition to our new #madeincroton items, we have scarves in dark floral winter prints and just recently received a new product — Meditation Spinner Rings with affirmations!

Take a look through our photos to see what’s new this week!

Vanessa's Tomato Jam

Tokyo Milk Eau de Parfum

The Bower Studio Plantable Greeting Cards

Tokyo Milk Dead Sexy

Woodland Christmas Salt Pepper Shakers

Glam Wallet

Deer Head Salt Pepper Shakers

Via Mercato Ornament Soaps

One Canoe Two XL Wall Calendar

One Canoe Two Petite Planner

Floral Print Layering Scarves

Meditation Rings

Pre de Provence Men

TokyoMilk Tote Bag Giveaway!

Upper Village Blooms has proudly offered TokyoMilk luxury bath and beauty products since our beginning. As the seasons pass, we are continually impressed by the consistent quality of this brand! These flawless scent signatures with unusual blends work well with all body chemistry.

Their number 1 selling scent is Dead Sexy, and in many ways, it perfectly represents us and our demographic. The packaging is sumptuous and slathered in peonies, roses and skulls. The scent is spicy and delicious but not sugary, not for the meek. With top notes of vanilla and exotic woods, wearing Dead Sexy unabashedly channels your inner, unapologetic vixen.

New for this season is the Dead Sexy Shower Gel, so you can layer your scents or simply make your daily shower routine a lot more glam!

Other scents include the perennially popular Honey and the Moon, a soft honey scent that envelops you in cozy. Available in Eau de Parfum, Shea Butter Lotion and —new for us— in a travel candle! And for those of us who like our scents less sweet and more dry, Gin & Rosewater is back in the house in Eau de Perfume and Shea Butter Lotion.

For those of you who have been asking about it since Valentine’s Day— the Bon Bon Bubbling Bath is back! We have heard from many happy customers that this bubble bath is not just a pretty face, but it is a great value! The bubbles and the product are so well-formulated that both last for a long time, and the Dead Sexy scent is divine. Because Bon Bon Bubbling Bath doesn’t stay in stock for long, we also have Travel Mini Bubble Baths for the holidays! Pair it with a travel candle or hand lotion, and you have a winning Secret Santa or Mystery Mensch gift.

And… we are excited to offer our first ever product giveaway!

Receive a TokyoMilk Oilcloth Tote Bag with any $150 TokyoMilk purchase (while tote bags last). This includes all three TokyoMilk lines —Bon Bon, TokyoMilk Light and Tokyo Milk Dark!