Art in Bloom at Anderson House

If it’s spring, it’s time for Art in Bloom at Anderson House! Anderson House is one of our favorite places for a wedding, but in 2022, they opened their doors to florist for a unique exhibition – Art in Bloom. In 1976, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston hosted the first Art in Bloom exhibition, challenging local florists and garden club members to design floral arrangements inspired by the museum’s art collection. Since then, the concept has spread to other arts institutions and cities. The Art in Bloom exhibition showcases the tremendous floral talent in Washington, DC as well as highlights the unique collection of art and architecture held by the museum. We were tremendously honored to be chosen to be a participant for the inaugural DC event, and participated again in 2023! For our first artwork, we chose the six-pounder cannon. Created by James Byers of Champlain Cannon Works of Adirondack Machine Corporation in 1777. It is one of only ten marked American-made bronze cannons remaining from the Revolutionary War. For our piece, we sought to not simply embrace the beauty of flowers. Instead, our goal was to create an edgy, floral art installation interpretation to bring the battlefield to life. Smoke. Sparks. The blood and mud of the battlefield. Using a blend of painted gypsophila, bleached hydrangea, bleached ruscus and painted preserved bunny tails, finished with pools of fabric in shades of red and brown, the piece was an exercise in contrasts. The opacity and solidity of the cannon juxtaposed against the ethereal and smoky grays and whites with tiny sparks of red.

Floral installation art by cannon at Anderson House for Art in Bloom

Circa Life Images

The next time around, we opted for the lintel above the front door. Inspired by the tone-on-tone feel of the facade, we used dried materials to echo the shapes and shadows of the front of the museum.

Floral installation art at Anderson House for Art in Bloom

Tori Del Photography

Be sure to visit the virtual site for more!

Art in Bloom Co-Chairs: Glenn Hennessey, Ashley Greer, Margo Fischer

Official Photographer: Circa Life Images

Videographer: Sieff Studios

Virtual 360 Tour Creators: Simple Multimedia with A2Z Music Factory

Let’s talk about the “just a few extra blooms” request. Spoiler: there’s no such thing as extra in the world of flowers. Every stem you see, from delicate sweet peas and perfect ranunculus to lush roses, was bought with intention because flowers are literally our business. 🌸

The blooms for a single flat lay? Retail price any where from $20 to $75 and up. And. Up. Why the mark up? Because selling flowers is how we make our living. It pays the team, the rent, the cooler, transportation costs, and more. (It’s not just petals and poetry over here). Multiply that by 50 - 70 weddings a season and you’re looking at over $3k in gift blooms. That doesn’t include the myriad of other free blooms we get asked for: cake flowers, passing tray flowers, sample arrangements and more. That’s not generosity. That’s payroll.

Here’s how we handle it: We offer all our couples the option to include flat lay florals. If yes, we build it into the proposal so everyone wins. The couple gets their dreamy detail shots, the photographer gets beautiful product to work with, and we stay in business. Fairness (and beauty) for all.

No shade to photographers and other wedding vendors here. But boundaries are healthy. Everyone’s work deserves compensation. Be kind. Ask questions. Respect the craft. Love the results.

47 2

Open post by petalsedgedc with ID 18059721956545111

Let’s talk about the “just a few extra blooms” request. Spoiler: there’s no such thing as extra in the world of flowers. Every stem you see, from delicate sweet peas and perfect ranunculus to lush roses, was bought with intention because flowers are literally our business. 🌸

The blooms for a single flat lay? Retail price any where from $20 to $75 and up. And. Up. Why the mark up? Because selling flowers is how we make our living. It pays the team, the rent, the cooler, transportation costs, and more. (It’s not just petals and poetry over here). Multiply that by 50 - 70 weddings a season and you’re looking at over $3k in gift blooms. That doesn’t include the myriad of other free blooms we get asked for: cake flowers, passing tray flowers, sample arrangements and more. That’s not generosity. That’s payroll.

Here’s how we handle it: We offer all our couples the option to include flat lay florals. If yes, we build it into the proposal so everyone wins. The couple gets their dreamy detail shots, the photographer gets beautiful product to work with, and we stay in business. Fairness (and beauty) for all.

No shade to photographers and other wedding vendors here. But boundaries are healthy. Everyone’s work deserves compensation. Be kind. Ask questions. Respect the craft. Love the results.

Jazz-age elegance meets Shakespearean drama. For the 2025 Folger Shakespeare Library`s Annual Gala, we channeled the Gatsby vibes and the Harlem Renaissance through gilded palms, white ostrich feathers, and rhythmic textures built for an evening of music and movement. This year’s celebration honored Shakespeare’s lasting place in American culture and welcomed new director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper with a floral story full of swing and shimmer.⁣
⁣
Special thanks to Sarah Cissna of The Side Lobby for her inspired creative leadership. The night was a perfect blend of theater, history, and bold design. Events like this remind us that flowers don’t just decorate a room, they carry its soul.⁣
⁣
📍@folgerlibrary⁣
🍽 @designcuisine⁣
📷 @elmanstudio⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc⁣
📋 @thesidelobby

14 3

Open post by petalsedgedc with ID 17961880095001839

Jazz-age elegance meets Shakespearean drama. For the 2025 Folger Shakespeare Library's Annual Gala, we channeled the Gatsby vibes and the Harlem Renaissance through gilded palms, white ostrich feathers, and rhythmic textures built for an evening of music and movement. This year’s celebration honored Shakespeare’s lasting place in American culture and welcomed new director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper with a floral story full of swing and shimmer.⁣
⁣
Special thanks to Sarah Cissna of The Side Lobby for her inspired creative leadership. The night was a perfect blend of theater, history, and bold design. Events like this remind us that flowers don’t just decorate a room, they carry its soul.⁣
⁣
📍@folgerlibrary⁣
🍽 @designcuisine⁣
📷 @elmanstudio⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc⁣
📋 @thesidelobby

Some venues ask for flowers. Others demand a dialogue. At the Corcoran Gallery of Art (RIP), the room itself was a masterpiece. Marble columns, grand lines, and just enough shadow for drama. So we kept the florals monochromatic and structural: elegant white blooms along long tables, punctuated by candlelight. Soft folds of draped fabric enhanced the intimacy of an otherwise grand space. The result wasn’t just decoration. It was atmosphere. A moment where floral design became part of the architecture, and the room exhaled in light.⁣
⁣
📍Corcoran Gallery of Art⁣
🍽 @welldunncatering⁣
📷 @timmesterphotography⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc

9 3

Open post by petalsedgedc with ID 18087969751905058

Some venues ask for flowers. Others demand a dialogue. At the Corcoran Gallery of Art (RIP), the room itself was a masterpiece. Marble columns, grand lines, and just enough shadow for drama. So we kept the florals monochromatic and structural: elegant white blooms along long tables, punctuated by candlelight. Soft folds of draped fabric enhanced the intimacy of an otherwise grand space. The result wasn’t just decoration. It was atmosphere. A moment where floral design became part of the architecture, and the room exhaled in light.⁣
⁣
📍Corcoran Gallery of Art⁣
🍽 @welldunncatering⁣
📷 @timmesterphotography⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc

Like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight, summer slipped quietly into memory. But not before giving us this moment. Alli & Graham’s floral arch spun from soft blues, creamy whites, and petal layers light enough to feel enchanted. Designed for their waterside ceremony at Celebrations at the Bay, this arch was pure storybook romance. No glass slippers required, just the kind of magic flowers can still conjure long after the clock strikes fall. Here’s to the gentler goodbyes, and to floral fairytales that don’t wilt at the word ‘season.’

📍@celebrationsatthebay
🍽 @catering_by_uptown
📷 @katefineart
💐 @petalsedgedc
💄@mimibtran
📋 @margobrightoccasions

20 8

Open post by petalsedgedc with ID 17997773825692409

Like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight, summer slipped quietly into memory. But not before giving us this moment. Alli & Graham’s floral arch spun from soft blues, creamy whites, and petal layers light enough to feel enchanted. Designed for their waterside ceremony at Celebrations at the Bay, this arch was pure storybook romance. No glass slippers required, just the kind of magic flowers can still conjure long after the clock strikes fall. Here’s to the gentler goodbyes, and to floral fairytales that don’t wilt at the word ‘season.’

📍@celebrationsatthebay
🍽 @catering_by_uptown
📷 @katefineart
💐 @petalsedgedc
💄@mimibtran
📋 @margobrightoccasions

As baseball season wraps, we’re celebrating a win of our own: bringing Petal’s Edge floral magic to Nationals Park for a special event. While most days take us to historic houses and grand ballrooms, we love the chance to design somewhere unexpected. Because flowers don’t just belong in gardens. They shine in stadiums too!

4 0

Open post by petalsedgedc with ID 17865608988487963

As baseball season wraps, we’re celebrating a win of our own: bringing Petal’s Edge floral magic to Nationals Park for a special event. While most days take us to historic houses and grand ballrooms, we love the chance to design somewhere unexpected. Because flowers don’t just belong in gardens. They shine in stadiums too!

When the bride wears black, everything else falls into place. At Lauren & Alan’s Hotel Monaco wedding, the candlelight flickered against layers of greenery, lanterns, and shadow. The palette whispered more than it spoke. White flowers wouldn’t have belonged here; this was a story told in texture, depth, and restraint.

There’s power in contrast: light against dark, softness against structure, the unexpected choice that somehow feels inevitable once you see it. The design was less about decoration and more about atmosphere. Mysterious, elegant, and entirely unforgettable.

📍 @monacodc
📷 @carlelixirstudio
💐 @petalsedgedc

6 4

Open post by petalsedgedc with ID 18070830179521439