For Tiffiannii and Minerva’s vow renewal, the flowers needed to feel joyful. Not overly formal and not restrained. Joyful. In the fullest sense of the word. Hosted at Citizens Ballroom in Frederick, Maryland, on a cold day in December, the celebration was made possible through Wish Upon a Wedding, a national nonprofit that grants weddings and vow renewals to couples facing terminal illness or serious life-altering health circumstances. The couple first met in 2008 through mutual friends while living in different states, eventually building a life together and welcoming twins after legally marrying in Washington, DC in 2014. Years later, after Minerva’s devastating stage 4 cancer diagnosis and the enormous challenges that followed for their family, they were finally able to celebrate the wedding they had always hoped to have surrounded by loved ones and an extraordinary team of Washington, DC-area vendors.
The floral palette centered around creating that sense of celebration from the moment guests entered the ballroom. Saturated purple and fuchsia tones, layered textures, and abundant flowers transformed the space into something warm, vibrant, and deeply personal. The palette moved through saturated shades of fuchsia, berry, plum, lavender, and deep purple using anemone, ranunculus, garden roses, lisianthus, orchids, sweet peas, scabiosa, stock, astilbe, and trailing smilax greenery. The flowers intentionally embraced richness and movement rather than restraint, allowing the ballroom to feel layered, romantic, and emotionally warm despite the winter setting.
Tiffiannii’s bouquet carried that same lush energy through a rounded design filled with hot pink roses, lavender roses, burgundy ranunculus, orchids, and anemone layered with softer textural blooms. The bouquet felt expressive and joyful while still maintaining an elegant overall shape, while a shoulder “floral tattoo” was designed for Minerva to wear.
The ceremony design transformed the ballroom completely. A dramatic floral arch framed the couple beneath abundant blooms in shades of berry, lavender, mauve, and fuchsia softened with trailing greenery and smilax. Rather than isolating the flowers to a single altar arrangement, the floral design intentionally carried throughout the entire ceremony environment. A staircase installation climbed organically along the ballroom railing, further reinforcing the feeling that guests were stepping into a fully immersive floral environment rather than simply attending a ballroom reception.
For the reception, long tables featured loose and airy floral compotes overflowing with flowers in shades of fuchsia, mauve, lavender, and purple accented with smilax greenery, candlelight, and purple taper candles. Mini lamps and layered candle groupings added intimacy and warmth throughout the ballroom while satellite floral arrangements kept every table visually connected to the overall design story.
One of the most rewarding parts of participating in weddings like this is the reminder that floral design can become part of something much larger than aesthetics alone. The flowers for Tiffiannii & Minerva’s wedding were created not simply to make the room beautiful, but to help create a moment of celebration, community, and joy for a family navigating extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
We are incredibly grateful to Wish Upon a Wedding for the work they do and honored that Petal’s Edge could contribute to helping bring this celebration to life. Weddings like this remind us exactly why meaningful event design matters.Being part of this Wish Upon a Wedding celebration was truly an honor, and one we will carry with us for a very long time.
Venue: Citizens Ballroom
Catering: Spilled Milk, Rouge Catering (dessert bar), Ice Lab (ice sculpture)
Rentals: DC Event Rentals, Select Event Group
Photography: Emily Chastain Photography
Videography: Buxton Media Productions
Content Creator: Social Spark by Betsy
Florist: Petal’s Edge Floral Design
Cake: Plant Baked by Sarah
Music: My DeeJay, A N Hedgie
Photo Booth: Extraordinary Entertainment
Live Painter: Spencer Grace Art Space
Beauty: Carly Pressley Hair & Make Up
Invitations: Slate & Brush
Attire: Bridal Room, Cape Cod Formals
Lodging: The Visitation
Ceremony Glass: Unity in Glass
Officiant: Wedding Ceremonies by Jeff
Listening Session & Commissioned Poem: The Good Listening Project
Personalized Coasters: Chula Craft Works
Flower Donation: Petal Share
Floral Preservation: Pressed Floral
Wedding Planning + Design: Weddings by Kristy
