FLOWER SHOP CHRONICLES

Love StoryFestive CenterpiecesHalloween on the Hill

November Hours:

We will be closed Thanksgiving 11/25 through 11/28 to spend time with our families. We expect a lot of orders for centerpieces the Wednesday before Thanksgiving so get yours in early! "Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."—F. Scott FitzgeraldA Love StoryLove is a big part of our workday at Bell and Trunk. Just about every day, somebody writes a note on an order about wanting to celebrate the love of their life, or lights up our store with that unmistakable thousand-watt smile, or shares a tale of someone they cherish. I’m not trying to compete with The New York Times wedding section here, but I do want to start sharing some of the unique love stories we encounter here. Flowers are more than pretty things. They are a way to make visible our deepest feelings, running the gamut from profound grief to the greatest joy of our lives. Sharing some of these moments with my customers is one reason I love this business — and I thought I’d start sharing some of these moments with you. Love is a sensitive topic for so many people. Some of us may be experiencing it now, or have loved and lost more than once. We can’t deny the reality of death, or divorce or traumatic breakup. Some keep seeking it in dating apps or wine bars or parties. And many sometimes question whether real love even exists. I’m no therapist, but after 14 years in the flower trade, I can attest that love is real. I see it every day. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is pretty simple: love happens on love’s terms. Love doesn’t look the way we may think it should, or happen when we want it to happen, or last as long as we’d like. But if you can keep believing in the possibility, that may be all it takes to give love a chance.Sabrina and AndrewLet’s start with one of my favorite couples, Andrew and Sabrina. Their fairy tale romance took some unexpected twists from the time they met, when both were students at Stanford University. They lived in the same dorm in 2009. She was a freshman and he was a senior. They had different circles of friends and zero overlap in classes. He studied engineering, and loved to dance. She was an art student with a streak of shyness. Each had a crush on the other but neither knew the feeling was mutual. They connected at a freshman dance in the spring. Sabrina hatched a plan for her dorm manager to slip a ticket to Andrew. Not one to pass up a chance to find a dancer partner, even if she was a freshman, Andrew took the ticket. Once there, he and Sabrina locked eyes and hung out the rest of the night. It wasn't until years later that Sabrina discovered that nobody had told Andrew the source of the ticket. Andrew had always assumed he just lucked into a freebie, maybe because of his skills on the dance floor. Andrew did his share of scheming too. He figured he'd become an art buff so that he had reasons to showup at campus art shows where Sabrina was a regular presence. It wasn't until Andrew got the courage to ask Sabrina to his senior formal in 2010 that they had their first kiss. Their wedding day didn’t come until 12 years later. Of course, when they had their "first look," they immediately started dancing.

Sabrina And Andrew got married on September 24th 2021. Their original wedding date was in July of 2020. Planning a wedding is stressful enough under normal circumstances. But it was a real lesson in faith and gratitude to plan one during a worldwide health crisis. Some close relatives — a brother, nieces, grandparents —couldn’t overcome the challenges of attending in person. But the couple understood that they had to find other ways to be together with friends and family. So they made sure to have a functional camera and internet connection. “Seeing what other people were going through made us count our blessings," Sabrina told me. They took their time choosing vendors and developed some lasting relationships with us. That proved to be important when the pandemic forced them to cancel and reschedule the big event. Nobody complained. "Everyone was patient, understanding and available," Sabrina said.

St. Dominics Church installed a high quality live-streaming system because of the pandemic. "More people could actually be there thanks to Zoom," said Sabrina.After numerous false starts, everything came together on September 24, 2021. The couple closely followed the CDC safety measures and strict California health mandates and felt responsible for the health of their guests. They communicated the rules to their guests and required everyone at the reception to be vaccinated. “We didn't sweat the small stuff and put our faith in the vendors," said Sabrina. "Everyone did an amazing job."

Sabrina had to ask her bridesmaids to find masks to match their dresses. "We felt responsible for everyone's health," she said.The wedding wasn't all "sunshine and rainbows," she added. The pandemic took an emotional toll on just about everyone, some more than others. But once Sabrina saw how supportive and excited everyone was, she was finally able to let go and have fun. Her nieces, stuck in England, still served as junior bridesmaids, putting on their fancy dresses to watch the wedding on a computer screen while their parents sipped champagne. Her grandma couldn't make it to the wedding either, but she got a closeup look at the live stream — close enough to notice how Andrew, always the engineer, was trying to "screw" the ring onto Sabrina's finger as if he were working on a rusty bolt. She had to stop him and slide it on herself. It was a sweet, tiny moment that only the people at home could see. Live streaming also opened the door for a lot more people to be there who wouldn't have been there otherwise. "I could feel them watching," Sabrina said.

Andrew and Sabrina chose their vendors very carefully and developed those relationships before the pandemic . "Everyone was so patient, understanding and available," said Sabrina. Wedding photography by Caleb Rippetoe at https://www.rippetoestudios.comAs a seasoned florist, I've done all kinds of events and worked with many different personalities. It’s important to be well-organized while expecting the unexpected. I've also learned to appreciate that the most successful events aren't necessarily the ones that are flawlessly executed. Some of the best weddings, and the most fun and memorable, have bits of magic appearing in unexpected moments. They are also the ones that teach us something about ourselves and each other, and help us grow. Things go wrong, conflicts arise and pandemics happen. But letting go of what we can't control brings the peace we need to appreciate the beauty happening all around us.

Sabrina wanted a sweetheart table inspired by The Lord of the Rings. "Andrew was just in awe," she said. The reception was held at The Marker in San Francisco. https://www.themarkersf.comSabrina and Andrew have this figured out. And as the accompanying photos show, flowers last forever — long after the hassles are forgotten — when you hire a great photographer!

Since the wedding we've been getting compliments at how unique and lovely the flowers were," said Sabrina. "Just magical!"
Festive Centerpieces
Time for some festive centerpieces! These low and lush florals are the crown jewels of the perfect holiday dinner table. Choose autumn colors like burgundy, gold and rust, or winter whites, creams and greens. All arrangements are loaded with textured elements like snowberries, pepperberries and rosehips, and balanced with soft petalled flowers like garden roses, hydrangea and mums. Seasonal greens like maple, agonis, juniper and bay add subtly fragrant finishing touches. The arrangements are low enough for your guests to see over them and look beautiful from all angles.

All arrangements come in a low glass vase. The small is round or square and roughly 6 inches in diameter. The medium is round or square and roughly 8 inches in diameter. The large is oblong, roughly 12-15 inches long and 6 inches wide. The showstopper is oblong, roughly 20-24 inches long and 6 inches wide.Order your Holiday Centerpieces HereThe Paperwhite Narcissus Terrarium --Selling Fast!!

Order The Paperwhites Terrarium While Supplies Last"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." —Albert Camus Festive Autumn Wreaths Are Here!

Fresh holiday wreaths are here! Fiery reds and golden yellows play with shades of peach and orange. Rose hips, Japanese lanterns, wheat and eucalyptus add loads of texture to the mix. Fun and festive, they make the perfect gift for the host or hostess. No two wreaths are alike. Order Fall Wreaths HereHalloween on the Hill

Halloween is a big deal in Potrero Hill. My fellow merchants and I stay open for trick-or-treaters and go through countless Costco bags of candy a year. The sour gummy worms were a hit this year. I personally prefer an old-fashioned Twix.

Molly and a tiny trick-or-treater paired up to form a human bouquet of sunflowers and marigolds. Molly's husband Tim was bag of dirt.

My space alien sidekick and I found ourselves quickly surrounded by candy-hungry humans. General Event InquiriesOne last note: Flower ShortageThe flower industry is experiencing an unprecedented shortage of flowers and the greatest supply and demand imbalances in decades. Flower prices are up and the flower selection is down. According to Mayesh Wholesale this is due to Covid-19 forcing farmers to shut down their farms, extreme weather all over the world, skyrocketing demand now that two years worth of weddings are happening at once, and rising costs in transportation.

And speaking of extreme weather, fires in the Pacific Northwest have created a shortage of holiday greens this year although it's too soon to tell just how short we'll be. Like everyone else, we've had to raise our prices accordingly and remain flexible when it comes to our options at the Flower Mart. We hope this situation will end soon but we're expecting things to stay the same until the end of the year at least. We'll keep you posted!