This review is so long overdue - yet another thing I have to apologize to Karen about…read more
If you're looking for a florist for anything, absolutely anything, just know that you don't have to look any further. If Karen has availability for your event, just book her. She is an absolute master at her craft, but also so humble, warm, genuine, prompt, efficient, and about every other positive adjective you can think of.
My husband and I were married last January (2023) and I thought about going down the DIY path when the reality of wedding floral costs hit me square in the face. But then we were already DIYing other aspects of the wedding and I knew that one more thing, especially fragile things like flowers, was going to break me. Thankfully, another bride mentioned Karen and Fresh Petals in a Bay Area wedding Facebook group and I texted her right away.
In this day and age you may be wary of businesses that don't have an online presence (website, social media, etc.), but Karen is so responsive and doesn't waste any time figuring out when you can meet at her home in Martinez to discuss the details. Do not let her lack of a digital footprint worry you.
She has many photos of her work which is great if you need some inspiration. However, she doesn't push you to go with something she's done before. You can absolutely share your vision with her and she'll let you know what she can/can't do, and also alternatives or additions. One other thing to love is that she has built quite an inventory of items and she is more than happy to lend you things like vases for a deposit.
At the end of our meeting with Karen, we simply gave her location and time information for our wedding venue and reception venue and she was there when we needed her to be. Our point people at the venues also commented to me later on on how helpful and personable she was when she came to drop off the arrangements.
Now for the apology... there was miscommunication between me and the day-of coordinator and guests ended up getting the message that we were giving away the centerpieces. Seven of them were taken before we were able to reconcile on the messaging and give clarity - the floral arrangement was up for grabs, but not the centerpiece boxes as those were from Karen's inventory. To make matters worse, they were created by a former bride's husband and were a unique set of twenty. My husband and I managed to track down a number of the missing ones, but we ended up not being able to retrieve them all. Karen was disappointed, but still so gracious to me and I honestly feel so, so awful to this day. That said, make sure you're on the same page and very, very clear with coordinators, guests, etc. about what must be returned to Karen or any other vendor.
In a nutshell - Karen is wonderful and you cannot go wrong with her on your team!