Flowers by Special Arrangement — Attraction in New York

We used this florist for our wedding last spring, and it was a truly awful experience that left us deeply disappointed and feeling completely ripped off. Our initial impressions of Shula were very positive – she was prompt and attentive, and seemed understanding of what we wanted, which was specifically an installation of greenery to go over a railing. We sent diagrams showing exactly where and how it should be placed. Shula went to the venue and met with our coordinator specifically for the purpose of discussing the logistics of how to attach the installation to the wall. But then she apparently decided that she could not in fact do what we discussed, and did not ever communicate this to us. Not one word. Instead, I had to be blindsided on my wedding day. Upon arriving at our venue, I was in complete shock. My first thought is that she had gotten us confused with another wedding, because there was nothing about the awful arbor there that resembled what we were expecting. Not the right structure, not the right greenery, not the right flowers. I cannot imagine how she could possibly have thought it was acceptable.

There was never supposed to be a free-standing structure at all. We wanted a natural feeling installation of mostly greenery that climbed over the railing and hung down over both sides. We explained that we wanted to get married in front of the railing, and needed guests on BOTH sides to be able to see us. The structure she placed COMPLETELY OBSTRUCTED the spot where we planned to say our vows. And the arbor frame – made of tubing covered with scrunched white satin that looked like something from a cheap Las Vegas wedding chapel – was absolutely not discussed and not something we would ever have agreed to. It was in fact my literal worst nightmare. I cannot emphasize enough how tacky this was – the excessively visible tubing structure stuck into what looked like two upside down buckets draped in even more tacky fabric. I was so embarrassed to have this at my wedding. I paid to have it edited out of our wedding photos. I would have paid even more to have not had it there at all.

The flowers and greenery she did provide where not at all what we had discussed. Most disappointing to me was the lack of any eucalyptus, both in the installation and especially in my bouquet. That is the one thing I was clear about from the beginning that I wanted, and it was included on our quote, on our invoice, in the photo of a sample bouquet, and then on my wedding day there was not a stem in sight. We have never received an explanation for this. In fact, Shula has provided no explanation for any of this, and beyond an initial “sorry you were disappointed,” has not replied to emails sent by my husband and me or answered any of our direct questions regarding what happened. Apparently once our check cleared, she was done pretending to care.

At the end of the day, the words from our invoice state: “Installation designed along the railing.” If this was not something she was able to do, she should have NOT have agreed to do it. This was a total bait and switch. She absolutely should have communicated with us beforehand that she could not execute our vision and given us the opportunity to decide what we wanted to do given her limited abilities. I feel completely robbed, both of an obscene amount of money, and of the aesthetic I dreamed of for my wedding.

We paid a total of $8,000 – for the installation (that never happened), my bouquet, my father’s boutonniere, and my mother’s awkward, unwearable wrist corsage. For that amount of money, I would expect a superior experience. What we received instead was no communication prior to the wedding that our expectations would not be met, and no communication afterwards answering any of our questions or making any effort to do anything to make up for the complete disaster that was our customer experience. I would advise anyone considering giving this florist your business to run in the...

Flowers by Special Arrangement were so wonderful to work with when planning the florals for my wedding at the picnic house in prospect park. Shula has been working with the venue for a decade+ and is their preferred vendor so I had total faith that she knew exactly what type of florals would make the space shine (and she did exactly that!). My husband and I procrastinated finding a florist until only a few months before our wedding, but Shula never put pressure on us to make a decision without being 100% certain. She hosted us at her shop multiple times to walk through the available flowers and her artistic vision which was very helpful. She was eager to incorporate handmade ceramic bud vases provided by our friend - we just dropped them off at the shop and she handled setting them up at the venue. And of course, at the end of the day the flowers were absolutely perfect! We gave general direction, color scheme, and preferred blooms but let Shula take the lead on design and we were overjoyed with the results. She was also very reasonable to negotiate with re: pricing which was much appreciated since our floral budget was fairly conservative. She suggested seasonal flowers that would both look their best and reduce pricing, which was a win/win. All in all, Flowers by Special Arrangement now has customers for life! Thank you so much, Shula...

I couldn't be more pleased with the landscaping on my NYC patio! From start to finish, they've been professional, responsive, and incredibly creative. Transforming a city patio into a tranquil, green escape is no small feat, but they pulled it off flawlessly. The design they proposed was thoughtful, balancing aesthetics and functionality. Every detail—from plant selection to layout—was handled with care, and the result is beyond what I imagined. Their maintenance service is just as impressive. They show up on schedule, take care of everything, and leave the space immaculate. I appreciate that they offer expert tips for keeping things healthy between visits and are always available if I have questions or want to make adjustments. If you're looking for a team that understands the unique challenges of NYC patios and can create a stunning outdoor space, this is the team to call!...