BUDDING TALENT
New floral store blooms in the Village
L OOKING for some pop for your wedding’s floral design? Kelsie Hayes can help. The fashion designer-turned-selftaught plant and floral-design entrepreneur founded her new-concept online company, ThePopUpFlorist.com, in 2016 and just last week took it to a new level by opening a bricksand-mortar shop in the East Village. Popup Florist at 63 E. Seventh St. will accommodate her budding business and provide a chic, open space in which customers can congregate.
“We’re full of plans,” says Hayes. “There’s a converted coat closet that serves as a floral display refrigerator, and a workshop table in the middle for free DIY classes, small parties and event prepping. People coming in will see florists working — we’re connecting with them on a different level.”
For betrothed couples seeking creative wedding-day blooms, “We’ll do bouquets for city hall weddings and work with a couple if they’re looking to do an outof-the-box installation for their wedding,” says Hayes. “I always encourage brides and grooms to go on Pinterest separately, and send me inspiration photos, so they’re not influenced by each other. When meeting, we can merge their two styles.”
Online, the budding business delivers fresh-cut arrangements (starting at $12 for a hand bouquet), throughout New York City and ships dried bouquets and Plant Friends cacti nationwide.
“We send you everything to plant your own succulent or cactus. It comes with googly eyes — people love them,” says Hayes.