A STAPLE IN THE Ann Arbor community, University Flower Shop has been sourcing gorgeous blooms and developing custom arrangements for metro Detroiters for nearly a century. “I think it’s really special, a brick-and-mortar business that has had roots in a place for a long time,” says Danielle Vignos, owner since 2015. “Because of that, we have a lot of ties to our community in a lot of different ways.”
Those connections include partnerships they’ve developed with local businesses to help streamline the wedding planning process for couples. For example, Vignos, who is the lead consultant for weddings at the shop, partnered with Sweet Heather Anne, a bakery in Ann Arbor, to create cake and flower packages for couples who prefer a more straightforward, budget-friendly, yet still high-quality option. The process is simple — the couple selects a cake from the Intimate Wedding Cakes section on the Sweet Heather Anne website and submits their wedding color palette. Vignos and her team then source the ideal blooms to accompany the cake.
Additionally, to adapt to trends created by the pandemic, there is now a bouquet option available. “We saw so many more elopements and smaller celebrations,” Vignos says. “For people to be able to have a cake and a special bouquet, even if it is a small celebration, I think it’s a meaningful thing to include on your wedding day.”
The shop also partners with Zingerman’s Cornman Farms to provide flowers as part of its Intimate Weddings package. In keeping with a similar, more easygoing approach, Vignos and her team design arrangements for the day based on a couple’s vision and color palette.
For couples opting to use University Flower Shop for their wedding, the shop has two packages available, Silk and Satin. The Silk package includes in-depth consultations, mock-ups, and more options for customization, whereas the Satin package comes with a lower minimum cost and a simplified process.
Despite their differences, both options provide couples with exquisite flower arrangements that are locally sourced, when seasonally possible. As Vignos says, “We believe that flowers should be something that can be enjoyed by people regardless of price.”
To learn more, visit uniflowershop.com.
