58 | DECEMBER 15 • 2022
NEXT DOR
S
ix years ago, floral designer
Danielle Perczyk was living in an
apartment complex that gave its
residents garden beds on a first-come, first-
serve basis.
“There was an extra garden bed that no
one was using,
” she recalls, “but I didn’t
want anything to do with veg-
etables.
”
Instead, Perczyk, 39, want-
ed to use the space to create
“something beautiful to look
at.
”
The floral designer, who
now works with CTM Flowers
creating arrangements for Orthodox Jewish
weddings, didn’t know at the time that she
had a green thumb. Yet, when she filled the
garden bed with flowers, she noticed that
her plants were thriving.
“I got to see how they expanded
throughout the season,
” she says. “That was
my first real hint that I was good at work-
ing with flowers.
”
On her own time, Perczyk continued to
explore gardening. She made floral arrange-
ments for events at Chabad Detroit and
grew house plants after purchasing a home
in the Boston Edison neighborhood of
Detroit with her husband, Jeffrey Perczyk.
Then, as Perczyk considered growing
her love for floral into a career, an opportu-
nity presented itself. Aleksandr and Elena
Khusid, close friends of Perczyk’s, had
launched CTM Flowers in 2019. In 2021,
they asked the budding designer to join the
business.
“It was a wonderful little gift that I didn’t
know I needed,
” Perczyk recalls.
THE ART OF FLORAL DESIGN
Now, Perczyk is an essential contributor
to CTM Flowers. Throughout the year,
the small flower business crafts custom
wedding floral designs that include bridal
bouquets, table arrangements, chair and
backdrop accents and, of course, magnifi-
cent chuppahs.
“It’s mild-to-medium scale,
” Perczyk says
of the weddings they handle. “But that can
always be zhuzhed up to be much grander.
”
While CTM Flowers mainly works
with the Orthodox Jewish community
and Orthodox Jewish weddings, Perczyk
says the business is looking to expand and
support the entire Jewish community as a
whole, including mixed Jewish weddings.
“We’re in the more affordable package
tier, so we can be accessible for everyone,
”
she explains.
Still, bridal floral is no easy feat. The
planning process can take months, then
prepping the flowers and greenery for the
big day can take anywhere from 24 to 36
hours.
“We have to cut the flowers, trim the
stems, take off the plastics and de-leaf
them,
” Perczyk explains of the plants, which
are purchased wholesale. “We have to be
delicate with it. We can’t be too rushed
because we don’t want to break the flowers.
”
Then, setting up floral arrangements at
a wedding venue takes an additional 12 to
18 hours. It’s a lot of work, she says, but it’s
a process that truly allows her creativity to
shine.
A DIFFERENT TURN
Looking back, Perczyk never imagined
she would work in floral — or even live in
Michigan.
“I grew up in California,
” she explains.
As a child, Perczyk lived in the valley of Los
Angeles and later in the East Bay area.
Her mother was a Metro Detroit Jewish
community native while her father hailed
from Seattle. The two met on the West
Coast and started a life there, but Perczyk
still had a lot of family living in the Detroit
area.
Floral designer Danielle Perczyk makes
creating beautiful life cycles her mission.
Blessed with
a Green Thumb
Danielle
Perczyk
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Samples of
Perczyk’s floral
designs
VOICE OF A NEW GENERATION