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