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You may feel like you’re intruding when you peer around the shiny silver door that separates the Waldorf-Astoria’s grand hallway from the boot-camp conditions of the Floralia production room (“That looks like crap. Rewrap it!”), but the staff here is nothing but well intentioned, and the impeccable arrangements they turn out reflect this attention to detail. Having designed events for the Clintons, Cher, and the Tisch Family—just to name a few—it’s no wonder the shop demands such pristine quality. Yet you don’t have to be famous to enjoy Floralia’s intricate, sometimes ostentatious, creations—they’re the exclusive in-house floral-design company for all Waldorf weddings, and they also do corporate events (HBO, Morgan Stanley), birthdays, and intimate dinner parties. Owned by Flowers of the World innovator Peter Grontas, the shop encourage face-to-face consultations to talk over your design, or you can call in for same-day delivery on smaller orders. — Terry Selucky

Couples seeking the floral equivalent of Rome’s Piazza Venezia in an upscale ballroom need look no further. Not afraid of large-scale, grand events, this innovative hub of Peter Grontas’s flower empire will do parties for up to 2,000 people without blinking an eye. In a word, opulent. Prices upon request.