Transcending the title of florist, Penny and Lulu sets the stage for sumptuous occasions.

The creative minds behind the region’s foremost floral design studio, Susie Penwell and Carol Lowenberg, cite picturesque surroundings for inspiring their signature aesthetic. Southern Oregon’s vineyards and wineries, they say, have emerged as the most sought-after venues for weddings, charity galas and other lavish celebrations where Penny and Lulu furnishes much more than flowers.

“Nobody realizes how big this industry is,” says Penwell.

Whether it’s full-blown garden roses or understated greenery, Penny and Lulu centerpieces, bouquets, garlands and swags compel plenty of attention. But it’s the flowers’ backdrop, from vintage furniture to fine-quality linens, say Penwell and Lowenberg, that really defines the Penny and Lulu look.

“Their stuff’s so unique,” says René Brons, recalling a wedding that Penny and Lulu designed at her family’s winery, Schmidt Family Vineyards, in Grants Pass.

The assemblage of antique furniture and books that Penny and Lulu arranged for the event stands out in Brons’ memory as leading a trend that has expanded with the region’s winery weddings. To complement table coverings from a company based in Napa, Calif., Penny and Lulu appointed the banquet table with purposefully mismatched dining chairs—no folding seats at this genteel gathering.

“It fit so well,” says Brons of the wine-estate elegance that Penny and Lulu epitomizes.

Local wineries host at least half of all Penny and Lulu weddings, say Penwell and Lowenberg. About half of those are destination events that bring nuptial couples and their guests from elsewhere, they say, adding that wine-country weddings only stand to keep growing.

“There’s so much to do here if you have a destination wedding,” says Lowenberg.

In addition to Schmidt Family Vineyards, Penny and Lulu has worked with 2Hawk, Belle Fiore, DANCIN, Del Rio, EdenVale, Grizzly Peak, Irvine & Roberts, Kriselle Cellars, Ledger David, Paschal, Red Lily, RoxyAnn and Valley View.

“It’s just been such a joy to have this in our valley,” says Penwell. “It’s so good for people because it just works.”

On their expansive grounds with natural vistas, wineries may furnish catering, along with wine. Winery staff members typically set up for special events, clean up afterward and coordinate throughout. All-inclusive price tags are about $10,000 and higher for many of the area’s winery weddings, where guests typically number about 100, say Penwell and Lowenberg. Bookings often are two years in advance, they say.

“The wineries are so accommodating,” says Lowenberg

Schmidt, for example, keeps floral arrangements in its barrel room, at a constant 55 degrees, usually for several hours until an event begins, says Brons. Standard for full-service weddings, Penny and Lulu staff mount all florals and other pieces on site and take them down once festivities finish. Covering flowers with wet canvas until the last possible minute keeps them lush and vibrant in the region’s hot summers.

“Many times, we’ll have three weddings on a weekend,” says Penwell.

And a majority of those weddings—at least 60 each year—are feted on Penny and Lulu’s social media platforms. Posting almost daily to Facebook and Instagram, Penny and Lulu not only previews new products and designs but also congratulates bridal couples, crediting venues, other vendors and colleagues in its circle.

“Our Instagram is huge,” says Penwell. “It’s helped our business grow immensely.”

Social media also drives clients’ desires. Color palettes, shapes, textures and sizes requested for arrangements usually derive more from a popular social-media post than the seasonal availability of flowers.

“Every bride walks in with her Pinterest board,” says Penwell. “Bouquets are a foraged, very loose look—to traditional—whatever brides request.”

While Penny and Lulu has a laundry list of seasonally fresh flowers—locally grown on about a half-dozen farms and often organic—many brides are willing to spring for springtime flowers in summertime. Penny and Lulu sources from as far away as the Australian, Japanese, South American and Dutch markets.

“If you want ’em, you can get ’em,” says Penwell. “The peony is probably the No. 1 sought-after flower.”

The prized petals, prolific during May and June throughout Southern Oregon, hail from Alaska in July and August, an industry development that’s only about five years old, says Penwell. A single peony stem costs $6 wholesale yet makes a singular statement.

“We just like beauty,” says Lowenberg.

Beautifying Southern Oregon brought the duo together 28 years ago. Initially working from their homes and a warehouse to produce special events and interior design, the Medford residents and former neighbors opened a flower studio in 2011.

“We’ve been having fun for years,” says Penwell.

Beginning in 2014, Penwell and Lowenberg transformed the 90-year-old office building of Southern Oregon Sales, the region’s former pear-packing hub, into their chic showroom at 18 W. Stewart Ave. Curtained in verdant ivy, the historical stonemasonry structure is so Penny and Lulu.

For more:
www.pennyandlulu.com
www.pennyandlulustudios.com
www.penwellandlowenbergdesign.com

©Southern Oregon Wine Scene – from the Summer 2019 issue