who we are
flowers by stem specializes in bespoke, hand-crafted floral design for weddings and events in and around the Chicago area. 
Photo credit: Jill Tiongco Photography

At flowers by stem, we see floral design as a physical expression of love, and it's our honor to express our clients' love through flowers. We believe flowers can inspire beautiful moments, and cherish the opportunity to work with people as they plan their special celebrations.

Flowers by stem owner Stephanie Stopka founded flowers by stem in 2006 on the idea that the key to beautiful design is a personal, hand-crafted approach. To this day, Stephanie oversees every design detail, from initial design consultation to plans for final set-up. 

Stephanie grew up camping and fishing with her family, instilling a deep love for nature. She brings this love of nature to all of her designs. She is committed to an eco-friendly approach to floral design and is the Vice President of the Green Wedding Alliance, a local organization of environmentally conscious wedding vendors. 
Stephanie is continuously inspired by the diverse and beautiful city of Chicago and resides here with her husband and their three beautiful flower girls. 

what we do

Photo credit: Carrie Wildes Photography
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Photo credit: Anthony Craddock Photography
Whether it be a bouquet as unique as you are or a vibrant centerpiece that captures the essence of your celebration, flowers by stem brings your vision to life using seasonal, sustainable flowers. We love creating innovative, one-of-a-kind experiences through our flowers and collaborate closely with our clients. Owner Stephanie Stopka will work with you to deliver your vision using the highest quality flowers available. The best part of this business is creating beautiful moments that celebrate some of life’s biggest events - it's an honor we cherish! For the 2023 wedding season and beyond, we will only be taking 2 events per weekend. This allows us to ensure we are fully present for our clients on their very special day. Our minimum for full service weddings is $7k. 
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Flowers by stem takes an eco-friendly approach to floral design. We do this in a variety of ways, including:
  • Focusing on local, in-season flowers during the Midwest growing season
  • Working directly with local sustainable flower farmers
  • Recycling and composting waste
  • Communicating all invoices electronically
  • Passing it on - we love to coordinate flower donations after events. Many of our flowers enjoy a second life at nursing homes and hospitals around the city.
  • Stephanie is the Vice President of the Green Wedding Alliance, a collective of local wedding and event vendors in the Chicago area, working together to bring more eco-friendly practices to the event industry,

praise

Photo credit: Jill Tiongco Photography
Some lovely reviews from our lovely clients….
  • “Stephanie is BRILLIANT. My flowers were gorgeous - everything I wanted. She has a ton of great ideas and really REALLY listens to what you want. Cannot recommend her enough - I got so many compliments on my flowers it was ridiculous. Thank you Stephanie!!!!” – Cassandra
  • “Stephanie has a real warm and genuine personality that transfers into her work. Her quotes were easy to follow in terms of pricing/detail, so if any changes needed to be made (and we went through three revisions), they were easy to track. On the day of, I was blown away by how lush and gorgeous the bridal and bridesmaids bouquets were. The arrangements…were like visual candy for our guests’ eyes when the reception space was revealed. I did provide some heirloom vases to be used and when I went to pick those up from her studio following the wedding. She included 1/2 dozen roses "just because". It's those caring little details that make her extraordinary at what she does.”- Rena L.
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