About Us

I don't usually post just text on my Blog but I feel that it is important to post "About Us" to give you more information on who we are, our philosophy and our experience. You can also find this information on our web site www.stevenbrucedesign.com . I am not sure if people really read all this information especially on our web site but I think it is insightful when looking for floral designers or floral artists. That is what we like to be called rather then florists. To us, a florist is the person working at your neighborhood flower shop.


First I am posting an abbreviated client list and a little about SBD. Then I will post about us. Later today I will be posting some new samples photos.

our Motto is:

“A Little Uptown, A Little Downtown, A Little All Around”

Steven Bruce Design (SBD) is a floral design company that believes in moving the floral standard forward by creating unique, elegant and one-of-a-kind designs. SBD has served a wide range of clients, including restaurants, museums, department stores, caterers, event planners, corporations, businesses, individuals, weddings, and historic sites.



SBD has recently been picked as “Editors Choice” for Hudson Valley Magazine as “Best Floral Designers in the Hudson Valley”. The company has also been featured in Well Wed New York Magazine, Modern Bride New York, The New York Daily News, Esquire Magazine, The Los Angeles Sunday Times, Vogue Magazine, among others.

SBD believes that every wedding or special event is unique, and the centerpieces and bouquets they design are part of an interactive process between them and their clients. Therefore, only Steve & Melissa Bruce, the principals and chief designers, work personally with every client to achieve the most striking floral designs to enhance their wedding or special event to make sure they are handled with the highest professional standards.
A Little Uptown – Vera Wang (in-store floral designers), Bloomberg LLP (in-house events), Morgan Stanley, Jo Malone and Issey Miyake (Madison Avenue boutiques), San Domenico restaurant, New Leaf Café, The Guggenheim Museum, and Lincoln Center (opening night dinners for the New York Film Festival Premieres: Good Night and Good Luck, The Queen, The Darjeeling Limited and The Class). The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s spring Galas 2006 honoring Jessica Lange and 2008 honoring Meryl Streep.

A Little Downtown- Mercer Kitchen, Chanterelle, Cipriani, June Kelly Gallery, Dean & Deluca, NBC/Bravo and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Weddings at: The Puck Building, Tribeca Rooftop, Sky Studios, X-Change, and Penthouse 15

A Little All Around- The Pump Room (Chicago), Museum of Contemporary Art ( Los Angeles), Saks Fifth Avenue (Los Angeles, Chicago),Woodstock Film Festival, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the Vanderbilt and Wilderstein Mansions ( Hudson Valley NY), Mile Marker 88 (Islamorada Florida Key).

SBD styles weddings and events in the New York Metro area, Hudson Valley and the Hamptons. We are available for destination weddings and events, rehearsal dinners, showers, Bar/Bat Mitvahs,unique gifts, private homes, instruction in floral design, installations, green and alternative weddings and more…

Our Story

Steve and Melissa met in 1988, when he was working as a stand– in for actor Robert Downey Jr. and she was represented by the same acting agent. The two started dating shortly, broke up, but kept in touch as friends for years, as Steve’s work took him to Los Angeles and Chicago. A life threatening illness caused him to tell his mother, “If I live through this, I’m going to ask Melissa to marry me.”

Meanwhile, according to Melissa, “Yes, Steve and I were very good friends, however, I had no idea that he had deeper feelings about me. If he would have told me how much he cared, it would have saved me from a lot of miserable relationships!”

“I decided if I could laugh this much for the rest of my life, Melissa said, this is the man I want to be with.”
Steve and Melissa were married in June 2004 and have a daughter Scarlett Lily, who was born on the fourth of July, 2008. In the middle of a wedding of course.

Steve and Melissa decided to meet at Melissa’s family weekend home in Stone Ridge, New York and spent the time having fun and getting to know each other again. Later after a trip to his family home in Chicago, Steve proposed.

Our Philosophy
When it comes to creating their unique floral art, Steve & Melissa have a definite philosophy which includes the idea of creating harmony by letting the flowers tell them where they want to go. Steve & Melissa say they have never met a “Bridezilla” and believe that each of their clients come to them for a reason and that they learn something new about themselves with every wedding and event they design.

Explaining their creative approach, Steve & Melissa say, “everything has logic to it: the water, and sky, the earth. We don’t dictate what the flowers do; the flowers dictate to us how to do it.”



Steve and Melissa will tell you that incorporated in their philosophy, are the idea of Wabi- Sabi, a 17th century Japanese aesthetic based on the acceptance of transience and an appreciation of beauty that is impermanent.

*Excerpted from an article in the Blue Stone Press, by Elaine Lee

Bios
Steve, partner and co-designer, attended American Conservatory of Music studied drumming and was inspired throughout his life by rock and jazz music as well as abstract art. 

In his own words he got into the floral design business in the following manner, “I was acting and needed a part time job, and there was an ad in the Village Voice that said “Crew”.
I thought it was for a Rock band! So I called and it ended up being Robert Isabell, who was called “The King of Flowers” and a huge event designer at that time!”.
Steve trained under him, honed his creativity and found out he had a knack for floral design.  for more on Robert Isabell, please read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Isabell
 and http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/11/nyregion/11isabell.html.
After working for Isabell, Steve ran his own successful business, first in New York City, then in Los Angeles and Chicago and finally back in New York.
Melissa is a partner and co- designer. Formerly, she worked as a consultant for CSI, a public relations firm specializing in arts, entertainment and special events. In addition, as a manager for Tony and Tina Cosmetics at Bloomingdale’s New York, she supervised a full staff and handled retail promotions and special events. She was also assistant manager for Fresh at Bergdorf Goodman, New York.
She also worked in the public relations and film departments at The Museum of Modern Art and in the public education program for the New York Public Library. Former actor and model, Melissa received her BA degree in Liberal Arts at the New School University and attended the Art Students League in New York.

Steve and Melissa on a photo shoot for a New York Daily News article

(see web site under Press)