Petal Power

It’s easy to assume that Yianni Stapleton would be hard-pressed to find a good gift for Bety after spending all day with her at Stapleton Floral Design—but it turns out their mutual passion never gets old. “I actually bring flowers home to my wife, especially when it’s unusual or new for the season,” says Yianni, who has shops in the Seaport and South Boston. “Celebrating an occasion may involve a restaurant, but a beautiful bouquet with a bottle of pink champagne is still her favorite.”

The bubbly was a-flowin’ when they got married in 1988—she with 25 guests and he with 250 guests as part of their “beautiful big fat Greek wedding,” he explains. Their biggest disagreement was on the cake; Yianni wanted a “monster” confection complete with bridges, the wedding party in miniature on said bridges and the bride and groom in the center. Bety’s classic style of design won out, but it was all for the better: “We had a simple, beautiful three-tiered cake with my bride and groom on top,” he says. “We’ve always compromised in both our personal life and business, and it’s worked out for the best.”

Though balancing the two isn’t exactly a piece of cake, they’ve made indelible memories during the past three decades in business. Those include brushes with fame, like arranging flowers for the Hatfields & McCoys miniseries and the Ted 2 wedding. But real-life weddings deliver the truly special scenes. One bride came to them 26 years after Stapleton served as her mother’s wedding florist; the daughter carried her mom’s bible down the aisle in style with a modern silk jacket adorned with brocade, ribbons, rhinestones and flowers. For another wedding, the Stapletons managed to find rare black bacarra roses at the last minute for a desperate bride. They arrange them every year for the groom, who still comes in for his annual anniversary bouquet.