From JPrutzman Enterprises LLC
Pictured above: Kelly Piccioni at her team’s photo installation for the Speaker of the House. Photo courtesy of Reba Ellen Hicks
Kelly Piccioni, owner of Events by Kelly Florist and horticulture educator with Penn State Extension Schuylkill County, was honored as one of just 28 floral designers selected nationwide to create the floral décor for the prestigious First Lady’s Luncheon, hosted by The Congressional Club in Washington, D.C., in early April.
Bottom row: Amanda Lamar, VA; Tami Turnbull, WA; Kristen Buckwalter, AK; Marcela Lopez-Vallejo, NC; Heather Towne, PA; Darcie Garcia, NC; Corrine Heck, FL; Renee Tucci, PA; Michael Tucci, PA; Holly Haveman, MI; Judy Sanregret, CA; Adi Foister, NC; Angela Brown, TN; Becky Memmo, PA; Peggy Seawert, FL; and Kelly Shore, MD. Photo courtesy of Reba Ellen Hicks
Piccioni was chosen through a rigorous application and selection process by American Grown Flowers. The group evaluated portfolio submissions that demonstrated advanced floral design skills and industry experience. The designer team was led by Renee Tucci, AIFD, PFCI, AAF, a nationally recognized floral artist and educator, and Kelly Shore, The Floral Source/ Petals by the Shore, as a supporting designer and logistics coordinator.
Together, the team created an awe-inspiring array of floral installations, including:
- 160 centerpieces for 1600 attendees.
- 100 feet of promenade ground arches along both sides of the venue.
- A 60-foot floral-draped head table.
- Three themed photo installations.
- Various small accent arrangements.
The luncheon theme selected by this year’s Chairwomen Jane Mrvan of Indiana was “From Sand to Steel,” embodying strength, transformation, and resilience. The “sand” symbolized the region’s iconic sand dunes, while the “steel” represented the state’s proud legacy of steel production. She selected The National Park Trust and The Fair Haven Rape Crisis Center as the luncheon’s beneficiaries.
The floral team collaborated for months to bring this unique vision to life through thoughtful color palettes, structural designs, and texture-rich materials. Designers were divided into specialized teams assigned to specific installation areas, allowing for efficient preparation and seamless execution of this large-scale event. Designers had three and a half days to fulfill their tasks and create the masterpieces.
A key feature of the floral décor was its commitment to sustainability and local agriculture. This marks the seventh consecutive year that all florals used were sourced exclusively from farms certified by Certified American Grown (CAG). Since CAG’s inception in 2021, it has championed the importance of buying American-grown florals and education.
Flowers and foliage were generously donated by the following Certified American Grown farms:
- Mellano and Company
- Camflor Inc.
- Ocean Breeze Farms
- CF Greens
- Fern Trust Inc.
- Green Valley Floral
- Tat Farm
- Journey Farm
- Menagerie Flower
- Sutton Ferneries
- Myriad Flowers
- Alabama Smilax
- The Flowering Ranch
- The Floral Source
- DV Flora
Additionally, floral hard goods were provided courtesy of Oasis Products and Accent Décor.
Piccioni’s involvement in this distinguished national event is a testament to her talent, passion, the green industry, and the importance of American Grown horticultural products. Her contributions continue to inspire both her clients and provide valuable information for local growers to keep Pennsylvania horticulture vibrant.
About Certified American Grown
Certified American Grown is a nonprofit membership organization made up of diverse cut flower and foliage farms from throughout the U.S. Its member farms represent over half of all U.S. cut flower and foliage production. With a mission of helping domestic flower and foliage farmers thrive, its work focuses on building a healthy, sustainable, and prosperous American flower-farming community. Formerly under the auspices of the California Cut Flower Commission but now an independent organization, Certified American Grown is the only floral group that certifies the origin of the flowers and foliage our members grow, process, package, and market.
About The Congressional Club
Founded in 1908, The Congressional Club was established to provide a non-partisan setting for friendships among the spouses of members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.
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Source: bctv