By COLlive reporter
Photos: Sholem Srugo/COLlive
The red-bricked 770 Eastern Parkway is always a beautiful sight to see, sparking for many cherished images of the Rebbe, youthful memories, large community events and of course, simches.
Now, imagine its entrance covered with stunning flowers.
That is how Lubavitch World Headquarters looked like last week when Chani Frankel and Freidel Levin of the Mimulo flower service and event planners took the time to place thousands of flowers along the walkway for anyone to take.
They told COLlive.com that these flowers have been prepared for a wedding that was scheduled for Sunday.
“We spent weeks planning every detail, placing every order to make sure that everything would be just right,” they said. “Back and forth with the restaurant and then when indoor seating was canceled, the caterer, tent and rental company, floral vendors and suppliers, draper, musician, wedding singer, etc. to confirm and re-confirm so that no detail was overlooked.”
Frankel and Levin said it was their regular routine so that the families of the simcha can show up to a magical event. “It’s the investment of our time and energy prior to the event that allows us to show up calm and cool and pull off events that are aesthetically fabulous with a tasteful atmosphere that warm, relax, and invite,” they said.
So imagine their shock when they received a phone call on the Tuesday prior to the wedding that the simcha was going to be postponed.
“We quickly scrambled to reach out to every vendor to try and deconstruct the beautifully orchestrated wedding. We did the best we can and most vendors were understanding, but it gets really tricky with perishables because you can’t put a rose back on its root and you can’t put apples back on the trees,” they explained.
The solution? #FlowersForThePeople.
“We decided that the best we can do in this circumstance is share the flowers with the community by way of hundreds of individually wrapped bouquets as a floral installation in front of 770 where passers by can look, admire and then take a bouquet to enjoy on their Shabbos table!”
Indeed, throughout the day, residents of all ages and even some bochurim stopped at 770 to smell and pick up a bouquet for Shabbos.
“There are so many ways to deal with an unexpected setback,” Frankel and Levin say. “For us, we know it’s all from Hashem, so it was an opportunity to spread love and joy, and it really did! Thank you, Hashem!”
What a great way to promote Sholom Bayis
So beautiful!! Thank you for transforming a disappointment into something so heartwarming
The flowers were placed in the right place
Gan Eden Hatachton – 770
How nice!
This is really very beautiful
Thank you chanie and freidel for your message of positivity and hashgocha protis
That is such a beautiful thing to do! And what an amazing way of looking at a disappointing situation and turning it around into a giving, kind action!
Wow beautiful flowers
Wonder full to see flowers!
Gave us all a huge smile
GB U
So very touching and brilliant Gemilas Chessed!!
Positivity, flowers, smiles & most of all good health to all.
mashiach has to come with all these positivity!!
Just as you bring joy to others, may Hashem always bring you joy!
What a beautiful initiative to share with the community! So good to know you guys are more than just florists, but party planners too!
Chanie and Freidel are so kind and thoughtful!! They did the weddings for 2 of my children and it was always service with a smile. Pleasure to work with them. This was such a great idea – turning lemons into lemonade! I’m sure everyone that passed by 770 and/or took a bouquet to grace their Shabbos table appreciated their creative and generous gesture. When they were preparing to move Mimulo, they graciously gave away, or sold for a symbolic amount, loads of items. So wonderful to have shop-owners in the community that think about how they can benefit their customers… Read more »