photo by Julian Navarette
Our History
My name is Nicole Ko. (Formerly Nicole Absher before marriage)
I’ve been a florist for over a decade and the proud owner of ephemera since 2019. I’m excited to announce this year is ephemera’s 5th year in business. We have endured a pandemic and are looking forward to our busiest season yet working with New York City’s best wedding planners and top venues. As a destination florist I service New York City and the surrounding area but am happy to travel anywhere my shears take me. If you are seeking guidance to plan an occasion please do not hesitate with any questions.
Email us
hello@nicoleko.com
Inspiration
As an Artist I’m attracted to bold designs, playful colors, rich textures and soft ethereal gestures to tell love stories with flowers. Born and raised in the rural South I left for New York City after college and discovered (almost ironically) in the concrete maze of NYC a passion for nature. Impressionable moments in the city’s gardens planted a seed and a mild curiosity grew into a wild passion. A new artistic means of expression formed around everything flower.
My floral design company Ephemera draws upon the other-worldly beauty of flowers. Informed by a study of minimalism in Ikebana, inspired by the Dutch Golden Era and mused by the sublime force of Nature...
What is it like working with us?
Recently married; I have seen the wedding industry from all angles now and feel even more supportive to the newly engaged who come seeking our craft to help them tell their love stories.
Because we have been through the ropes we believe in offering transparent pricing with individual items listed on the invoice, visual moodboards that lead you through the experience to help you understand what to expect day of and floral mock ups in the months leading up to the special day for all of our wedding clients.
People often comment on how personalized and collaborative working with us feels. As an artist who loves to pick out those special details I am watching for the way you react to individual blossoms as I point them out to you in the moodboard. I really want to find that spark and ignite it for you.
People also often comment on how organized we are, both front of house and behind the scenes. My team looks forward to every wedding because we are prepared, supported and inspired.
Philosophy
The name ephemera is a nod to the word’s origin. Meaning something that is short lived, lasting for only one day. Fleeting beauty like the autumn leaves falling. Or perhaps fleeting encounters like your daughter’s wedding night when loved ones gather from the far corners of the world and may never be in the same room again.
But the name also takes root in a quote I read from the work of Carl Jung in my early twenties. When I first encountered the word ephemeral.
“Life has always seemed to me like a plant that lives on its rhizome. Its true life is invisible, hidden in the rhizome. The part that appears above ground lasts only a single summer. Then it withers away—an ephemeral apparition. When we think of the unending growth and decay of life and civilizations, we cannot escape the impression of absolute nullity. Yet I have never lost a sense of something that lives and endures underneath the eternal flux. What we see is the blossom, which passes. The rhizome remains.” - Carl Jung
A great sense of optimism can be felt from that quote and that optimism inspired me to create a floral design company. ephemera is a beckoning for us to ‘live in the moment’ but ephemera is also platform designed to endure. We believe in sustainability for planet earth, whether it’s sustainably grown flowers, reducing waste and plastics or a sustainable work environment for our employees.
Reviews
“Working with Nicole was an absolute dream. I credit her breathtaking work with the perfection of my wedding day. Even a few years after, friends and family still come to me with a dreamy look in their eye, saying, "Your wedding was the most beautiful ceremony I've ever seen". Due to her incredible intuition, artistic intelligence, and pure ingenuity, she was able to bring together not just bouquets...but to create an atmospheric beauty with such an enchanted quality. She used gorgeous flowers from the market as well as wild-crafted local greenery and wild flowers, and made sculptural pieces that elevated the entire feel of our wedding. AND she coordinated all of this while I was thousands of miles away, living in Alaska. If I could give this extraordinary woman five thousand stars, I would.”
-Marilyn Fennell
“I love working with Nicole and highly recommend hiring her as your florist. As a wedding and event planner, I have worked with many florists and event partners. Nicole is an incredibly talented, warm, kind, professional, and caring artist. She is incredibly enthusiastic about her work, which shows in her warmth and attention to detail. She is very skilled at what she does, takes detailed notes, and flexible. I highly recommend working with her if you're looking for gorgeous arrangements that look like artwork that are created by a wonderful and caring human being.”
-Desirée Adams of Verve Event Co.
“I worked with Nicole on a bridal shoot in late 2019. She was one of my favorite vendors to work with because of how professional and punctual she remained, consistently through out our correspondence. She responded to emails, provided insightful input and then designed the most stunning whimsical bouquet you can imagine. Everyone loved her and I still receive so many comments and accolades on that bouquet she designed so beautifully. I would absolutely recommend Nicole to any bride and business because she is everything a person planning a wedding needs. Creativity, inspired thinking, positive vibes and professionalism. Five stars for sure.”
