Carl Alan Creations, Ltd.

07/11/2008 Posted by donuts

So Cal and his team provided the amazing flowers, centerpieces, and trees for our wedding in 2007. the bouquets were stunning and far exceeded my wildest imagination. His team was an absolute joy to work with and I really felt comfortable in their workshop over the may many hours that we spent designing the flowers. fast foward to April 2008. What should arrive on the day of my first anniversary was a glorious exact replica of my wedding bouquet. I cried then - and could cry now - but it was the most magnificent gift (kudos to the DH) but when I went in the next day to thank Cal, he let me know that he searched high and low for the James Story lillies and found them ! and the poppies! ah! it was wonderful. He is so dedicated to his customers and customer satisfaction. Best anniversary EVER! (ok, i've only had one thus far, but really)

Pros: Pure professionalism

Cons: nada

06/19/2008 Posted by nxp

I loved, loved, loved my wedding flowers and I have Cal and co to thank. I got married in May at the Sofitel. Cal and friends were the second florist my sister and I visited. He immediately welcomed us, joked we were his long lost nieces, and then took careful notes while I tried to put into words how I wanted my wedding to look. (Apparently, you can't just say, "I want it to be beautiful.") After we discussed the flowers and vase styles I liked then finding ways to save me money instead of duplicating efforts, he and his staff put together sample bouquets and table arrangements for us. I was sold there, price unseen. And when we got the price, I was thrilled because it was lower than I thought it would be. (It was so reasonable, in fact, that as the wedding got closer, I started to worry, "Will they give me enough flowers?") I need not have fretted. Cal decorated our ceremony and reception, basically providing the ceremony's only color, and it was GORGEOUS. I snuck in while they were setting up and I was so excited that I told the employee on the job to tell Cal I was considering leaving my almost husband. The reception was just as outstanding, with all the colors I'd imagined, the modern-looking arrangements, just the fun feeling of it all. My guests raved about the displays, and I didn't think anyone would notice the flowers except for me and other former and future brides. So I'm a huge fan of Carl Alan Ltd. Not one bad moment. Great, responsive staff. Fun to deal with. Enjoy.

05/18/2008 Posted by lsdc

After interviewing other florists and shopping around extensively for the perfect florist to deliver our vision for our April wedding, we selected Carl Alan Creations and have had no regrets whatsoever. Carl Alan delivered and exceeded our high and demanding expectations. Planning our Philadelphia wedding at the Bellevue from Washington, DC, we found the company’s owner and founder as well as his professional team completely up to the task! They listened to our vision for beautiful, hand-opened yellow roses, blue hydrangeas, orchids, and real lemons, accented with lighting. They gave us options for realizing it—never once saying what can’t be done but rather how it all could be done. They spent hours with us literally designing our centerpieces and bouquets and pew bows, making changes as we requested along the way. They were constantly responsive, energetic, creative. The result was show-stopping, breathtaking centerpieces, altar arrangements, and pew bows that garnered rave reviews from all our guests, and personal bridal and groom flowers that set the scene for our elegant, black-tie cocktails, dinner, and dancing. We would recommend Carl Alan without hesitation and look forward to other life milestones where we can hire this florist again. This is a very high endorsement coming from someone who has a type-A personality and spent years in event planning; Carl Alan Creations inspires complete confidence that the job will get done precisely and perfectly! They are simply the best, and you will not be disappointed.

Pros: Exceptional service; creative vision; can-do attitude

Cons: None whatsoever

04/08/2008 Posted by NHemy

My Fiance and I found Carl Alan Creations after a number of disappointments with other florists in the area. Our wedding was now just 1 month away! When I spoke to Carl over the phone, he put me at ease, and I just knew in my heart that this would be the florist for us. He sounded very down to earth. After meeting him, our only regret was not finding him sooner. Carl told me on the phone to email him - letting him know what flowers I liked, what colors, etc. and any other info that would be helpful. When we arrived, he had everything ready for us! He had his very talented designer Kate work with us to create the exact arrangements that we wanted as he looked on. Kate was amazing. She created the most beautiful arrangement that I have ever seen. It took my breath away. I couldn't have imagined it better. Watching her create my bouquet was incredible. It was truly like watching an artist at work. I cannot say enough about her - or the other kind people that Carl has on staff. Everyone was friendly and joyful. Carl also worked with our budget as well. I thought his prices were more than reasonable. In fact, for what we were getting, his prices were great. It was very obvious to us that Carl really loves what he does, and loves people too. He has a lot of integrity. We spent nearly 3 hours there! Even after all that time, he never pressured us to sign a contract or anything. We were more than happy to since he was the perfect florist for us. It is brilliant that he lets you come in, and takes the time to work with you until you actually see what you will get. No one else that we called did this. I just can't say enough about my experience there. He is one of a kind, and an absolute pleasure to do business with! You will not be disappointed.

Pros: Everything

Cons: Nothing

02/05/2008 Posted by phillyda

Carl Alan is amazing!! While planning my wedding, I met with a lot of florists. None of them really gave me what I wanted. As I was about to give up, I gave Carl Alan a call. From the minute I spoke to Cal on the phone, I was immediately put at ease. He told me to e-mail him any and all pictures that I liked of centerpieces, bouquets etc. He also wanted a picture of my wedding dress and my bridesmaid dresses so that he could get a full picture of what I wanted. Already Cal was doing more that most florist—and we had not even met yet!! When we met, Cal spoke to me for a while and really got an idea of what I wanted. He gave me incredible advice and his professional opinion on how to make my wedding more beautiful while still staying within my budget. Then he turned me over to his design team. These Women were talented, patient, professional and some of the nicest people I ever met. They created my centerpieces and my bouquet right there on the spot. They took pictures of everything and put it in my file. They did all of this BEFORE I even hired them—NO OTHER FLORIST DOES THIS!! They were amazing!! Any time I need anything my calls are always returned and they are more than willing to work with you.Carl Alan takes the time to listen to what YOU want and gives everything your own personal touch. I know my wedding will be beautiful because of Carl Alan.

Pros: amazing customer service!!! creative people!! Really listen to you and go above and beyond!!

Cons: NOTHING!!

07/01/2007 Posted by abb1025

It was 4 months before our wedding and we still didn't have a florist. My now husband and I sat with other florists & decorators during hour long consultatations and still didn't get what we were looking for after we received their proposals. When we went to our tasting, Carl Alan Creations was the florist on-site. Cal had designed a sample centerpiece that was exactly what I was looking for. We made an appointment and he was able to work with us hand-ons, and put together our ideal center piece in price & colors. We were delighted with the consultation process with Carl Alan Creations and book them the next day. Cal was with us every step of the way and made us go into our big day with ease and no worries. Thanks to Cal and his team for making our vision a reality.

Pros: Excellent Customer Service

06/28/2007 Posted by boobookitty10115

Carl Alan Creations Ltd. came highly recommended by the Westin Hotel Philadelphia. They said "he will be perfect for you". And he was. I knew I liked Cal from our very first phone conversation. He said "I will do anything you need, in any way, in any price range, nothing is too small. I will make you happy." A that he and his wonderful staff did, this past weekend. Our new daughter-in-law was extremely happy too. She knows flowers and met with a number of florists and knew Cal was the florist for her wedding. The flowers were exquisite, especially the white peonies, and the compliments from our guests were never ending. Cal's sense of humor and great outlook on life make planning wedding flowers fun instead of stressful. Special thanks to Kate and Jay, as well as to Cal. Our entire family would highly recommend Carl Alan Creations for any of your floral needs. SZ

Pros: All Pros!

Cons: No Cons

02/21/2007 Posted by pennypack_bookkeeper

BEST FLORIST. Beautiful work, no high pressure. Gentle, kind man that just wants to please his customers. Had the pleasure of working with him and all that came in contact with him had nothing but great things to say about his magnetic personality and magnificent work and customer satisfaction always at the top of his list. He will be doing my son's wedding (VERY EXCITED) and has done work for me in the past. RAVE RAVE RAVE REVIEW. Using Carl Alan Creations, Ltd. would be a wise choice for any occassion. HE WORKS MAGIC! Pennypack_Bookkeeper Denise (this is my first post but more to come after the wedding)

Pros: great customer service and just absolutely beautiful work

Cons: NONE

08/10/2006 Posted by jgutmaker

Cal Shaw is a creative genius and a total sweetheart. His staff are equally talented and professional, and he oversees a first class operation. Carl Alan Creations recently provided all of the flowers for my July 16 wedding. Their prices were very reasonable, and the quality was exceptional. Cal was extremely patient throughout the planning process, created multiple samples and proposals for me free of charge (including one prior to booking his company). He was never pushy and stuck within my budget. We had a large order (a 20-person bridal party, bride, groom, parents, 30 centerpieces, chuppah, side arrangements, etc.), and it was fulfilled exactly as promised and exactly on time. Everything was so beautiful and so magnificently arranged that people literally assumed we spent more than 5x what we actually did. I've seen other weddings for which Cal supplied flowers, including a friend's wedding at the Kimmel Center back in May. He does an expert job no matter the location or the style. It's hard to find someone who can do both traditional and modern equally well, but he and his staff manage to do just that. More importantly, Cal was always refreshingly honest about what would and would not work and never tried to sell me on something more expensive. He even went as far as bringing extra flowers to our ceremony/reception site just in case we had any heat damage (it was 94 degrees outside) during our outdoor photo shoot (we ended up not needing the extra flowers because ours held perfectly). The level of customer service and floral quality is unparalled in this region.

Pros: Best Wedding Florist in Philly

Cons: Absolutely none