Meet the Founders of Petal Palooza Flower Rental — Our First 2022 AHIG Grant Recipients!
We’re thrilled to announce Sabrina König and Scott B. Thompson, co-founders of Petal Palooza Flower Rental, as the first recipients of the American Heart Investment Grant for 2022! Their company has been awarded $69,000 to expand their bold and beautiful vision for eco-conscious floral design in the event industry.
Petal Palooza isn’t just a business — it’s a movement. A movement away from wasteful, single-use event décor, and toward stylish sustainability.
We recently sat down with Sabrina to talk about the origin of the business, what’s next for Petal Palooza, and her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Here’s what she shared.
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Sabrina:
“We’re a faux flower rent-and-return boutique — our mission is to eliminate waste from events by offering stunning, high-quality artificial flowers that can be reused again and again.”
Fresh flowers may be beautiful, but they come at an environmental cost. From pesticides to shipping emissions, they can leave a heavy footprint. That’s where Petal Palooza comes in — by offering rentable floral collections that are shipped before and returned after events, they reduce both waste and costs for couples.
What started as an idea during the COVID-19 lockdowns quickly grew into a real solution for couples eloping, downsizing weddings, or simply looking for a more conscious way to say “I do.”
“We saw that couples were prioritizing intimacy, sustainability, and affordability,” says Sabrina. “So we leaned into that.”
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Unlike typical faux flower options, Petal Palooza focuses on elevated, luxury-quality arrangements — and customers are taking notice. With more than 15 unique collections available for rent, they’re serving clients across the U.S. with ease.
“Our flowers don’t look like something from a craft store. They’re realistic, elegant, and camera-ready,” says Sabrina.
Their rent-and-return model not only saves couples up to 70% compared to traditional florals, but it also ensures those beautiful blooms don’t end up in landfills.
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The team is gearing up for a wave of 2025 weddings and expanding their reach. Their top priorities right now?
• Perfecting the customer experience
• Enhancing their website UX
• Tapping into 2025 floral trends
• Growing their Sample Program and planner partnerships
“Seeing our website traffic increase month after month tells us this idea has real legs,” says Sabrina.
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Let’s face it — “fake flowers” have a bit of a reputation. But Sabrina and Scott are changing that.
“People assume faux florals are cheap and plastic-looking. But once they see our arrangements in person, they realize how wrong that assumption is.”
Petal Palooza is using social media, influencer partnerships, and hands-on sample kits to change perceptions — one bouquet at a time.
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Sabrina’s journey has been anything but easy. Like many founders, she and her partner juggle full-time jobs while growing their business during early mornings, lunch breaks, and weekends.
“The best advice I can give? It doesn’t matter how slow you go — just don’t stop. We take things one meaningful task at a time. Progress compounds.”
They also lean on gratitude during tough moments and always keep an eye on the next big milestone.
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Petal Palooza isn’t just about sustainable products — it’s about sustainable operations, too. They reuse packaging, avoid unnecessary paper, and skip air freight whenever possible.
“We’re committed to doing business in a way that aligns with our values,” Sabrina adds. “And we’re always looking to collaborate with like-minded brands in the low-waste event space.”
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Petal Palooza stood out to our grant committee because of its clear environmental mission, scalable business model, and dedication to reshaping consumer behavior in a traditionally wasteful industry.
Sabrina and Scott are proving that weddings can be beautiful and sustainable — and we’re so proud to support their growth.