My journey as the founder and florist of MRK Floral began with a loss.

When I lost my best friend in an accident, I started making bouquets for the grave and for the family left behind. I had no training. I simply watched, copied, and kept going. Somewhere along the way, I realized that the person being healed most by those flowers was me.

That was when I made a promise to myself: to connect people through flowers, and to bring more smiles into the world. That promise is still the root of everything I do.

With no experience, I opened my first flower shop. It didn't last. After a few years, I had to close it. But instead of giving up, I asked myself how I could keep going, and I started again from my home kitchen. I took on as many pop-ups and orders as I could. Each one taught me something, and each one led me to someone new.

Those connections grew into what MRK Floral is today: a storefront-free floral studio in Long Island City, NY where I personally source, design, and deliver every arrangement, including ongoing displays at Eataly Lafayette and Eataly Short Hills.

Every bouquet I make still carries that first promise.

— Mariko Yanagida