With more than twenty years of décor and flower experience, Peter knows how to transform a bride’s vision into the perfect wedding day.His attention to detail and his artistic talent allows your event to be one of a kind. Peter’s experience is as varied as his style. He has engineered everything from intimate, 15 guest social gatherings to opulent events for more than 2,000.
Milan Event Floral & Decor provides high-end event services in Key West, Florida, crafting customizable visions for corporate accounts and weddings. Peter Bek-gran is the Event Design Creative Director and Owner with thirty years experience in the floral and decor industry, who has served clients such as the Baccarat Crystal and L’Oreal in New York City, and now the Beachside Marriot Resort and Casa Marina Resort of the Hilton family in Key West. Key West is also a top 5 ranking location for destination weddings, with brides flocking to the island year-round.
Milan Event couples our long-standing relationship as preferred vendor for every major hotel on the island with our expertise to provide the bride an elegant, versatile, and chic alternative for her wedding. Milan Event even services the more non-traditional venues such as the Hemingway House and Key West Lighthouse, creating a final product that never fails to impress. Milan Event is in the process of expanding from providing floral and decor to becoming a full event services vendor.
About Peter Bek-gran
When did you begin your love affair with flowers?
My love affair with flowers started at a very young age. I was six or seven when I went into the garden and picked all the yellow roses to make confetti for the Memorial Day parade – what fun!
How long have you been a flower designer?
As a young man, I began working part time with Victor Anselmi in Spring Lake, NJ, as a cutter and driver. I soon set my sights for New York and after working for some great florists there, I decided to start my own company. I opened Botanical Design with a focus on corporate clients such as L’Oreal, Baccarat, and Coach, to name a few. The business grew and I began to do a lot of wedding work in some wonderful New York City locations, such as the Waldorf Astoria, the Plaza Hotel, the St. Regis Hotel, and Pier Sixty. This was a very exciting time of my life but the city can be stressful. After ten great years I sold Botanical Design and moved south to Key West. I have worked in the floral industry for over 30 years and lived and worked in Key West for more than 8 years now.
Why did you leave NY and pursue your passion in Key West?
I wanted a simpler life. When I moved to Key West, I also wanted to use my experience with New York brides to focus on creating the bride’s vision for her destination wedding, encompassing all of the décor elements: linens, lighting, candles, furnishings, accent trees and finally flowers. I am so grateful to be doing what I love; and thankful for all of the wonderful brides, both local and visitors, in Key West.
What kind of clients do you work with?
I work with clients that have a keen sense of style, and are open to new and creative ideas. The clients I work with appreciate the beauty of luxury flowers and want their event or wedding to reflect that taste and elegance.
About the Design Process
To book Milan Event’s services, fill out the Contact Form on the website. We will then email to schedule a phone consultation with you. During the 30-40 minute phone call, Peter will determine the couple’s style and vision for the Big Day as well as the budget and the “wow factor.” The “wow factor” is the primary reason for a phone consultation versus an emailed list of desired items. This component is not well expressed in an email. For that reason, we do not submit proposals without speaking to the bride first. Please keep in mind that we only book a certain number of events per day to ensure Milan Event offers the highest quality of service. To ensure you are working with the best, we recommend you book Milan Event as soon as you set your venue and date.
Although the majority of work we do is customized, Milan Event does offer a convenience package designed for specific properties that maximize the bride’s budget. The convenience package is designed for a bride who wants to pick an accent color and have everything come together effortlessly. Details of this package are available upon request.
A couple things to keep in mind during the design process are the most important elements to creating a beautiful event:
- Pick your adjective In one to three words you should be able to capture the feel of your vision for your wedding day
- Fresh flowers The quality and freshness of flowers enable them to look as stunning at the end of the reception as they did when they were assembled.
- Tasteful linen Linen is the element that completes the look of an event.
- Unfortunately, it’s usually the first item couples choose to eliminate due to budget restraints but it is the most necessary component
- Finally don’t forget the lighting, gorgeous chairs and fun people to sit in them.
*Key West Destination Wedding Tip:
The closest native flower to Key West originates in Mexico. In other words, there are no flowers local to Key West. However, to maximize the bride’s budget and style, Milan Event uses flowers that best represent her vision – whether that vision is tropical or European garden.
