more about us

Erin Ostreicher is the passionate owner behind Nectar & Root. The name nectar & root embodies Erin’s love for the sweet, alluring process of floral design and the pure fulfillment that each collaborative project brings about and to the surface.

Long before Erin was a true florist, she walked into a Vermont boutique and saw a farm table with the most unique and natural floral display on it. A tall clear vase held amaryllis still on the bulb and boughs of greenery and roots. She was struck by how unfussy yet exquisite of a picture it made. She continues to imagine that authentic design and how it was driven by native, gorgeous materials as the base of what the vase inhabits even to this day.

Erin graduated from Skidmore College with a concentration in studio art and creative writing. She went on to graduate from Columbia’s summer publishing course, and she later earned a certificate in floral design focusing on all there is to learn about flower arranging from the New York Botanical Gardens.

In 2019 Erin received the national Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the State of Vermont through the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Erin has studied under renowned global floral designers including Siren Floral Company, Amy Merrick, Foret, and Saipua, and she has provided her services in a range of settings from Brooklyn’s urbanized Green Building to Vermont’s historical Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms.

After ten years of running her own business, Erin is still constantly learning about herself and her design process, and pushing the edge of what moves and excites her creatively with flowers. She loves love stories, and lives in Stowe with her partner Mark.

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supporting others

Each month we donate a portion of Nectar & Root's proceeds to the New Farms for New Americans, a program matching New Americans with agriculture space and resources available throughout Vermont.

Through our daily work, our goal is to support other businesses with similar social missions and from diverse backgrounds. We do this by actively choosing who we collaborate with creatively and buy from for each of our events.

We invite you to donate to New Farms for New Americans too, and to explore our list of like minded businesses owners who we encourage you to consider. We feel connecting makers and creatives together with conscious shoppers makes a positive difference.

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loving the environment

Nectar & Root is completely influenced by the climate, landscape, and local botanicals of Vermont and wherever else on the map our wedding events take us. It is so special to work in the ethereal, earthy medium of flowers and plant materials. Each stem is a dog-ear on the page of a love story. The impermanence and origin of flowers celebrate the specific place and time of their blooming and, in consequence, tell more about the wedding that they are picked for.

Nectar & Root has revived the humble act of growing our own flowers in the Stowe area. Springtimes in the garden, muddy, followed by jumping into the nearest swimming hole is the magic stuff that her flowers and spirit are fed by. We forage, grow our own flowers, and buy product from other local farms throughout New England.

our most important

social missions

01.

What percentage of your team is women, people of color, persons with disabilities, or LGBTQ+?

At least 85% of our hires are women, women and men of color, and folx who identify as LGBTQ+. We love learning from and being inspired by other perspectives, and Erin takes a special interest in mentoring new or aspiring entrepreneurs. Just as our clients make a conscious choice when selecting which businesses to invest in for their wedding purchases, Nectar & Root does the same when choosing who we hire and support in turn.

02.

What organization does Nectar & Root donate to?

We donate to the New Farms for New Americans program in Vermont, which matches New Americans with available agricultural space and resources. Erin has begun conversations with leadership to explore partnerships with this program.

03.

What other anti racism and inclusivity work is Nectar & Root undertaking?

We accept and welcome with open arms black people and those who identify as LGBTQ+. Nectar & Root is actively incorporating more portfolio work that features black and LGBTQ+ folx as the pandemic restrictions lift. We set aside part of our budget to pay for educational resources from black people, and we highlight black owned business that we love through our social media channels. We hope to continue hiring more black and LGBTQ+ individuals in the future.

04.

Who are you supporting if you hire Nectar & Root?

You'll be investing in a local, woman-owned small business who stands behind anti racisim, inclusivity, and environmentally loving principles.

05.

What sustainable practices do you employ?

Nectar & Root plans our projects with No Trace Principles in mind and we are environmentally friendly with less waste or ZERO waste as our ultimate goal. These practices include favoring flowers grown by hand by Nectar & Root and blooms from other local farms, reducing the use of non biodegradable flower foam for larger floral installations, composting or drying all leftover flowers and plant materials, using upcycled or handmade non disposable containers, and including care instructions for how to preserve and save bouquets for our clients.

We compost or dry leftover flowers, grow our own blooms and buy from as many other local farms as possible, and have reduced our use of floral foam by over 80% in the past year to create a smaller carbon footprint.