Step inside Ivy on Main and it quickly becomes clear that the shop is more than a place to buy flowers.
Part floral studio, part boutique and part gathering place, Ivy on Main was built by Angela D’Andrea and Toni Perilli from a shared love of flowers, a leap away from corporate careers and a belief that floral design could become something deeply personal for local families.
What began in D’Andrea’s garage after the birth of her twins in 2014 has grown into a floral studio and boutique with locations in Allentown and Hamilton. Ivy on Main now offers wedding and event flowers, local floral delivery, sympathy arrangements, curated gifts, clothing, workshops and holiday decor.
D’Andrea spent about 10 years in legal operations at Bristol-Myers Squibb before deciding not to return to her corporate job after having her twins. She had always enjoyed creating flowers for family parties and small gatherings. She started the business in her garage and it began to grow from there.
Perilli had a similar path. She worked in surgical device sales, including time with Johnson & Johnson, while also doing floral work on the side. She had taken floral design classes and enjoyed the creative work. When D’Andrea needed help with a wedding, Perilli joined her in the garage.
“Angela was getting really busy working in her garage, and I thought it’d be cool to see how it would be to set up a wedding. She needed an extra set of hands, and after that I never stopped going to the garage. We have worked together pretty much every day since then,” Perilli said.
The two Allentown residents were acquaintances before becoming business partners. Their shared work ethic, creative instincts and background in demanding corporate fields helped shape Ivy on Main into a business known for both design and service.
The business operated for a short time from a small office in town, mainly to meet brides and clients. In 2018, Ivy on Main moved into the second floor of The Old Mill, a space that gave D’Andrea and Perilli more exposure and room to hold workshops.
“It was perfect for us,” D’Andrea said.
They later expanded into a first-floor space at The Mill. Shortly after that move, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing the young business to rethink its model almost overnight. Weddings were canceled or rescheduled, and the duo had to find new ways to keep serving customers. That difficult period became a turning point.
“When COVID hit, all of our weddings were canceled or were rescheduled,” D’Andrea said. “We had nothing coming in, but we still had to do things like pay the rent, other expenses, and pay ourselves.”
They pivoted and began offering wreaths, hand towels, candles, flowers for pickup and delivery, and virtual wreath-making and floral-arranging workshops. Customers from Allentown, Cream Ridge, Millstone and surrounding communities responded quickly, helping the business survive while in-person events were on hold.
The pandemic also pushed Ivy on Main to build its website and expand its boutique offerings. What started as a floral business became a more complete shopping destination, with gifts, clothing, candles, soaps, skin care items and curated gift boxes or baskets that can be paired with flowers.
“We were very fortunate to have such a great community,” D’Andrea said.
Company vice president Kari Lee joined Ivy on Main just before the pandemic and helped the business expand its services. Lee, who grew up in Allentown and now lives in Chesterfield, brought years of floral experience to the shop.
“I started doing flowers when I was in high school,” Lee said. “I went to Allentown High School and then I joined the horticulture programs there and loved it. Started working in our local florist in town when I was 16.”
Lee said Ivy on Main has changed significantly since she joined the business.
“Ivy has come a really long way,” Lee said. “We do a ton of weddings, a ton of parties and lots of events. It’s more full service than when we started.”
The business has also expanded to a second location.
In addition to its Main Street shop in Allentown, Ivy on Main opened a second store on Route 33 in Hamilton, where D’Andrea and Perilli both grew up. The Hamilton shop has been open for about three years.
“Hamilton’s a different vibe, but I feel like we are building there with people,” Lee said.
Ivy on Main serves customers across a wide range of occasions.
“We also do installations for businesses. On the inside,” Perilli said. “For example, you walk into a restaurant, and they want to do something with a wall that’s plain and boring them. We do a lot of that, like holiday decorating for businesses and homes.”
Weddings remain a central part of the business. Ivy on Main has become a preferred floral vendor for local venues, such as Jasna Polana in Princeton, and they continue to work closely with brides and families planning major celebrations.
May, June and July are especially busy, with prom, wedding, graduation and communion season all overlapping.
“But we really don’t have any downtime,” D’Andrea said. “But now we have been busy since this is prom, wedding, and communion season.”
Many customers come to Ivy on Main for one milestone and return for others, from proms and weddings to baby showers and sympathy arrangements.
“I feel like we create a lot of relationships in this business,” Lee said. “There are so many different brides that we talk to throughout a year’s time.”
Ivy on Main also handles online and out-of-town orders, often from people in other states sending flowers to loved ones in the area. Even when orders are placed online, the staff often follows up by phone or email to confirm details and make sure the order is right.
That human connection is part of what makes the business different from larger online flower services. Ivy on Main emphasizes personal attention, local knowledge and relationships built over time.
“Our biggest compliment is a positive Google review, because we are such a local, organic business,” Perilli said.
Its community role extends beyond the shops. The business donates to local causes, schools and sports programs, but its most important nonprofit partnership is with Miracle League, a baseball league for children and adults with physical and mental disabilities.
“Miracle League is a huge part of our lives, we’re there often, we work on events there,” D’Andrea said.
The Allentown location also includes a separate bookstore — Friends to Bookends — operated by local school moms who wanted to open their own business. D’Andrea, Perilli and Lee made room for the bookstore inside Ivy on Main, creating a partnership that adds another community-focused element to the shop.
“They thought about being in Allentown and of course we wanted them here,” D’Andrea said. “We kind of said, ‘we’ll make room for you guys to try it out and see what how it goes.’ It’s been amazing, and it has been a great partnership.”
Workshops also remain part of Ivy on Main’s business, especially during the holidays.
“One of the most popular things that we’ve done throughout the years for workshops is wreath-making,” Lee said.
For customers, Ivy on Main has become more than a flower shop. From a garage startup to two local storefronts, the business has grown through creativity, resilience and community support, offering flowers, gifts, workshops, custom wreaths, business decorating, weddings and personal pieces for some of life’s major moments.
D’Andrea, Perilli and Lee said they continue to focus on the work that built the business: creativity, service and the personal relationships that keep customers coming back.
Ivy on Main’s Allentown and Hamilton shops are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and closed Sundays. Hours may vary around holidays.
Ivy on Main, 28 S. Main St., Allentown. 609-477-4587. Hamilton info: The Shoppes at Nottingham Pointe, 4611 Nottingham Way. 609-245-8507. ivyonmain.com.
