19/07/2026
An introduction to us 🙂
Your new owners of Petals and Halos Florist. A lifelong dream come true for me (Carissa).
We are Carissa and Shannon, husband and wife, better known as simply “mum and dad” to our children. Outside of work we are a quiet family who values quality time together, with our kids, family, and friends who have become family. We love camping, adventures, coffee on the porch and long Sunday drives with no set destinations. Making memories, chasing dreams, laughter and time spent together is where it’s at for us.
So what led us here?
My floristry career began over 2 decades ago when my Aunty Rose owned Bluebird Florist in Cessnock. One of her team members went on holidays, I filled in for the week and I was hooked! That week in her shop, the love for the industry and the art and creativity of floristry, ignited a flame and passion for me that has never wavered. I left my job at a little local cafe, and my floristry journey began 💐
After several years working alongside my Aunty, soaking up every skill and drop of knowledge she could share and loving every minute, my Aunt sold her shop to focus on family, at a time in their lives when every moment together was precious. I was pregnant with my second child, not in a position to take on a business and it felt like the dream had slipped away.
But to every negative there is a positive, and that sale eventually led me to another florist family, with Gab and Beq when they purchased and renamed Bluebird ~ Sisters in Bloom. I was fortunate enough to have shared many wonderful years alongside these ladies doing what we all love, even with our toddlers at our feet.
In recent years Shannon and I have been rebuilding and expanding his families transport business, and while I have enjoyed every minute of what we do there, my need for creativity, my love for what I do, was missing. When you truly have a passion for something, nothing else can fill that void. I guess you could say I was spoilt after so many years of doing what I loved.
An opportunity to do flowers (and cake, another creative passion of mine) for a wedding for our drivers highlighted how much I missed the floristry industry.
I have been truly blessed in this life to have a husband who supports my dreams and does everything he can to help me chase them. Then the opportunity came up to purchase Petals and Halos, and it was an opportunity I couldn’t go past and he encouraged me to pursue. The encouragement and support from our family and friends to chase this dream also has meant the world to us. They’ll be around to help us and I’m sure you’ll meet some of them doing deliveries and doing what they can to assist us moving forward 🙂
When I met Tracey and Sharla, and we talked about what the shop and this business has meant to them over the years, and my dreams and visions for the future of Petals and Halos it was obvious this was a great step forward for us all.
Petals and Halos already has the foundations we hold dear. A true passion and love for floristry, strong family values and a loyal, valued customer base. I can’t thank Tracey and Sharla enough for sharing their knowledge, wisdom and ongoing support as we take over. Taking over a business can be quite the process and working alongside them to have a smooth, positive transition for everyone, most of all our customers, has been such a great experience.
As we embark on this journey, and make Petals and Halos our own, we will continue to carry those same small business values forward with us and welcome our customers to come and introduce yourselves.
We can’t wait, and we look forward to being a small part in those special moments in your lives 💐
