Long Island wedding florist opens Eastport Country Store

Special finds and a strong local connection bloom year-round at the cozy and inviting new Eastport Country Store.

Jennifer Marchese-Levine, who launched the business in December, calls it "a community boutique."

"It’s filled," she says, "with flowers, antiques, books and beautiful things."

The postcard-pretty store complements Wildflower Floral Events, a 15-year-old wedding company Marchese-Levine runs separately by appointment.

"There’s a lot of inventory at the store that’s not related to my other company," says Marchese-Levine, 51, who grew up in Manorville and has been working in floral design for 30 years. "After so many years of doing just weddings, I started to crave a different connection to my community."

Eastport County Store satisfies that desire. The building formerly housed a long-running antiques store Marchese-Levine admired and frequented that closed about six years ago.

The previous owners "made it look like a dollhouse. It’s the prettiest building in Eastport," she says. "When they called me and asked me if I wanted it, I didn’t even think twice."

Those sales negotiations began last November. Antiques and vintage treasures — furniture, mirrors, chandeliers, clocks and lamps — went with the deal. "We’ve taken on the project of rearranging the shop, reimagining it and adding plants and flowers," Marchese-Levine says.

Fragrant and colorful bouquets ($45 and up) nestled in buckets and displayed on an antique flower cart already are bestsellers. Organic soaps ($8-$15), coffee table books on topics like gardening, home life and animals ($10-$75), jewelry by local artisans and vintage pieces ($35 and up) are also popular. Antiques run from $50 to over $1,000.

In addition to the merchandise, the store will host workshops on various subjects. Classes about gardening, floral design, crafts and art are in the works. Upcoming spring classes will be posted on the store’s Instagram account.

A couple months into running the store, Marchese-Levine is heartened by the response from customers. "We’ve been so pleasantly surprised to see how happy it makes everyone to come into the shop," she says. "It’s almost like a Norman Rockwell-type experience that people had no idea they were missing."

Eastport Country Store, 511 Montauk Hwy., Eastport, 631-801-2700, @eastportcountrystore