Professional Services in Groton

As a photographer with years of experience, Jennifer DeCesari provides an attentive and personalized experience that yields bold and spontaneous images. Portrait sessions (for children, high-school seniors, families, and expectant mothers) take about two hours. Her snaps always produce charming images and sometimes prove someone is a vampire when only his or her clothes show up in the photo. Prior to each session, a consultation covers poses, clothing, and location options, while a relaxed approach ensures subjects don’t feel rushed or remain adamant about taking their winter coat off.

The dedicated and helpful staff of flora choreographers can help you assemble the perfect bouquet for special moments, from birthdays to weddings to anniversaries to new babies to Pine Wood Derby celebrations. The River's Edge is a full-service flower shop that guarantees fresh flowers by receiving shipments twice a week directly from farms. Scoop up a couple of nature's freshly cut stemmed gems ($3–$7) to surprise your loved one. Purchase a dozen roses ($36 wrapped or $45 with vase) to bring the lushness of nature into any monster-car arena, or create an artistic floral arrangement in many stunning combinations and shapes.

The staff at Zoots Dry Cleaning extracts stains and stress by pairing eco-friendly dry-cleaning services with the convenience of extended evening and Sunday hours, 24-hour drop-off and pickup services (available at most locations), and an automated drive-thru system. Team members clean clothes, draperies, bedding, and rugs with a biodegradable solvent as opposed to harsh PERC chemicals, and some staff are trained to expertly excise stains from the delicate lace and beadwork of bridal-gown bodices. Most stores also have a tailor on location who is able to alter ensembles in a snap. Customers get e-mail notifications when orders are ready or they can download a smartphone app to keep a close eye on the status of their dirty laundry.

Since Jim and Mike Amore opened Jet Cleaners in 1956, the place has become a rite of passage not only for Mike Amore Jr., who worked there as a teen and now represents the third generation of his family's business, but for New Haven residents. The company's Facebook page fondly catalogs photos of staff through the decades, occasionally noting the growth of their careers and families, or marking their passing. The good feelings are mutual, as the community voted Jet Cleaners Elm City's Best Dry Cleaner and Tailor in 2011. Voting with their dollars, the Yale Repertory Theater and Yale Medical School entrust Amore and his team with their costumes and lab coats, a practice begun after hearing the school's dean relied on them to starch his upper lip. A light touch with these delicate materials extends to refreshing heirloom quilts and wedding gowns, as well as tailoring suits. Free weekly pickup and delivery services save trips to the cleaner's modernist building on State Street, which is instantly recognizable not only for its austere design but also for the garden flourishing within its glass walls.

In 1929, Tom Pinchbeck’s great grandfather traveled to Guilford with his family and staked their new territory with a massive greenhouse. For the next 79 years, Pinchbeck’s Rose Farm nurtured 100,000 rose bushes until highly industrial competition began to cloud their traditional production methods.

Rather than closing the doors on his farm, Pinchbeck restructured the business with his friend Jim Lyman. Lyman had been seeking a meaningful job opportunity for his son and other individuals on the autism spectrum. Through Roses for Autism—and in coordination with Ability Beyond Disability—Lyman and Pinchbeck aim to facilitate independence in the business world for individuals with autism. Employees at the farm take part in each step of the process by selecting roses, cutting stems, arranging bouquets, checking inventories, processing orders, and packaging shipments to be enjoyed by hungry bees and brides across the country.

Store manager Rob, who has certifications from Schwinn and Shimano, oversees repairs and advises customers on purchases at Newport Bicycle. In addition to carrying bikes from Jamis, Lapierre, Schwinn, and Nirve, the store also stocks athletic clothing, shoes, and accessories.