This week I caught up with Lexi Nardini, the Owner and Director of Floral and Design at Love, Lilacs! I love collaborating with other talented wedding vendors in the KC area. Having photographed multiple weddings that have featured Lexi’s beautiful floral designs, I know how talented she it. I asked if I could pick her brain about all things wedding floral and as always, she didn’t disappoint!

When did you start your business and what drew you to becoming a florist and business owner?

I went to college at the University of Missouri for a degree in event planning! The dream was to be a wedding planner- I just love all things weddings! During my junior year, I took the intro to floral design class as a fun elective, and fell in love with it. I went on to get my minor in floral design, and along the way decided to switch career paths and become a wedding florist instead! I used my knowledge of floral, along with my events/business degree as a perfect combination to start my business after college. The rest is history!

What are some of your favorite current wedding floral trends?

As my business name may hint, I loveeeeee springy florals. My favorite weddings are the classic springy pastels- a trend I don’t think will ever go out of style!

How far in advance do you recommend couples reach out to you about wedding floral planning?

 I usually recommend around 12 months out, and I would say that is the standard I see. But with that being said, I get a whole range! Some two years in advance, and some a couple months away. There is never a wrong time to reach out to me, I am always happy to help! You never know when your favorite vendor could be available, so always check just to be sure. Maybe your date will still be open and maybe not, but always worth the ask in my opinion!

How do you balance creating pieces that look current and also stand the test of time?

Balance is the key with designing! This pertains to lots of different elements in the design process, including symmetry, negative space, bloom size, etc. I always work with the couple to make sure they know what to expect with our florals, and explain to them how we can make sure they are timeless while following the trends at the same time. This all happens during our design meetings, and if the couple is unsure on how to go about this, I am always happy to lead the way with questions to help us get there!

How to you help couples determine what style of florals they are looking for?

If I have a couple that is having trouble deciding on their aesthetic, a great place to start is talking about the season of their wedding. This really gets the conversation going and helps me determine what they like and don’t. Another element is my look-books! I create a custom look-book for each couple, full of ideas, inspiration photos, pricing, descriptions, etc. This look-book is what we refer to at our first meeting/consult, and having that visual really helps us dream up the perfect florals for them!

If you could give couples planning their wedding one piece of advice pertaining to florals, what would it be?

My go-to advice for couples is to repurpose those ceremony florals to the reception! I know this is kind of obvious for vendors, but some newly weds aren’t aware of this and it’s such a money saver! The ceremony tends to be a short period of time, so might as well use those florals throughout the entire event. An example of this is grounded aisle markers (lining the aisle) being moved to tables as centerpieces, or moving the floral arch at the altar to frame the couple behind the sweetheart table. There are tons of possibilities!

What are you most looking forward to within your business in 2024?

I am looking forward to growing our Love, Lilacs team! I absolutely love wedding florals, so bringing more girlies to the LL team will allow us to take on even more, which is the dream!

If you are in the process of planning your wedding, I highly recommend saving this post to come back to as you dive into floral planning. And if you haven’t picked out a florist yet, give Lexi and call to see if working with her would be a good fit for you. She is truly wonderful at what she does!