BRINGING YOUR FLORAL VISIONS TO LIFE

With 28 years of floral industry experience, Kerstin has designed more than 1,500 weddings and events, ranging from intimate celebrations to celebrity events, fundraisers, photo shoots, industry showcases, and farm export projects. She also partners with wedding and event planners, providing design consultations that help translate their clients' overall aesthetic vision into cohesive floral designs. Based in beautiful Santa Barbara, California, she combines extensive expertise with a collaborative approach, helping couples create bespoke floral arrangements that perfectly reflect their style, venue, and vision. Her passion lies in transforming ideas into stunning floral moments while empowering DIY couples to feel confident throughout the process.

WHAT YOU'LL GAIN IN A CONSULTATION

Expert guidance from a floral designer with nearly three decades of experience
Recommendations tailored to your venue, season, and overall wedding aesthetic
Advice on selecting flowers that balance beauty, practicality, and ease of design
Preparation and processing techniques to maximize flower performance
Floral timelines to reduce stress and ensure flawless wedding-day blooms

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE FOR FLORAL SUCCESS

"Successful floral design is built on the foundation of meticulous preparation."

Kerstin believes the key to beautiful wedding flowers begins long before designing starts. To ensure blooms look flawless for the wedding, she guides brides through essential steps like proper processing techniques and establishing a strategic floral timeline. By knowing exactly when to acquire each variety, clients can enjoy a smooth, stress-free process that culminates in breathtaking arrangements. She helps DIY couples feel prepared, organized, and confident every step of the way.

Most common DIY challenges and solutions

Choosing flowers without considering seasonality, venue, or style?

One of the most common mistakes DIY couples make is selecting flowers without considering how they fit the season, venue, and overall aesthetic of the event. Kerstin believes the most successful floral designs are guided by their surroundings. For example, a rustic ranch wedding is beautifully complemented by our Wildflower Wedding collection, while a modern summer celebration often reaches its peak elegance with sophisticated all-white florals. By allowing the environment and overall vision to guide flower selection, couples can create a cohesive, polished design that feels intentional and effortlessly beautiful.

How can I keep hydrangeas and dahlias looking their best?

Because they are extremely sensitive to direct sunlight and have high hydration needs, Dahlias and Hydrangeas can be challenging to work with. To maintain the beauty of these delicate blooms, I strongly advise following processing techniques and waiting until the final possible moment before exposing them to the sun.

Feeling overwhelmed by floral planning?

Kerstin works with clients to create a floral preparation timeline so they know exactly when to receive, process, and design with their flowers, reducing stress and improving results.

Favorite themes, blooms, and tips:

Favorite wedding theme

Color-blocked weddings. Kerstin loves creating each bouquet to match each bridesmaid's dress color and each table with its own distinct hue, or alternatively, grouping monochromatic clusters within individual arrangements, creates a significantly more sophisticated and commanding visual impact.

Favorite flower combo

Kerstin has a hard time picking a favorite, since your selection should be influenced by seasonality and the venue. However, for a late autumn outdoor ceremony where rich, moody tones are desired, she finds the Mood Mauve Flower Kit to be an exceptional choice. This collection creates a sophisticated palette by featuring mauve roses, burgundy ranunculus, and burgundy anemone, all beautifully balanced with delicate filler blooms.

Favorite tip or trick

When designing petite arrangements, clear hair tie elastic bands are a secret weapon for maintaining structural integrity. These discreet tools ensure your blooms remain perfectly positioned within small containers during transit and make it effortless for guests to take home a beautifully preserved memento.

Fun fact:

While Kerstin's floral designs have been featured in publications like The Knot, Style Me Pretty, Oprah Magazine, and Modern Bride, her life outside of flowers is just as colorful. When she's not designing weddings, you'll likely find her gardening under the watchful supervision of her ducks, enjoying the beach with her family and puppy, or attending live concerts. Her favorite flower is the breathtaking Ranunculus 'Nohant'—a variety she loves for its dreamy salmon-peach tones that seem to capture and reflect light in the most magical way.

Most unique wedding experience:

One of Kerstin's most unforgettable floral adventures was a spectacular wedding on Catalina Island. This ambitious project required a rigorous week-long commitment, early morning bus rides to the location, assisting with every detail from the initial botanical delivery to the final strike. The setting was truly enchanting, though it demanded navigating extraordinary logistics, including late night encounters with local buffalo and safeguarding delicate arrangements from foraging deer. This grand celebration culminated in a breathtaking moment when a vintage aircraft performed a flyover exactly as the couple exchanged their vows, making it an unforgettable and truly epic event.

Why I love helping DIY brides:

"Supporting DIY brides is about so much more than flowers—it's about empowerment and creative expression."

Kerstin finds immense joy in helping couples bring their unique visions to life while giving them the confidence and knowledge needed to create something truly personal. Watching a bride transform her ideas into a beautiful, meaningful celebration is one of the most rewarding parts of her work.