When most people think about floral design, they think about weddings.

Romantic flowers. Garden roses. Candlelight. Softness.

I love every part of all that. I love it, and weddings are certainly a huge part of my work. Corporate events, though, also have my heart, and they require an entirely different kind of design thinking — one that requires another skillset entirely.

Corporate florals are not simply about making a room beautiful. They aren’t only about telling a love story.

They are about telling the story of a company. And those stories are usually infinitely more complex.

The best corporate events are immersive. Every detail is intentional. The flowers, the lighting, the menu selections, the branding, the installations, and guest experience all work together to communicate something essential and big-picture about what the company is, who comprises it, and what they value.

One of my favorite examples of this was the American Textile Company’s 100th Anniversary celebration in Pittsburgh.

The scale alone was enormous — dozens of tables, multiple centerpiece styles, installations throughout the ballroom and event spaces, branded experiences, and a guest list that included everyone from executives to long-time employees who had helped build the company over generations.

Of course, what made the evening special was not simply its size.

It was how deeply personal it felt.

The entire event celebrated not just the company itself, but its Pittsburgh roots. This is a company that was founded here a century ago and never left. How rare, that! Guests moved through a timeline installation showcasing the history of the business, beginning with a recreated streetscape inspired by the company’s original 1920s building, and throughout the evening, there were thoughtful references to the culture of Pittsburgh itself: Primanti’s sandwiches, Heinz ketchup stations with hot fries, Eat n Park smiley cookies, local artists, and elevated interpretations of classic Pittsburgh food.

The floral design needed to support all of that storytelling.

And that’s one of the major differences between weddings and corporate events.

With weddings, florals are often deeply personal and emotional, centered around atmosphere and romance.

With corporate events, the flowers become part of the brand language.

For the American Textile Company event, we worked heavily within the company’s established visual identity — particularly shades of blue that reflected the brand itself. Because naturally blue flowers are relatively rare, this required sourcing and designing with specially treated and dyed materials in order to create a cohesive visual experience at scale.

Corporate floral work often requires a more structured design approach as well. Shapes tend to be cleaner, more architectural, and more intentional in repetition. The florals have to coexist with presentations, lighting installations, branded signage, projection, fabrication work, and large guest counts without overwhelming the overall environment.

In this case, the event planner incorporated illuminated branded installations throughout the ballroom, including custom light boxes featuring the company’s logo and centennial branding. During presentations, the room transformed completely as the lighting shifted and these elements became part of the visual storytelling of the evening.

Photograph by Anna Learo.

The flowers were designed not to compete with those moments, but to enhance them.

That collaboration — between florals, branding, lighting, food, and guest experience — is what makes corporate event design so rewarding to me.

Because ultimately, corporate events are still about people.

They are about honoring employees, celebrating milestones, reinforcing identity, and creating experiences that feel memorable and meaningful. The flowers simply become one more way to communicate that story visually.