We recently connected with Sarah Tsistinas and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My first step into the floral industry came with quite a shock regarding the amount of waste, non-sustainable materials, the miles of travel that flowers take to get to the store, and the amount of compostable material just thrown into trash bags and landfills. Sustainability has always been important to me, so while working under someone else I started to dive into what is being done in our industry to cut back on waste, single use plastics, and such a gigantic carbon footprint. When I decided to start LVF Floral, I realized that I had the power to become the change I wanted to see- both with our humans and our planet. I decided to make it our mission to be very mindful of our practices. All of our floral waste is composted and used in the garden I grow in. During the growing season we only source flowers from local flower farms, which not only eliminates a massive amount of carbon, but also puts the money back into our community and local farmers, which are some of the most underappreciated and hardest workers. Instead of ordering containers from wholesalers, we source all of our vases from secondhand stores. It’s surprising how many matching containers we have been able to find to service large events. It also adds to our brand- we carry a lot of vintage items, and the eclectic look is very LVF! We also don’t use any floral foam in any of our installations. Floral foam is a medium made of microplastics that give flowers a water source and are used on large arches, ground meadows, and any large floral installation you might see. Eliminating floral foam has led us to come up with some very nifty mechanics to give the flowers a water source that is reusable. It has been quite challenging, but the end result is, in our opinion, far more beautiful than if it were with foam. We are now working with a queer human who just finished welding school and is fabricating some metal structures for our installations. It feels really good to have such radical practices that aren’t always easy but are making an actual difference out here in our small spot on the Olympic Peninsula. Recently, an organic farm that I work closely with was able to receive a grant to make a large rose garden which will completely change our flower game out here. I’m hoping that by our example, other florists in the area can see how sustainable practices are achievable and how, by working together, we can grow our businesses in healthy ways that support one another as well as our beautiful planet.

For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.

I had moved to Sequim, WA back in 2019 and had previously worked in the service industry working hard for a culinary career. Once 2020 and the covid catastrophe hit us all, working in the kitchen just wasn’t something that was working for me at that time. I took some time off and then answered an ad for a part time job in a flower shop washing buckets and answering phones. I quickly started to learn the ins and the outs of the business and helped the new owner of the shop build her business and brand. We worked hard over a couple of years and eventually she began to train me in floral design. At first, it was really difficult and I hated it, unsure that I should continue on that course. About 8 months later, I was soaking in everything I could about design styles, how to build and achieve the aesthetics that I had grown to love. It took about another 8 months to get to a point where I felt comfortable creating designs that were foam free with a focus on the blooms themselves instead of using basic greens to hold stems in place. It was quite a challenge but worth it in the end. I took to events and weddings quite quickly, enjoying the ideas of massive installations and allowing all of the creative juice to flow into whatever project happened to pop into mind. Eventually, I decided to open up my own business focusing on weddings and events. I was able to build a brand with a focus on everything vintage and witchy; dark, but romantic and soft. I wanted to uphold my values of supporting small businesses, especially queer and BIPOC ones, focusing on sustainable floristry, and locally grown flowers.

LVF offers a variety of services, although we do focus mainly on weddings and events at this time. We also create weekly designs for hotels and large businesses, floral deliveries for all occasions, festival focused floral body art, dried floral art and jewelry, and personalized photoshoots.

Working with LVF Floral is a bit different than working with another florist. When a client comes to me wanting wedding florals, it’s an entirely different event than walking into most flower shops. I’m much less interested in and inclined to create something that matches a picture or an already drawn-out floral plan. I ask my clients about themselves, their personal interests, style, what’s important to them, how they want to feel with their florals. I love a Pinterest mood board- both looking at my client’s and then creating my own for them. For us at LVF, it’s a great way to combine lots of ideas and give us some inspiration to create something unique. If I can see what moves someone, I know I can create something that they are going to love. But it will look nothing like the pictures. I send them a floral plan with details of the size, style, containers being used, color pallets, the whole works so they are able to picture what it will look like and feel great about what to expect the day of.

Personally, I have fallen especially in love with photoshoots and complete floral experiences. I specialize in wearable florals which has grown in popularity throughout the years. It’s been really fun to bring this unique design to the peninsula and offer a different style of florals than what is traditional or commonly found. I’ve started working with a photographer and stylist that have very similar style and aesthetics and we have been able to create some beautiful work. I love watching our client’s dreams come to life. As an artist, it’s brought real fulfillment being able to create an incredible floral piece that they fall in love with, giving them photos that they will treasure for years to come. I love listening to people express how beautiful they felt, more comfortable in their body, having something uniquely tailored to them and their personality. To me, that’s what florals SHOULD do. That’s what I want LVF to do.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

When I first started to take this journey only just a year ago, I heard a lot from the Instagram influencers in business that it was all about the brand. I didn’t fully understand what that meant. I happen to have a very particular personal style and if I had a tagline for my life it would be that I refuse to exist in any way that isn’t truly authentic. I knew that there was no way I could build a business that didn’t reflect exactly who I am as a person. So, I decided to take my personal style and make that the business. It is reflected in every tiny detail, just like it is in my waking life. It goes from the dried florals that are sealed in wax on the card messages for the deliveries that get sent to individuals, all the way up to the crushed velvet couches I lug with me to markets and festivals. I eventually came to understand that this is what everyone meant when they said, “build your brand.” I must say this is what has gained LVF such traction in its first year. Most of the weddings that I have booked this summer are clients that fell in love with my aesthetic and design style and are true fans of my work. Not only is it bringing me my ideal clients, but it’s work I’m most excited to do.

I do turn down clients who don’t fit my design style. There are other amazingly talented florists in the area, and I love to recommend ones that match the look they are going for. It’s not worth it to me to try and fit a style that isn’t mine just for the money. At the end of the day, I’m going to struggle feeling good about creating something that fits what they’re looking for, and they probably aren’t going to like it very much. I’d rather them have the experience they are looking for with someone who understands their look and needs. I think it’s ok to say no, to have enough humility to understand when I’m not the best fit for someone and their rejection of my art isn’t a rejection of me at all! Everyone has different tastes, it’s what makes us all human. In the end, that’s what has helped me grow my clientele.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I come from a tough past and I don’t have any immediate family to draw support from. When LVF was created, I had about $1,000 in my bank account and no credit history. But I knew that I was ready to make this my life and I would give it everything I had for 5 years. If at the end of the 5 years it wasn’t working, I would admit my defeat and go back to the industry I had always known. The first year was incredibly difficult. I had a partner and very close friend at the time that I was planning to build a life with and together we would raise her child. Unfortunately, the universe had different plans for us, and we needed to part ways. Just a couple of months after quitting my full-time job she sold her house and I had to find a place to live with no income to speak of, no savings, and no plan! I took on as many jobs as I could to save some money. The business quickly took a back seat as I juggled three jobs and took on an apprenticeship on a farm. Then, my business partner and I decided to part ways as well. To say that I burned out in 6 months is a gross understatement. Any income I had made at the other jobs went straight to the business and as all of them were seasonal, they came to a swift end by fall and winter. There were many a day when I would sit on my partner’s lap and just cry as the overwhelm piled up all around me. I would put out advertisements for Christmas arrangements because I had about $10 to my name with no bookings or any income in sight, still no one was buying. The panic and self-doubt were immeasurable. I started questioning every decision I had made in life and felt like the biggest fraud. Why would anyone buy from me, I clearly was not a talented florist.

Then, a friend suggested we do a winter market together and invite other queer artists and small businesses to join. I created a giant floral photobooth and a very intricate entry way installation. It turned out, I had at least a little talent. I sold next to nothing at that market, but the interest in my design style and aesthetics started to gain some major traction. I sat back at the end of the year looking over everything I had done and what I needed to do, and I just had this feeling that the following year was going to bring a change.

Sure enough, January’s planned time off for rest and relaxation quickly dissolved into an incredibly busy month. Wedding inquiries began to pile in, people started to book! Then, a game changing deal came in- the 7 Cedars Hotel became a client. (7 Cedars Hotel and Casino are a part of the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe which is a major contributor to our community out here in Sequim. They own multiple outlets around our town.) Overnight, our previous year’s income would already be doubled. But it didn’t stop there. Other Jamestown outlets began to call- the golf course was interested in having LVF Floral exclusively provide florals for events and weddings. We recently sat down with the brand-new Field Arts & Events Hall in Port Angeles and talked about floral partnerships, large installations for galas and events. LVF will be providing some large-scale stage florals for Seattle Pride’s 50th anniversary Pride in the Park and Pride Parade as well.

The type of panic has only shifted from not being good enough and not booking to: I immediately need infrastructure, employees, a delivery van, and more hours in a day. It’s been a great problem to have in only the first year. It is still incredibly challenging at the start of year 2, however I’m so glad I pushed past the initial pain and tears because it was worth every second. Sometimes, we just need to trust the process, realize we are doing everything we can, and that it will pay off in the end. I am a testament to that as well as how much a person can do with no capital or credit to start! The only luck I had in the situation was an incredibly supportive partner, friends, and community who have helped tremendously through this process. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of it without them.

Contact Info:

• Website: lvffloral.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/lvffloral
• Facebook: facebook.com/lvffloral

Image Credits
northwest focus co. and Graceful Boudoir by Brianna