Today we’d like to introduce you to Leanna Rinaldi.
Hi Leanna, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I spent most of my life as a dancer and was a professional ballet dancer for eight years. Ballet took up my main passion, but I was always drawn to nature and flowers. I would buy grocery store flowers and arrange them in a vase to make my space cheery and I loved gifting flowers to people because it is guaranteed to put joy on someone’s face. While living in Miami, I interned for a floral design company and absolutely fell in love with the job. It didn’t feel like work to me. The hours went by so fast and that’s how I knew it could be another passion of mine. The way flowers can be arranged using odd shapes, textures, and colors fascinated me. I was still a professional ballerina at the time so the florals took the back burner. It was in 2020 that everything changed and led me to retire from ballet and pursue my new passion of floral design full time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. I don’t think starting a business from scratch is ever smooth. I’ve had to teach myself a lot of things that go into running your own business. That has been the most stressful part of just getting all the kinks out with trial and error. It is terrifying! I’m not going to sugar coat it. Starting a business takes a lot of dedication and hard work and I have ballet to thank for preparing me for that. My whole life, I’ve been trained to look like everything is easy and pretty on the outside, while underneath it is all this extremely hard work, dedication and grit that no one sees. What is also hard for me is valuing my own work fairly. Most people are not educated in the floral world and don’t understand all the costs and value of a florist’s work. You really are paying for hours of hard work on top of all the material costs. I think for most artists, that is hard to navigate. Artists deserve much better!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the owner of Moon Flora Studio floral and event design serving Austin and beyond. I take inspiration from nature and from my time performing as an artist. My designs remind me somewhat of a dance. Trailing foliage and varieties of blooms communicate with each other with their different hues and texture. I love putting unique, modern designs together that are usually inspired by my time living in Miami. I’m not your grandmother’s florist. I incorporate dried floral into my work often using colors to pop off of the dried foliage. I love to mimic nature in my designs, whether that’s a valley coated in wildflowers or a beachside of varying vegetation. Another reason I love working with florals is the fact that I get to create something that puts a smile on someone’s face. Have you ever seen a flower and frowned? No! I guarantee you look at it with awe! Flowers are God’s beautiful creation, and I live for using them to make someone’s day extra special. One of my top goals is to maintain a sustainable business. I rarely use floral foam and I take every measure I can to minimize waste. I also partner with Petals for Hope, an organization that will take your leftover florals from an event and, instead of throwing them away, will give them to make arrangements for hospitals and retirement homes.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was all about dance. I started dancing at age 2.5 and it was just always my thing. I have a younger brother and I would demand to be “the boss” when we played so I think I was meant to be my own boss;) I always had that entrepreneur spirit, from selling lemonade to making and selling purses. From a young age, I would design clothes and accessories. I’ve always had that creative designer’s eye. I was a pretty shy kid so I kept to myself mostly but when I was comfortable I would come out of my shell and that hasn’t really changed!
Pricing:
- Mini Elopement package starting at $300
- Luxe Elopement starting at $600
- Micro Wedding starting at $1500
- Full Service Wedding starting at $2800
- Destination Wedding starting at $4000
Contact Info:
- Email: info@moonflorastudio.com
- Website: www.moonflorastudio.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/moonflorastudio
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/moonflorastudio
- Other: Find me on Brides of Austin, The Knot, and Wedding Wire!
Image Credits:
Constance Doyle, Elisa Lopez, Mackenzie Smith, and Philip Angel
