In Full Bloom

Life Is Beautiful with Tulipina

By Hailey Bethke | Photography courtesy of Tulipina

Florals reflect the human experience. We are often on the edge of our next blossoming—a time of growth and transformation. Much like perennials, there are ample opportunities to rise again with the arrival of spring.

“The flowers we work with are already cut and dying, and our job is to ensure they are displayed at their absolute grandest before they perish. The cycle of cut flowers is very much like human life, and I consistently strive to find my best self before I leave this earth,” says Kiana Underwood, founder of Tulipina. She never imagined she would experience a career resurgence at age thirty-six. Previously, she worked in diplomacy before becoming a stay-at-home mom to three beautiful children. “While I love being a mom, I also knew I wanted something of my own. So, when my youngest started kindergarten, I began experimenting with floral design.

She continues, “I am originally from Iran and moved to the United States when I was fifteen. Although flowers are a significant part of Persian culture, I never considered working with them professionally while growing up. I had always created floral arrangements for my home but didn’t see it as a business. My husband, Nate, encouraged me to pursue it professionally, and while I thought he was nuts, I gradually started to create more and more. Nate took pictures of everything I made, which I posted on social media. Meanwhile, local moms noticed what I was doing and asked me to design for their parties and homes, which is how Tulipina was born. It’s a true second career.”

Tulipina, the Underwoods’ luxury floral design studio, has emerged as one of the world’s leading firms for upscale weddings. From welcome dinners in Venice at the iconic Palazzo Polignac to weddings held at expansive lakefront estates in Como, Italy, each fête is expertly curated.

Kiana and Nate met in an upper-division Italian class at UC Santa Barbara in 1997 before getting married in 2000. “We have always been amazing partners with complementary skill sets,” Nate adds. “I had a twenty-year career in tech, working in engineering and executive roles in startups, including my own, as well as in global juggernauts like Sony. Running a global floral design business never crossed my mind. While I helped with Tulipina in any way necessary from inception, it became clear in 2017 that the business needed both of us full-time. So, I left tech and jumped into the deep end of the event industry.”

For Kiana, designing boundary-pushing creations that capture her clients’ essence is paramount. With each installation, she strives to produce something entirely new and awe-inspiring. Consequently, generating fresh ideas for events is the most challenging (but always rewarding) part of her role.

“I believe my style has, and continues, to evolve with every event,” she shares.

I approach each project with the intention of creating art: something that will delight the client (and all viewers) and remain in their minds in perpetuity. If someone sees our work without knowing who created it and says, “That must be Tulipina,” then I have succeeded.

Although flowers are fleeting, Tulipina demonstrates that true permanence arises from living artfully. The profound sense of awe that permeates one’s being when witnessing a stunning floral arrangement—this is the experience Kiana and Nate aspire to offer each of their clients.

While each of Tulipina’s floral installations effortlessly captures beauty and attention, Kiana reflects on her favorite wedding: The Palais Garnier (Paris Opera House). “From a design standpoint, I loved creating in such an iconic and ornate space. Logistically, we had only twelve hours to decorate an expansive area. We had to significantly grow our team to ensure everything was done on time. It required a lot of planning and preparation, but I remain extraordinarily proud of both the design and the team.”

When starting a new project, Kiana converses with her clients to choose the flowers and colors before creating mood boards and design documents. While creative direction is essential, the details are only finalized shortly before the event. “I decide what I will order 10-14 days before each event,” she explains. “We work with an amazing wholesaler in The Netherlands who supplies most of our flowers, and I look at what is available (which changes daily) and make specific requests. The ordering process takes three to four days.”

“We have our floral delivery logistics well-organized at this point,” Nate continues. “For European weddings, our flower orders are trucked from the Netherlands to wherever we are in Europe. For other locations, our flowers are transported via refrigerated truck to air cargo, and then again via refrigerated truck for final delivery to us. Our floral wholesaler and shipping partners work closely together to ensure that we receive our orders complete and on time.

“The planning, design, ordering, logistics, and execution involve hundreds of hours of work. Collectively, our team often invests a thousand hours or more in total effort.” Furthermore, more than half of Tulipina’s events occur in entirely new locations, necessitating careful planning and attention to detail.

Tulipina takes on a select number of clients each year to maintain artistic integrity and provide brides with a truly personalized experience. When asked what prompts her to say “yes” to a project, Kiana explains: “I won’t lie and say that budget doesn’t play a role, because it requires a healthy floral budget to create a “Tulipina” event. However, more important than the budget is the client’s willingness to allow me the freedom to bring my vision to life with relatively few restrictions. A client who seeks a replica of a celebrity wedding or something so specific that it limits our creativity is not the right fit for us.”

You may be surprised to learn that fourteen years in, Kiana still doesn’t feel like she’s ‘made it.’ “There is always more to achieve, and I am constantly pushing myself to be better,” she expresses. “But my first international workshop (2015 in Moscow) was a turning point. When we announced the class, I honestly didn’t think anyone would sign up. Nate said to me, “Look, if no one comes, we’ll just have a lovely vacation in Moscow.” The class sold out in twenty-four hours, and it dawned on me that people worldwide were interested in what I was doing. Knowing that we could achieve success halfway around the world made it possible to continue pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible and take the risks necessary to grow Tulipina.

Nate, who has supported Kiana’s talents from the very beginning, always believed that Tulipina would thrive. “Honestly, witnessing people’s reactions to Kiana’s art was all I needed to understand that this business would succeed. Some people can paint, some can sing, some can run a four-minute mile, and Kiana can simply create magic with flowers. It’s in her DNA. She never needed formal instruction—she just had it in her. I think she’s ‘made it’ in ways most people only dream of.”

From the Garden with Nate & Kiana Underwood

VIE: What’s the most rewarding part of your business?

Kiana Underwood: There are many aspects I love about the day-to-day workings of Tulipina, but the most rewarding for me is the joy on our clients’ faces when they see their bouquet, ceremony, or reception for the first time.

Nate Underwood: Every time we finish an event, we leave our mark.

VIE: Aspirations for future projects or events:

Kiana Underwood: We have a busy season ahead and are currently in the Bahamas for our first wedding of the year. We hope to create a new video series at some point this year with more of a business focus, as so many floral designers struggle to balance the creative and business sides, and I believe we have discovered several tips and tricks worth sharing.

VIE: Your dream wedding, project, or venue to work on:

Kiana Underwood: My dream project would be designing while Bach himself played through his Goldberg Variations. I know I’m almost 300 years too late, but that’s what dreams are for.

VIE: What’s your favorite flower and why?

Kiana Underwood: I have two. I love gardenias for their fragrance and delicate nature—and geraniums because they remind me of my grandfather. Interestingly, neither is a typical cut flower, and I don’t really use them for work—I just enjoy them as they are.

Nate Underwood: Limelight hydrangeas. We have many planted in our garden, and I love the transition from green to white to dusty pink that occurs throughout summer and autumn.

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To connect with Kiana and Nate, please visit Tulipina.com and follow along on Instagram @tulipinadesign.