Napa Valley based florist Paulina Humeres-Greene has been working with flowers since 1990. Born in Santiago, Chile and raised both there and Buenos Aires, Argentina, Paulina moved to the US in her twenties. And as you’ll see in her work, she has a unique eye and talent. Raised in a very creative family, she stumbled into flower design quite unexpectedly. A friend who worked at a winery knew of her creative eye and passed on her info to a hospitality director who needed help with floral design. The work never stopped and eventually Paulina’s Flowers was born. But not before she studied Architecture and Design at CCAC (California College of Arts and Crafts) now known as CCA (California College of the Arts).
Paulina counts her maternal grandmother as one of her main inspirations. Living with her in Argentina and eventually in Chile, she spoke French and Italian in addition to Spanish, “Music to your ears when you heard her,” she says. Most of all, Paulina says she realizes now that she ran her home and later on her mother's home like a 5-Star Swiss Hotel. “She was an extraordinary manager of time and the help that worked for her. She was talented in everything she did, everything she touched was perfect. She cooked fabulously, sewed, embroidered, wrote beautifully, would go in the garden, come back with two or three branches and would make a beautiful arrangement for the foyer.” Paulina has been blessed to have inherited some of this talent from her.
As for weddings, Paulina says, “I love the whole process, creating the whole event. Starting with the venue: what is the style and the architecture of the site. How does the couple envision this special day? Why did they pick this site? How would the flowers achieve what they want and also compliment the venue? The simplest of events can also exude class. What props should we use, pedestals, containers? What style do they want? Formal, contemporary, modern, Tuscan or Napa Valley inspired?” Paulina takes it all into consideration explaining that the whole look is much more than just the flowers. The more she knows the better, even details like the look of the place card and napkin holders and even who the chef is and what they’re putting on the table.
Besides from her grandmother, Paulina credits nature and architecture as two elements that give her inspiration on a daily basis. “Living in the Napa Valley and being surrounded with beauty is a great thing. Daily walks up different streets and paths. Seasons dictate a lot of what is out there, in nature that can be brought inside in some shape or form.” She also says the La Tavola Fine Linen Rental showroom in Napa, the Ritz Carlton hotel lobby and the Campton Place hotel lobby and restaurant flowers in San Francisco are visual inspirations.
Should you book Paulina for your wedding day, you will not only be hiring a keen eye for detail, but a florist who is dedicated to you and only you: she only designs for one wedding per day. You will have her full attention and she will be onsite to make sure that everything is as perfect as possible. Her flowers are of the freshest available and if quality is compromised, she’ll choose something different but comparable. Paulina’s Flowers, by far, is totally, undeniably Bridebound approved.
