Behind the Scenes: With Meg Robles of The Florista

Meg Robles’ goal: “Flowers that wow.” As founder of The Florista, she rallies her innovative team to create vibrant, larger-than-life floral installations for weddings and events that defy expectations. 

While she’s loved florals since childhood, Meg has been “flowering” professionally since 2018, after a brief stint in nursing. She brought her passion back to Nashville in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she’s been harnessing her creativity ever since. 

Knee deep in floral prep, Meg spoke with Nfocus a week before the Swan Ball. Over the past year, she and her team have collaborated with co-chairs Jennie Garth Lowe and Jenny Corts to bring the four seasons to life at the South’s premier white-tie event. 

Where does your love of floristry come from?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a florist. It was my “What do you want to be when you grow up?” answer. My mom was a big gardener, and I lived in Franklin most of my life, but I was born in Holland, Michigan, which is where the tulip festival happens. I used to, as a young kid, make lots of arrangements in reusable Daisy sour cream containers.

Then as I got older, I went to college for nursing. But mid-school, I just didn’t think it was for me. And my mom encouraged me to go back to the idea of pursuing floristry. So I went to floral school one summer in Bath, England, led by a bunch of women who had been past Buckingham Palace florists. And I kind of got my start there. 

What made you realize that flowers spark joy for you?

Obviously, I loved it as a kid. But when I was in college — and in that moment of not knowing what I wanted to do next — I would go to Trader Joe’s and make arrangements. And I realized that it brought me a lot of joy and calmness. 

I just love doing it.  And I was like, “I think I can make a career out of this, and I can make other people happy while doing it.”

What are the most unique materials you’ve used for an arrangement?

Citrus was definitely a fun one. Last year, we made a giraffe out of palm fronds, which was really crazy. We also recently had an event with Banza, the pasta brand, and we made candelabras out of noodles.

Don’t get me wrong — I love to make a centerpiece. I am a florist at heart. Flowers are my true medium. But I love to get creative with other things too, because I think it makes it more fun and unexpected. We always want to push the bar and show people things they’ve never seen before.

What world will you and your team create at this year’s Swan Ball?

Swan Ball has been one of the most fun but challenging events we’ve ever worked on. People can expect a lot of work that incorporates the four seasons, which is so fun — but it also feels like ordering for four separate events. 

Jennie Garth and Jenny have been incredible. They had such a vision for it, and they’ve also been so supportive in saying, “We really want it to feel like you.” Coming up with these concepts of how we can do the four seasons in a cohesive way has been really fun, because we don’t want people to walk into the ball and it feel like a hodgepodge of different things.  

All I’m going to say is that there’s some really exciting stuff happening up high in the ceiling that is made from fun materials, inspired by gold chandeliers. Growing up in Nashville, the Warner Parks were always part of my life. So we’re also giving some nods to the natural environment and wanting it to feel very park-like. 

What do you hope Swan Ball guests will take away from your designs?

I really hope that my guests walk in and see what we were trying to accomplish with the four seasons. It’s so soft and beautiful — and I really hope guests feel that when they walk in, while also seeing some unexpected elements they might not normally see at Swan Ball. 

Quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.