Behind The Scenes with La Fiorellaia: Where Vision Becomes Reality

There is a moment before the first flower is placed, when the room is still silent. The tables are empty, the light is soft, and the air feels like it’s holding its breath.

This is where every project begins for Cecilia Paganini, founder of La Fiorellaia — not with flowers, but with intention. Watching her move through a new space feels like observing a director scouting the set of a film: she studies volumes, listens to the light, imagines the rhythm of people walking through the environment. Nothing is accidental. Everything is part of a narrative that has yet to unfold.

Her process begins long before the team arrives, long before the installation takes shape. “I always start with listening: understanding the objective, the visual language, the place and the practical needs. Then comes the design phase: palette, botanicals, volumes, moodboard, and technical scheme. Finally, the logistical definition: timing, spaces, team, materials, setup and dismantling. Complete planning is what allows us to reach the installation with precision.”

This sequence — listening, designing, orchestrating — is the backbone of every project, the invisible script behind the scenes.

Time, in Cecilia’s world, is elastic. Some briefings are quick; others unfold with the patience needed to uncover all the essential details. “It depends on the complexity, but in general, the answer is: the time needed to collect all useful information. I always prefer a very in-depth briefing, clarifying vision, expectations and constraints: it’s an investment that prevents mistakes in the execution phase.”

She treats the briefing like the opening scene of a film — the moment that determines the tone of everything that follows.

Balancing design, timing and logistics is where artistry meets discipline. “With balance and realism. The aesthetic must be coherent and high-performing, the timing must be respected, and the logistics must allow us to carry out what we’ve designed. Every aesthetic choice must be possible in the place and time where we will work: that’s where the real strength of planning lies. We obviously have an internal production plan, we work with technical drawings in hand, and we follow a precise schedule.”

Here, the camera could zoom in on her hand tracing invisible lines in the air — a silent choreography of composition and constraint.

Some of the most crucial figures in a project never touch a flower, yet shape the outcome profoundly. “Fundamental. The planner coordinates flows and timing, and this allows us to work in order, which is why it’s necessary that these figures are aware and well-trained. The photographer tells the story of the project: knowing how the light will fall and how the space will be interpreted helps us build an installation that performs well, also in images. They are professionals we constantly dialogue with.”

In this behind-the-scenes film, the planner sets the pace, the photographer frames the emotion, and Cecilia directs the harmony.

Her team moves under her guidance like a well-rehearsed ensemble. “In a structured way: clear division of roles, technical briefings, shared timelines, continuous checks during setup. Everyone must know exactly what to do, when and in what order. Quality is born from the precision of the group, not from the work of a single person.”

If you were watching from a distance, you would see hands passing materials, eyes checking alignments, gestures becoming rhythm. It is not chaos — it is choreography.

But every film has its plot twists, and floral design is no exception. Cecilia recalls them with a mix of candour and resilience. “The rain arrived without any forecast — it happened this year in Tuscany. A few years ago, we managed a location change less than 24 hours before the event (both church and venue). We also once miscalculated the reaction of a wrapping material for floral gadgets, but being extremely organized we never missed deadlines. We’ve also broken down on the highway, had a flat tyre during a trip and got stuck in the mud! Unexpected events make you grow quickly in forecasting and control.”

These moments are the unscripted scenes — the ones that test the strength of the crew and reveal their mastery.

What keeps her steady under pressure is not adrenaline but structure. “With experience, method and concentration. When everything has been planned well, even pressure becomes manageable, so much so that I tend to be more tense in the days leading up to the event than during the execution. The key is not to be overwhelmed: observe, decide, execute. The rhythm of the work helps keep the mind steady.”

The camera would linger on her calm gaze, on the stillness of her hands, even when the set is buzzing around her.

And when the last flower is placed, when the light hits the installation just right, when the room finally becomes the story she envisioned — that is when the film reaches its closing frame. “The feedback from the most complex clients, a returning client or seeing people’s reactions: when the project works, you feel it immediately. It’s the confirmation that everything, from the first sketch to the last flower positioned, has found its place. I must say I am very satisfied and proud to see how projects are carried out by the team that grows with me. Having the strength to deliver projects with significant budgets and sometimes truly complex logistical conditions is a huge satisfaction.”