Melissa’s background is floral design, makeup artist, horticulture, cooking, wedding planning & design, ice skating, volunteering to help various animal rescues, along with giving her two fav’s Hunter & Winston lots of hugs & kisses.

THE STORY

MEET MELISSA

Melissa is the founder and creative force behind Miss Meliss Floral Design & Farm, a studio-based floral design house and organic, no-spray flower farm in Petaluma, California. With over 20 years in the weddings and events industry, she brings a rare combination of artistic vision, technical expertise, and meticulous attention to detail. Her career began in 2002 while studying floral design at Santa Rosa Junior College, where what started as a class taken for fun with her mother, quickly revealed itself as a calling.

Her creative journey expanded to Los Angeles, where she trained at Make-Up Designory (MUD) in Burbank, studying beauty and special effects makeup for film and television. The discipline, precision, and eye for detail she honed there continue to influence her floral work today, from color theory and structure to the way her designs read both intimately and at scale.

In 2006, Melissa transitioned into full-scale event production, managing weddings and events for catering companies, wineries, and five-star properties throughout the Bay Area. She has produced celebrations ranging from intimate gatherings to celebrity and political weddings, giving her an intimate understanding of both the creative and logistical sides of high-level events. '

She has continued to refine her craft through master classes across the country, studying with some of the industry’s most respected floral designers and institutions, including Holly Chapple, Susan McLeary, Hitomi Gilliam, Ariella Chezar, Max Gill, and Gabriela Salazar, as well as programs at FlowerSchool New York and the Floral Design Institute of Oregon. Her work is known for layered garden texture, thoughtful detail, and pushing creative boundaries while remaining deeply tailored to each client. She intentionally books only one wedding or event per day, ensuring a truly boutique and hands-on experience. For Melissa, floral design has always been more than a profession. It is personal, immersive, and a reflection of her life itself.

In January 2019, I began building my organic, no-spray flower farm, a dream rooted in sustainability, integrity, and a desire to grow something truly my own. Not long after, I welcomed my baby at the very beginning of the COVID shutdown.

That season stretched me beyond anything I could have prepared for. Becoming a mother while navigating uncertainty, isolation, and the weight of building a farm from the ground up required grit I didn’t know I had. It tested me mentally, emotionally, and physically. It shaped me in ways that changed both my life and my business. What grew from that time wasn’t just a farm. It was Resilience. Faith. Perspective. Strength.

Growing my own flowers now allows me to design with a deeper connection to the land, the seasons, and the intention behind every stem. It is one of the greatest honors of my work.

Outside of design, I have a deep love for animals, especially Golden Retrievers. I work with local and international rescue groups that save dogs from the meat trade in China and regularly foster, including dogs with significant medical and emotional needs. Rehabilitation requires patience, steadiness, and heart, qualities that mirror how I approach both life and my clients.

I am serious about my craft, meticulous about details, and calm under pressure, but I am also warm, collaborative, and deeply invested in the people I work with. Many of my clients become lifelong friends because I don’t just design their event. I walk alongside them through it.

This is not simply a profession. It is my life’s work.

MERILEE

Merilee is Melissas mom who balances the floral studio with her mom energy. Merilee is the piece that completes Miss Meliss Floral Design. She is a forager at heart and she has no limits to how far she will search to find the perfect foliage or bloom for our clients’ weddings and events. She wears many hats and her background includes stockbroker, accounting, floral designer and seamstress. When she’s not doing anything that is mentioned above, she can be shopping for the best deals for our clients or taking a mom break and traveling the world.

STEVE

The best and most patient person I know. Steve is the mechanical brain for all installations and custom build projects. We also like to use him for his strong arms with all the heavy lifting on install days. His background is manufacturing and factory production, machinery, auto mechanics, welding & joking around. When you need a good laugh, he’s the man for the job. When Steve is not making bricks, working on installations & custom build projects he can be found with Hunter & Winston in the “man cave” working on classic cars.

THE FOREVER OFFICE MANAGER

4/23/10 - 5/6/19

MEET HUNTER

Hunter is an irreplaceable team member of Miss Meliss Floral Design. Since the very beginning he has grown up hanging out in the floral studio & at all the design meetings. You will always be greeted with a loud bark followed by a handsome fluffy tail wagging saying “Hi”. On our late design nights, you can always count on Hunter staying by our side standing watch as our guardian but also to make sure we get the job done! He is the perfect stress reliever as when team members need some extra love, Hunter is always there to give a soft and fluffy hug. Hunter is the rock that holds us together. Hunter’s background is sunny-naps, swimming, chasing tennis balls, treats and duck hunting. Ask us about Hunters rescue journey next time you are in the studio!

THE FOREVER ASSISTANT MANAGER

MEET WINSTON

Winston joined the Miss Meliss floral team in 2015. He brought puppy excitement to the floral studio. Still in puppy mode Winston brings positive energy along with fun & mischievousness to the floral studio. Winston always has the biggest golden smile with the cutest wagging tail. If you need a good cuddle session, Winston is the perfect furball to cuddle with. Winston’s favorite things to do are to smell all the flowers on processing day and naturally, follow Hunter around everywhere he goes. Those two are inseparable. Winstons background is laying in soft beds, hikes, swimming, doggy dancing for treats and duck hunting.

Both Hunter & Winston really enjoy frolicking through the farm’s flower fields with their tung’s hanging out. If you are lucky you even might even see Winston doing his doggy dance throughout the grassy field.