READING TIME: 3 min 21 sec
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/18/2025
UPDATED: 07/18/2025
For Toby Kassoy, founder and creative force behind Lilla Bello, the story of floristry began not in a studio, but at a kitchen window. "The name 'Lilla Bello' was inspired by the lilac bushes outside my kitchen window in Oregon," she shares, recalling her college days in Eugene. “It was a nod to my early inspiration.”
Her journey wasn’t a straight line. After college, she returned to Los Angeles and spent eight years working in the entertainment industry. But the pull of creativity—more tactile, more soulful—grew too strong to ignore. In 2004, she founded Lilla Bello, a boutique floral and event design firm that now serves Los Angeles, Malibu, Ojai, Santa Barbara, and Santa Ynez.
Ask Toby what keeps her inspired after two decades in the wedding world, and her answer is grounded in human connection.
"It's a highly personal business... anyone who says not to mix business with personal has never looked at a couple’s face when seeing their wedding florals for the first time."
That look—the raw joy, the disbelief, the tears—is something that no amount of planning can replicate. “It’s a moment that will forever be frozen in time as one of their most cherished days,” she explains. “To be entrusted with such an important day is huge.”
Each wedding she touches—whether grand or intimate—is treated with the same reverence. “No matter what the budget or size of the wedding, each one carries a weight of responsibility that we put all of our care and devotion into.”
When it comes to truly standout events, Toby doesn’t cite a single favorite wedding. Instead, she celebrates the act of co-creation.
"From a design perspective, when clients give us 'hints and morsels' of what they like and what their style is, and then give us permission to be creative and have fun, this yields the very best results—we literally geek-out on new design concepts and bringing in unexpected blooms."
There’s magic in that creative trust, and it extends beyond the wedding day itself. “A relationship is formed,” she adds. “I am still in contact with so many of our couples—their support in cheering us on in an Instagram post or by referring us to friends is more meaningful than I could say.”
Toby’s design philosophy is simple: nature first.
"I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to floral design, so we steer away from things that don't connect in some way with a natural landscape."
That doesn’t mean her work is predictable. Quite the opposite. Her creativity blossoms through reinvention: native plants, lush garden scenes, textured field flowers, even overlooked classics like snapdragons and sunflowers.
“We lean in heavily to native plants, lush garden visions, fruits, vegetables, grasses, mosses, unusual textures... and showcasing flowers that might seem pedestrian or old fashioned... and reinventing them in exciting ways!”
Her favorite arrangements often include unexpected combinations—familiar elements given a new voice through form, color, and placement.
While floral trends often follow a visual rhythm, Toby is more interested in the emotional one. As we move into 2025 and 2026, she’s seeing a beautiful shift.
"I'm noticing a movement towards real connection with guests."
Forget oversized centerpieces and symmetrical grandeur. Today’s couples are choosing intimate floral touches, like petite vases, bud arrangements on each place setting, or still-life compositions of fruit and flowers. “These details create warmth and make each guest feel considered,” Toby shares.
Floral meadows—still trending for wedding aisles—are also being repurposed to flank long reception tables, offering an eco-conscious and inviting welcome.
Floral design can be overwhelming for couples unsure of their vision. Toby's approach is intuitive and empathetic.
"They should trust their own instincts. I often ask a couple how their home is designed or what their personal fashion style says about them. These two questions reveal so much!"
By anchoring floral choices in personal style rather than passing trends, she ensures that the designs remain authentic—and timeless.
Toby doesn’t have a favorite flower—she has favorite moments. "I love when a flower is 'in its time'," she says.
"There's nothing like ranunculus or lilacs in the spring, or field flowers in the summer or dahlias in the early fall. They practically jump out at you in a sea of flowers and say, move over, this is MY time!"
Seasonality, for her, isn’t a limitation—it’s an invitation. It keeps her work rooted in place and time, giving each event its own unique scent, palette, and feeling.
There’s something unforgettable about Toby Kassoy’s work—not because it tries to impress, but because it aims to connect. Through Lilla Bello, she has crafted a floral language that speaks not only to beauty, but to memory, emotion, and place.
Her designs don’t just fill a space—they breathe in it. And for each couple she works with, her flowers become a living part of their story.
