What makes NLCD exceptional?
Extraordinary creations, superior quality, and top-notch customer service makes Nancy Liu Chin a truly exceptional floral designer.

Nancy’s fresh and original style translates into a unique ability to create a wide range of design concepts, whether it is preppy and whimsical, elegant and formal, relaxed and country, or dramatic and romantic. Nancy’s innovative signature designs minimize the usage of filler flower or greenery. Her primary focus is on seasonal flowers without the discretion of inexpensive fillers. Clients are treated with the finest quality in the selection of flowers, separating NLCD from the mainstream florist or floral designers. Nancy Liu Chin Designs consistently deliver stunning, elegant, sensible and refined installations, with interesting usage of flowers and details that are thoughtful and meaningful.

When it comes to service this is where NLCD separates itself from others. Nancy and her team work with each couple and ask a comprehensive list of questions before taking on a client. This personal interest in a client’s cake design, linen choices, and event invitations makes for a more complete understanding of a client’s overall needs. Nancy excels in this creative energy and collects a library of information in her head, so at a moments notice she can build on the fly.

An example of NLCD's no-holds-barred service she gives to her clients was evident at a recent wedding. As she was finishing up the floral installation, getting ready to leave, the caterer called her to return to the venue because the cake being delivered was not what the bride intended to have. At this formal and elegant event she was asked to fix the cake, which was mistakenly decorated with red tulle, silver leaves and plastic swans. These decorations were not at all what the bride requested. Nancy tried in vain to fix the mistakes, but when it became obvious that it would not work, Nancy quickly came up with a new design that matched the bride's style. Nancy got another cake and decorated it with left over flowers to match the color scheme of the wedding. Now that’s thinking beyond the box.

It’s the consistency in service, in selection of products, and in styling that separates Nancy Liu Chin Designs from others – it’s Exceptional Flowers.
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What inspires you?
Nancy takes inspiration from the fashion runways in Paris, New York, and Milan, from both clothing and accessories designers. Fashion designers from the sexy dresses of Narciso Rodriguez to the traditional sportswear of Michael Kors give Nancy new ideas to translate into her designs. The latest handbag designs from Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Tod's and Gucci all play an energizing role for Nancy as she comes up with the latest look for her floral arrangements. For example, cherries are making an appearance in handbag designs this spring and it could make for a fun and vibrant motif for a wedding invitation, and translating that to the cake design, centerpiece accent and the color scheme. While Nancy is keen on spotting and getting inspired by the latest trends, she is able to give her own spin on the look that translate into timeless pieces that are modern and graceful, and not too trendy.

Color trends in fashion, interior design and seasons also play a key role in inspiring signature creations for NLCD. While window shopping on Hayes Street in San Francisco, or in Marin, you can find Nancy browsing through the latest displays at Alabaster or West Elm.

Travelling is one of Nancy's greatest passions and has become her muse for inspiration. Her travels around the world are energizing, leading her to stunning places that stretch her imagination and has given her the chance to meet people across the globe who are innovators in their own right. For instance, there is a small gelato shop near the Trevi Fountain in Rome called San Crispino who is undoubtedly the finest gelato maker in Italy. The owners put such emphasis on quality ingredients, unique flavors, and fine cooking process. Their honey gelato is out of this world. This is what Nancy strives for in her own work...for someone to say the same thing about Nancy Liu Chin Designs.
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What is the difference between choosing a floral event designer versus a florist?
The biggest difference between a floral designer and a florist is that floral designers procure and design specifically for a client, choosing products from many resources; and is not limited to current inventory on hand, the way a florist would keep inventory. At Nancy Liu Chin Designs, we do not stock a set inventory of flowers because we are always on the look-out for the most unique flowers available and in season. When we design an arrangement for a wedding, we place orders for flowers that a local florist shop would not usually carry. We take the time to create installations that are extraordinary, working with props and containers that are as unique as the floral designs. We frequently go on buying trips to Los Angeles to search for the unique containers. Even such details like buttons, beads, ribbons are individually sourced. A floral designer has more flexibility and time to create the dream wedding for their client, which is something that florists are usually limited by.
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What is the design process?
When coming up with a design for a bouquet or a centerpiece, Nancy Liu Chin Designs weigh many factors. For the bouquet, Nancy gets inspiration from the bridal gown. She takes into consideration the season, the venue, the style, the surrounding architecture, the time of day, and the personality of the bride. No two weddings could ever be designed the same way and thus it’s a process where we work with the client to create something that speaks to them. After decisions are made, flowers quantities are finalized, we order the flowers from our vendors. And then the magic begins where we create each piece in our studio by our highly-skilled designers.
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How many weddings and events does NLCD do per week?
NLCD is committed to providing the highest quality of work; therefore we limit our events to no more than three per week. In taking such a small number of events, our calendar fills up quickly and we recommend clients contact us at least 6-12 months in advance. June, July, August and the most popular holiday weekends (Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day) get filled the soonest. Dates are booked on a first come, first served basis, secured with a $1000 non-refundable retainer and a signed contract. Retainer is non-refundable and is applied towards the final balance.
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How do you determine pricing?
Each event for Nancy Liu Chin Designs is special and there are no two weddings that are exactly alike. A formal proposal is written after an initial consultation at our studio in San Francisco, where we meet with clients and go through the floral design process—pouring through our portfolio and extensive library of floral design books to create a look unique to each client’s desires. During the initial meeting, we listen and exchange ideas with our clients, present different floral styles, colors, and themes. It is important to remember that there are several variables which comprises pricing - including seasonality, quantity, size of an event, number of guests, design time, type of flowers, containers, location, and props to name just a few. Though we do not have a set price list, here are some pricing guidelines.

To download, please click Pricing.
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What's the best way to budget for flowers?
We recommend that flowers and decorations make up between 10 – 20 percent of your total budget. At NLCD, we love abundant floral arrangements and we prefer designs that are full of flowers and not branches or foliage. Therefore, please keep in mind the higher cost of flowers over foliage when establishing your budget.
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Does NLCD have a minimum?
Because we limit our events per week so that we can provide the highest quality of service, we require a minimum order of $4,500.00 excluding 8.5% San Francisco tax, setup and installation for weekend events. For non holiday weekdays, there are no minimums.
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What other services do you offer?
Nancy Liu Chin Designs offers a comprehensive array of distinctive, one of kind floral designs for weddings, special events and installations, individual arrangements, gifts, corporate accounts and special orders.

As part of NLCD’s exclusively designed wedding services, Nancy along with a team of experienced vendors can assist you with furniture, lighting, linens, props, and other décor items.
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