SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The spring season is officially underway, and while the weather is still snowy and cold, in no time the flowers will be blooming and Lake Tahoe will be showing signs of summertime.

Adding florals to Lake Tahoe special occasions, Tara Massa, has been inspired to pursue her passion of floriculture; and thus, Massa Floral Co. was born. 

Inspired by Lake Tahoe’s natural beauty and blending it with her knowledge in floriculture, Massa opened her business to provide beautiful floral arrangements at a cost effective rate for weddings and other events, as well offer interactive events for the community to enjoy and learn more about floral arrangements. 

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“I wanted to offer beautiful florals at a cost effective rate, because we all deserve beautiful floral arrangements on our special days,” Massa said. “I offer both small and large wedding packages, I also offer interactive packages for special events such as a ‘build your own bouquet bar,’ that can be a part of any bridal shower, bachelorette party, or even a birthday.” 

Massa Floral Co. officially opened in 2021, and while Massa doesn’t yet have a shop space, she is optimistic in her and her new business’ growth, given her years of experience in floriculture. 

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“After planning my own wedding and making the floral arrangements myself, I started to find myself offering to help close friends with their wedding florals,” Massa said. “The more weddings that came up, my mom began telling her friends I was a florist, when in reality at the time I was just the girl who was creative and really good at arranging flowers for free.” 

Once Massa’s mother connected her with a friend who was getting married, she was offered her first paid job as a florist. 

“When being offered to get paid for something you find just as enjoyable as a hobby, it is a wild feeling, it almost felt as if I was stealing from her,” Massa said. “After months of helping her floral vision come to life and working within her budget, I thought to myself, “I really could do this full-time and have my dream job.” 

In tandem with her first paid job, Massa’s father suffered from a serious brain bleed, being rushed into emergency surgery, with an additional two surgeries after the first, to stop the bleeding. 

“Thinking back, that was the scariest week of my life, thinking at any moment my dad could be gone, it was awful,” Massa said. “But during that horrible week, I decided that life was too short to be working in a job I didn’t love, and I was going to start doing what I wanted and what made me happiest just as my dad had told me my whole life.” 

After getting the news that her father’s brain scans came back positive and he got clearance to return home, Massa started her business’ social media page on Instagram.

Massa has been passionate about florals for years, initially discovering her creativity with floral arrangements during her freshman year in highschool. She was placed with an older cousin in a higher level floriculture class, and ended up taking the course each year throughout her highschool career. 

“During my time in that course, I learned skills that I never knew I wanted to know, and skills that I still utilize in my work today,” Massa said. “My work was entered into competitions throughout the entire state of California, and it really inspired me to dream of the day I’d become a florist.” 

Since opening her business, Massa Floral Co. has grown, being a part of styled photoshoots for wedding photographers and local wedding vendors in the Lake Tahoe and Carson Valley areas. Massa credits her social media success to these talented photographers and vendors who trusted her floral vision. 

While Massa Floral Co. doesn’t have a retail location yet, Massa is optimistic in someday finding her floral studio space and bringing it to fruition. 

“It’s my dream to have a studio where brides can come in, sip on bubbly, and discuss their big day flower goals,” Massa said. “I would have faux floral installations, customized floral arrangements, and it’d be a super fun, comfortable place for brides to be inspired. I would also love to offer the community affordable daily florals as well.” 

Currently, Massa Floral Co. is eager to have newly launched it’s brand new event program, BYOBB, also known as build your own bouquet bar. 

“When people add the Build your own Bouquet Bar to their special event, it’s eliminating the awkwardness around taking home the sub-par party favor no one wants,” Massa said. “When you add on this interactive event, everyone leaves with a beautiful bouquet of blooms they created themselves and can enjoy for days to come after they leave, or they can even dry, press the florals, and have them forever to remember the special event.” 

Looking forward, Massa Floral Co. is eager to continue to grow as a business in the Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe area, and continue to share her knowledge and expertise in floriculture. 

“I love Lake Tahoe, it’s by far one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, it’s almost unworldly,” Massa said. “The people, the community, and the local businesses – it’s truly a unique place I’m so grateful to be a part of. I’ve had the pleasure of working with a few amazing people and businesses within the community, and I look forward to becoming further rooted and showering the Lake Tahoe community in beautiful blooms.” 

To see the latest news on Massa Floral Co., follow Massa Floral Co.’s Instagram page at: @massa_floral_co, or visit their website massa-floral-co.business.site

For more information on wedding and special event packages, visit Massa Floral Co.’s website, or reach out to Tara Massa directly at massafloralco@gmail.com or 661-364-4451.