Meet Kallie Holstein of Dainty Florals
From childhood garden lessons to building a flourishing floral business, Kallie Holstein’s path to Dainty Florals is rooted in creativity! Image: Bridge Films
As the founder and owner of Dainty Florals, Kallie Holstein is known for bringing a deeply personal touch to every charming bouquet, floral arrangement, and creative installation. What began as a leap of faith has blossomed into a Memphis business rooted in connection, intention, and a lifelong love of florals first nurtured by her grandmother.
Can you tell us the story of how your love for flowers first began?
My love for flowers began long before I ever knew I would make a career out of it. My grandmother watched me as a child while my mother worked. She had beautiful flowers everywhere in her back yard, and we would tend them together.
I loved their beauty and learned how they thrive in certain times of the year, while at other times they need to “sleep” for the next season to bring them back to life. Looking at petals and seeing the delicacy behind them was so calming and brought a visceral happiness to both of us.
Before launching Dainty Florals, what was your career path?
I worked at my family’s business, a local print shop founded by my grandfather. I struggled to make sales — I had the utmost respect for the business since my family ran it, but my heart wasn’t in it like theirs was (and still is). I wanted to do something creative and fill my days with beauty, something that would bring me joy.
I was also second-shooting for a wedding photographer and loved being a part of weddings. But again, once the wedding day was over, sitting at a computer to edit hundreds of images didn’t feel like my calling. I thought long and hard about how I could serve couples on their wedding day in a way that felt more fitting to me.
It was a leap of faith, but I landed on starting a floral business, bringing back my love of flowers from my childhood.
What lessons did you learn along the way that have helped you become successful?
My first year, I learned it wasn’t going to be “playing with flowers” every day. A lot of behind-the-scenes work goes with the job. I can honestly say I love every part of my job, other than cleaning buckets. But there is a reason behind everything that pushes you to do the not-so-pretty parts of the job.
You want your blooms to last and be in the best condition for wedding days. Therefore, cleaning buckets is essential. That might sound silly, but it’s a metaphor for going the extra mile to make sure your next task runs as smoothly as possible and for having the work ethic to give every couple what they deserve on their special day.
How would you describe your signature style or floral design philosophy?
Impactful. We use more blooms than greenery most of the time, and we want our designs to stand out and make a statement. We go for dimension and work hard to create a specific vibe for the task at hand. We pride ourselves on getting to know our clients and understanding their vision.
While every wedding is different, we still maintain our core design values and do not stray from the movement our designs hold. Some florists tend to design their creations with a lot of symmetry. Our designs tend to be more fluid with an asymmetric flow.
What has been your biggest challenge running a creative small business?
My biggest challenge has been battling with myself. Imposter syndrome is real for me! I also struggled with rejection in the beginning. It hurt when couples decided to go with another florist because of pricing or because their desired design didn’t align with our style.
I had to shift into the mindset of “not everything is meant for Dainty” and learn to be happy that other local florists got the booking because they were the most suitable for that couple.
Are there any fun or unique trends in weddings or events that you are excited about?
Cake meadows — I hope they never go out of style. I love it when clients want to have a statement piece called a waterfall, where the floral design is created at the edge of a table and trails off onto the ground. It’s stunning!
Colorful wedding palettes, rather than traditional white blooms and greenery, are another great trend. We love seeing how a couple’s color palette reflects them and creates the vibes for the day.
What’s inspiring you right now?
Coming back stronger. 2025 was a year of newness for me. I had my son in November of 2024, and learning to juggle a business with motherhood took me a second to figure out. I have amazing help from my husband and mother during the weeks DF has weddings. But to say the pull and push isn’t real would be a lie. I want to be present with my child as much as possible, both physically and mentally.
But I also realize that having this business rejuvenates me and gives me my creative outlet. I come back as a more confident, structured, authentic version of myself, and I am able to pour into him more when I fill up that other creative side of me.
Being a mom is the absolute most important job on this planet, but for me, having an operation outside of that helps me reset and come back as a better version of myself.
Where can we find you when you aren’t working?
You can find me with my son. I adore being able to have a more flexible schedule where I can still be super present with him on the weeks DF doesn’t have a wedding. When the weather feels good, we chase a coffee truck, Byway, around town, and usually catch it at Sea Isle Park on Fridays.
I love a good date night with my husband. We are moviegoers, so we love to get in comfy clothes and see the latest film. We go all-out at the concessions, always with an Icee and other goodies.
What is your best piece of advice?
Groove to your own tune and keep your character. I have loved this saying since college because we can get so caught up in other people’s mindsets or worry about what others think of us, when all we need to focus on is what makes us happy.
As long as you aren’t hurting others, staying true to yourself and the things you value is what makes us all so unique — but also very much the same.
Aside from faith, family, and friends, what are three things you can’t live without?
Animals, traveling, and flowers (obviously).
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Gaye Swan
As a professional writer of over 20 years, Gaye is an avid traveler and enjoys highlighting food, culture, and attractions around the South. While Gaye is passionate about life in Memphis, she grew up in Meridian and is still a Mississippi girl at heart.