At New River Floral, a Fort Lauderdale native reimagines florals as structure, shaping immersive environments rooted in place
At New River Floral, owner Aynsley Geramanis approaches each arrangement with a quiet balance of feeling and form. In South Florida, where excess is often the default, her work feels measured and rooted in place. Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, she draws instinctively from the landscape that shaped her. “I start with the feeling,” she says. “What emotion should the space evoke?”
That instinct has always been there. Geramanis has long been drawn to texture, color, and movement, with floral design becoming her medium. But it really came into focus in 2017 at her own wedding. “I hand built and designed every vignette for the day,” she recalls. “When my photographer saw the finished results, she purchased all the furniture and furnishings, then asked me to be her exclusive wedding planner on the spot.”
At the time, she was working out of her garage, a setup that quickly outgrew itself as demand followed, eventually leading her into a commercial space. Rather than scaling too quickly, she took a more deliberate approach, spending a year volunteering with a local florist to learn the technical foundations of the craft before formally launching New River Floral, with a clear understanding that florals alone were never the end goal.
Over time, her work has evolved beyond simple arrangements into something more layered and immersive. “My vision has evolved from simple arrangements to creating complete environments,” she says. “It’s a fusion of South Florida nature, bohemian textures, and sophisticated structure.” She describes the aesthetic as Elevated Tropical Boho, a phrase that suggests ease but requires precision. Proteas, orchids, and layered greenery are paired with hand-built arbors, macramé backdrops, vintage lounge elements, and a signature flower cart she brings on-site.
These days, she has a little extra help from her daughter, Maryn. “She brings a level of joy and whimsy,” Geramanis says, “that only a five-year-old can offer.” There’s even a miniature version of the cart she made for Maryn, a reflection of how hands-on the work is.
“I don’t just place flowers. I consider the entire bones of the event,” she says. “Because I understand the build, I can design floral installations that feel like a seamless part of the architecture.” That approach becomes especially clear in more complex settings such as yachts and waterfront homes, where movement, scale, and spatial limitations introduce constant variables. “Working within tight spaces and designing for movement requires a blend of engineering and artistry,” she says.
Her process, while technical, remains rooted in instinct. “From there, I consider the environment, the light, the scale, the palette, and the natural movement of the room or vessel,” she says. The result is work that does more than decorate a moment. It shapes it, with clients responding not only to the visual impact but to the sense that their vision has been fully understood and elevated.
“I want them to feel a sense of intentional wonder,” she says. “I want the work to feel permanent and purposeful, yet organically beautiful.”
Looking ahead, Geramanis isn’t focused on getting bigger just for the sake of it. She’s building on what already works. “We’re continuing to lean into the full-service model,” she says, expanding her collection of custom-built structures, lounge pieces, and design elements so she can shape the entire environment, not just the florals. That can mean anything from hand-built ceremony arches and layered lounge vignettes to styling tabletops, framing the space, and overseeing how everything comes together on site. It’s a more immersive, start-to-finish approach, with her involved from the first conversation through the final installation, ensuring the space feels cohesive and intentional.
It’s also shaping what comes next. “Mentoring the next generation of designers, including my daughter, who remains the biggest inspiration behind the legacy I’m building,” she says. For Geramanis, the work may be created for a moment, but it’s built to last a little longer than that.
