tom travato
Photography by Christina Bankson

A Naples Luxury Event Designer Creates Floral Magic

From society galas to dream weddings, Tom Trovato transforms spaces with his theatrical approach to event design.

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If you’ve ever dined under a sea of cascading, sweet-scented wisteria; been awed by a massive arrangement of greenery and orchids suspended from the chandeliers at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point; or arrived at a Gulfside soiree at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort to find the Chicago skyline recreated via an escort wall, you’ve likely experienced the genius of Tom Trovato. The Naples-based florist and event planner’s dramatic displays make him a go-to for society doyennes and destination wedding parties looking to create over-the-top gatherings. “My mantra is: ‘Always exceed expectations,’” Tom says. “Once I’m able to get a visual [for their dream], I know exactly what I have to do to transcend it.”

Flora has long been a part of Tom’s story. Well before he became known for planting indoor gardens and carving out lily ponds in ballrooms around town, the Michigan native was obsessed with beautifying his family’s suburban plot. “I was always asking for more room so I could dig in and create beds for more flowers and vegetables. I was the lawn mower and edger, and I was the one begging my dad, ‘Can we get some irrigation here?’” he says with a laugh. 

In high school, Tom briefly studied mechanical drafting and architecture before continuing his studies at Michigan State University, where he hopped from architecture to landscape architecture. Post-graduation, he pivoted to florals, lured by the quicker reward. “The payoff from landscape design takes so much time from paper to fruition,” he explains. The ‘more-is-more’ approach to floral design, which has become Tom’s calling card, draws from his architectural schooling and the elements he learned for well-balanced design, including scale, form, color and texture. In his arrangements, suspended floral installations follow the length of family-style tables; lofty floral arches frame ocean views; velvety roses mingle with textured foliage and airy Queen Anne’s lace for depth; hydrangeas billow out of pianos; and a tree installation might canopy an entire 60-seat area, wrapping guests in the moment. 

About 15 years ago—chasing warmer winters and busier wedding seasons—Tom sold his Michigan event planning and retail businesses and moved to the Sunshine State. His success in Naples was far from overnight. “I didn’t know anyone,” he recalls. Tom pitched himself to funeral homes and began making floral arrangements for viewings and wakes. His calm demeanor and sensitivity didn’t go unnoticed. “One of the funeral homes convinced me to work there for a year-and-a-half as a family service counselor,” he says.

Despite his ability to comfort the bereaved, Tom wanted to get back to the business of creating bouquets and boutonnieres for the living. A five-year stint at a Naples flower shop enabled him to connect with locals, wedding professionals and other vendors and build up a clientele. By 2015, he was ready to launch Tom Trovato Event Floral & Design from his home. 

Now, his operation covers about 700 soirees a year (from intimate receptions to full-scale galas) and spans 13,000 square feet, with nine units in East Naples. The compound is a veritable party paradise, with a 1,500-square-foot cooler chock-full of purple and green hydrangea, purple allium, garden roses in all shades of pink, lavender spray, bold fancy tulips, green hellebores and all manner of flowers shipped in from around the globe. There are storage spaces for props (including a room dedicated to candles and another for risers, stands and chuppahs); a showroom where hosts can preview their arrangements or get inspiration; a multimedia consultation area to brainstorm with clients over PowerPoints, videos and vision boards; and a workshop, where the on-staff master carpenter, Chris Walker, brings Tom’s drawings of dramatic bars, pergolas and escort walls to life. 

Despite the pageantry, Tom knows how to make a statement on a limited budget—especially when contracted for his steady rotation of annual philanthropic events, like the Naples Winter Wine Festival Vintner Dinners and Naples Zoo at Caribbean Garden’s Zoo Gala, where patrons vie to create the showiest tablescapes. Many of the Zoo’s top donors keep Tom on speed dial. At last year’s gala—themed Moonlight in Malaysia, in honor of the Zoo’s dearly departed tiger Eko—you could see the breadth and depth of Tom’s creations clustered under one tent. One table was adorned with three big stuffed tigers and an assortment of African plants. Another arrangement sported hundreds of sunflowers and towering gold reindeer containers, while a third otherworldly tablescape had Tom’s team building a large bamboo base to suspend a canopy of flowers and dangling stuffed monkeys. “It’s about achieving balance—people might be paying $500 to attend a party, so they want to see something special, but they don’t want to walk in and immediately think that every dime was spent on decor,” he says. 

Still, weddings remain Tom’s bread and butter. And, he’s always  happy to become a couple’s biggest advocate and help them dream bigger. “Every family has a story.” His gift? Turning those stories into extraordinary events.