Even if you have a great product (or so it seems from pictures), good customer service and professionalism are principles that will make your business successful. I had contacted Karen after seeing some photos of her work and this is what every bride-to-be does when you're planning a wedding, to see what fits in your budget and what doesn't. Well, Karen replied promptly the first few times until I told her my budget (over 10% of my wedding cost) and I guess that was too little for her because she stopped replying entirely. She's very unprofessional and I'm actually glad we're not working with her because if she can be unprofessional over minor things, imagine if something like this happens on your wedding day! read more

Karen had done my friends wedding about a year ago and did an amazing job. Fresh flowers are extremely important in a wedding--it is in all the photographs. I had a consultation with Karen a month ago and she was attentive in what I wanted. Flowers are important BUT with a 80-100k quote JUST for flowers, I'll have to think about it. read more

Karen Tran florals is as good as it gets. STUNNING. BREATHTAKING . ORIGINAL. It's no wonder that Karen Tran Florals has been featured in just about every wedding publication out there - -her work is amazing! KTF offers much more than just floral design - -they are truly a one-stop-shop in terms of designing your wedding day decor --, from linens, to lighting...china to custom dance floors, and of course gorgeous florals, KTF is all a bride and groom need to ensure a perfect wedding day. read more

I am glad I did not go with Karen Tran, this woman has an ego the size of Alaksa. Karen doesn't listen to what her customers want and is condescending when she doesn't get the budget she wants. She wanted 20% of your wedding budget. Anyone can do amazing work when there is a huge budget. read more

As a fellow wedding professional, I have worked with Karen Tran for many years. What impresses me most about Karen is her tireless work ethic, the level of commitment to her craft, her eye for detail, and her vision for creating extraordinary events year after year. Karen's experience is so vast, she could probably sleepwalk through the process - but she doesn't. She is continually energetic about her couples and the creative process she engages in with them, she is always high energy about what can be done and how, and right when you think you know what she's planning - she goes bigger! Karen's talents are not limited to designing the floral arrangements - she can include linens, glassware, custom signage and frames, candles, and other amazing details that are part of her total floral design. Karen will not, and does not, settle for average. The couples who hire her are serious about going "fabulous!", and trust Karen to make a statement with their wedding florals. Hiring Karen, is going straight to the top. :-) read more

I hate writing reviews.. and I never do... but I feel the need to only because if anyone out there is debating on working with Karen I hope this review will persuade them to do so, only because I would feel selfish to not share and pass on the Joy and Happiness and Beauty that I experienced on my wedding day as a result of Karen Trans INCREDIBLE TALENT. I was married on July 16th 2011 at the Rancho Santa Fe Country Club. Karen did my flowers and they were INCREDIBLE I get goose bumps every time i even think about them. I had every person at my wedding before and after asking me who had done these flowers they were the most amazing, breathtaking, glamorous creations I have ever seen. I would recommend to anyone on a budget CUT BACK ON OTHER THINGS FIRST that you normally spend a lot on and put it towards Karens Flowers because at the end of the night you and your guests won't notice ANYTHING else.... seriously : ) Worth every penny and then some www.shoppychic.com read more

Karen Tran does gorgeous work, there is no denying that. Her work is also very "cookie cutter" all her weddings look the same. I can't see the couples personality, except that they have great taste and a big budget. I like to go to weddings and look around and feel like "okay this is the couple- whether its a 100k or 15k wedding, usually you can always tell a lot about a couple through the decor of their wedding. Another thing I don't like is how pushy she is! When I told her my budget (which was a nice good budget) she simply said I would have to up my budget because photographers alone start at around 15k! I believe that some do but not all. I wasn't going to pay for a 15k photographer, but I know you can get a great photographer for about 5k. If I would have went with KT I would have not been able to choose any of my terrific vendors and I would have had just another signature KT wedding, when we wanted the wedding to have our signature and style. I Back to my budget, she not only told me I needed to go up a couple hundred grand- yes you heard that right, but she also tried to convince me to a destination wedding, when she knew I wanted to be married in San Diego because I knew my grandma can't fly. I think having a destination wedding is great, but it is also something YOU and your FIANCE want as soon they start planning. Not get it pushed on them because it will be "nicer" according to your FLORIST, self proclaimed wedding planner. Before there was even a contract in place she started calling all her contacts in Hawaii and some in San Diego (probably just to shut me up) but each Venue I thought of, she would say something negative about it- like it doesn't seem like your vision, which I know really meant it wasn't her vision. Mind you these were nice venues like the grand del mar and L'auburgue (did I spell that right) those are gorgeous venues, breathtaking gorgeos and not cheap at all! When I mentioned I wanted to work with a specific planner- she said no because they don't agree with how she works. I wonder why? Oh, maybe because they know KT pushes couples to spend way more than couples want to on floral and design and she basically wants to be in full charge, which is fine but I wasn't going to allow that during the planning process. She doesnt even have "wedding planner/coordinator" on her website, so why would she expect me to give my wedding to her completely. I was way more comfortable with hiring an actual planner, who is all about planning the actual event. Oh and when I considered having a destination wedding for about 5 minutes she said lets fly out there to check out the venues. I said maybe ill have to think about. She replied well you think Ill book us in the four seasons in Maui, can I have your information, so we don't lose reservations. What?! Did she think I was rich? And able to just pick up and fly not only myself but her to hawaii and pay for all our expenses and our stays at the Four Seasons! After that ,I stopped responding to her because I realized no matter what i say she won't do my wedding if its not her way. Even though I was willing to work with her minimum, I knew she would still say no. She takes a percantage out of the total you spend with her, so I knew she just wanted to make a whole lot more than a couple thousand dollars off of us. I have heard stories where she did work as just a florist/designer as long as they met her minimum of 15k in San Diego, which is why I contacted her to begin with. I guess she heard my budget and figured I could spend 100s of thousands with no problem- wrong! Even if I had an unliimited budget I would never spend 500k on a wedding for 100 people, in San Diego. I mean with 50-100k budget for 100 people will get you a VERY nice wedding in San Diego. I wished we would have seen eye to eye. As soon as I contacted her she decided we were working together. No contract, nothing. Just a bunch of her being pushy and trying to force me to have a wedding that I did not want. I wouldn't even know how to spend 500k on a wedding for 100 people in San Diego. It would be a whole lot of floral and designing and even with the the best food and open bar, not to forget the venue alone, which usually goes hand in hand with food and beverages, a good photographer and videographer, an officiant, cake, hair and make up dress ,rings etc it would still come out way under 500k. IMO. Sorry for my rant- it's just sad she is so talented, but wants everyone to spend more than they can or prefer and that is just bad business. In the wedding industry it is very important to understand and respect a bride and grooms budget and must haves. read more

My mother used to do floral designs for the Waldorf Astoria in New York- and she was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by Karen's floral and event decor at my wedding this past December. Karen worked within the color scheme that my husband and I imagined for our winter wedding at the Santaluz Club, and our guests were no short of AMAZED by all of the flowers at our ceremony, cocktail, and reception (including the bouquets, boutonnieres, petal path, pillars, table centerpieces, tablescapes); additionally, the vases, crystals, and candles made our centerpieces look so elegant and rich. It is now two months later, and still we are receiving compliments about the flowers from friends and family who attended!When people say that our wedding is the nicest wedding they've ever attended, we believe them- because Karen's creations and eye are unmatched...and for our wedding, she used the most exquisite florals (many of which had to be imported) to create the perfect tone and mood- (warm but vibrant!) She and her staff worked day and night the week of.. to make everything look perfect... And it was!!! We initially met Karen in July and during the six months of preparation, Karen was extremely professional and punctual in returning emails and calls, meeting with us, and offering helpful advice and suggestions, not only for the florals but for the overall decor, and also in giving us ideas for other little touches to make our event really special and unique. We hired her for wedding coordination and floral services and she did not disappoint. The day went smoothly, everything looked gorgeous, and even the staff at the Santaluz kept saying that this was the nicest event that they had ever seen at their club! We were extremely pleased with the process and result of working with Karen Tran - her florals designs are WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!! And by the way I don't think there is anything wrong with telling your vendors what your budget is; if they are good honest people who are passionate about what they do (like Karen), they will want to make you happy and help you stay within budget but make the most of your money! Check out our wedding on her blog; her work is INCREDIBLE!!! http://blog.karentran.com/?p=3599 read more

Karen was one of the 1st artists I looked into and was pleased from day one! Her amazing eye and view on what would work completely amazed my mom and I. My husband and I got married at the Hotel Del Coronado in July 2010 and I don't know what I would have done if it was not for the beautiful flowers and decor provided by Karen and her team! When we had first met I told her I had wanted a peonies in my bouquet but around our wedding they were not in season, two days before the wedding Karen called me personally to let me know she had found some and wondered if I still wanted them instead of my second choice. She also put way more into our ceremony on the beach and our beautiful reception in the coronet room then we could ever had imagined! My husband and I got the unique chance to look at the reception room before anyone else and as we walked into the room our jaws dropped with amazement at how beautiful everything was! To this day people still talk about how beautiful our wedding was, and Karen was a major role in that! Thank you so much Karen for your beautiful vision! There is no one else I would have rather wanted to work with! read more

I just called Karen Tran Florals to obtain information on center pieces for an upcoming wedding in February. I will spare most of the details of the conversation I had with the receptionist, but bottom line, she was arrogant and condescending. I was only able to describe the type of center pieces I was interested in and gave the name of the venue. The receptionist threw out a few times they catered to an "exclusive clientele" and that I should look at other vendors for my center pieces because other places would be less expensive. Mind you, I never discussed cost or budget. I suppose some people measure success when they become so "exclusive" that they are able to send customers away to the competition on a "perceived notion" of upper class versus lower class. Sadly, beautiful work from a shallow company. read more

9/21/11 I just had my wedding on 9/4/11 at the Lodge at Torrey Pines with Aileen Tran as my florist and she did such an amazingly beautiful job! Not only were the Wedding Reception floral arrangements and colors stunningly vibrant, but they were also exactly what I had visualized for my wedding day. ..my jaw literally dropped when I first walked into the room. She was also very generous with her flowers for my Wedding Ceremony since she offered to give me extra flowers she had from another wedding that was unexpectedly cancelled and she did not charge me for the flowers; they were all very beautiful roses and orchids and so elegantly arranged (that also took a lot of additional time/work on her behalf) that words can't say enough how much it brought to the feel of the ceremony. I appreciate what a great job she did, and the many kids at our wedding would thank her too for all the fun they had playing in it after the ceremony was complete! Made for some fun pictures! So wonderful! read more

Karen Tran is AMAZING! Her work is beyond beautiful and she pays attention to every detail. We were married Nov. 2009 and we started working with Karen about 8 months before the wedding. She was extremely easy to work with and does care about staying within your budget. Karen simply wants to give you the most amazing wedding/event possible. Our wedding was the most amazing day and we owe so much of that to Karen. As the bride, I was super busy with work the month before the wedding and I knew that I could trust her make decisions about colors, florals, etc because she has amazing taste. I listened to all of her suggestions because she knows what is going to look the best in the space provided. Our wedding was beautiful - it was so romantic and the atmosphere was perfect. You could hear people making oohs and ahhs as they entered the dining room. Karen worked with us and our budget to make our wedding the most spectacular day of our lives. She pays attention to every detail and is more than willing to help with other aspects of the wedding planning. It is clear that she loves what she does and just loves making every event beautiful. We received so many compliments on our wedding. I would recommend every girl use Karen for her wedding. She will help to make it the best day of your life. Karen Tran Florals are not just flower arrangements, they are an art. read more

Karen Tran Florals did an OUTSTANDING job on the florals and all the decor for our wedding! Karen has an extraordinary talent and pays close attention to all the details that make such a difference. My husband was equally impressed with her work and said he had no idea the florals could make such an impact at a wedding! When I first met with Karen I had so many ideas, some that did not work together and some that did not make sense for our reception space. Karen listened to all my ideas and preferences and really helped me to refine my vision and come up with a vibrant color palette that would not overwhelm the reception room. She created three very lovely and unique spaces for our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception, all of which felt intimate and happy. We were thrilled with the end result. It was exactly what we wanted, although more stunning than anything I imagined, and even captured our personalities and style perfectly. Our guests were in awe of the gorgeous florals and all the special touches and details... We received so many compliments! I will always remember when I first saw my bouquet, and later the reception room and centerpieces... Unbelievably beautiful and perfect!! Thank you, Karen!! I would absolutely recommend Karen Tran Florals to anyone looking for a floral designer that will go above and beyond to create a gorgeous space for a special occasion. You will not be disappointed! read more

I just had a conversation with Ms. Tran, and she really left me with a bad taste in my mouth. She managed to make me feel bad about my wedding location, my budget, and all of my ideas. She said she charges 10k at the minimum. Then I told her some of my ideas, and she just said 'if I can't do it right, I won't do it.' She wouldn't even talk me through why my ideas wouldn't work, or suggest better alternatives. Lastly when discussing my location and guest count, she said ' that location really looks better with more people than you have'. Well, I already put down my deposit so the nice thing would have been to keep her mouth shut or suggest ways to improve the way it looked. Instead she was negative, curt, and unhelpful to say the least. I just looked through her pictures again and while the images are nice, she really just does the same things over and over again. I suggest looking to someone who enjoys making people happy. Avoid a service industry professional with an ego the size of Rhode Island. read more

i took her master class in san diego and wow trust me when i say this i feel like i gave her 3k to work for her not to learn! i felt like a staff not a student! i agree with everything MARTH N said! i feel like it is a scam! she used us to get sponsors and to get a nice photo shoot that she doesn't have to pay for out of pocket! every single item was sponsored including the flowers! so I'm wondering what the hell did our 3k go to because i didn't get any knowledge i barely made a table arrangement her daughter if you ask me was the teacher she is very nice karen tran is a fake if you ask me! think again before you take this class she deserves no stars read more

Karen's floral designs for our wedding were absolutely incredible! She has a great eye for detail, and went well above and beyond our expectations. My wife told Karen her favorite flowers and colors, and let Karen do the rest -- we couldn't have asked for anything more beautiful, classic, timeless, etc. than what she created. Karen is also very, very nice and has a very calm demeanor, which is very helpful while planning a wedding! At first glance her prices may seem expensive, but are very similar to other places we looked into and the final product was much better. We had more compliments from the guests on the flowers than anything else about the wedding. read more

I had an amazing experience with Karen's beautiful flowers at my wedding. It absolutely made it something special. Her arrangements were gorgeous to the point that people still talk about "the flowers". Karen designed the most amazing canopy/chuppa for our ceremony, laid petals on the aisle, and completely decorated the entire venue with centerpieces and arrangements. It was something special. She is a great talent. read more