Our artistry is defined by an adventurous creative spirit and a soulful connection to the natural world.

Semia Dunne

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Semia Dunne is the founder and chief executive officer of SEMIA, one of the nation’s premier floral studios, renowned for its award-winning luxury events and services. Semia’s passion for floral design began when she cultivated her very first cut flower garden alongside her mother. That undeniable seduction of the natural world, the colors, shapes and scents that only flowers seem to possess, began her lifelong love affair with floral artistry.  In 2000, she translated this love into a career with the establishment of SEMIA Floral Studio.
Over the course of the last 24 years, she has dedicated herself to perfecting her craft with a focus on exceptional floral artistry for weddings and large-scale events and translating the company’s success into a multi-channel business.
In 2013, Dunne garnered recognition as one of the nation’s top 62 floral designers according to Martha Stewart Weddings magazine and in January 2022, SEMIA Studio earned its place among the 125 most exciting florists in North America by Florists Review Magazine. Her work has been featured in dozens of publications including People, Vogue, Brides, Martha Stewart Weddings, Boston Weddings and many more.
Dunne is frequently featured as an on-air guest on CBS, offering her design expertise and inspiration for viewers. She also speaks frequently at industry events, sharing her experiences as a female business owner and entrepreneur in the floral industry.
While the SEMIA adventure continues to evolve, Dunne’s inherent love for nature and design deepens. Her desire to seek new and compelling artistic challenges is forever paramount, as is her passion to transform environments  through exceptional floral artistry.

Christine Fiore

Chief Operating Officer

Chris has graced this company for over twenty years with her thoughtful artistry and compelling approach to design. She blends her extraordinary artistic talents with a sharp head for business and finance. She is responsible for creating and managing our budgets, keeping us on target both financially and creatively. While I may be the face or the “outside” of SEMIA, Chris is the “inside” of this company. She gracefully guides us through every season of SEMIA as she is our compass in life and in art. Her opinion is gospel and I cherish her insight.
Chris’ interpretation of color and movement in floral design is masterful. The “Flower Ninja ” as we lovingly call her, she creates incredible beauty with a formidable speed and confidence that we all aspire to achieve. Even her fastest pace produces the most soulful and complex designs. She is a master of botanical movement, an accomplished and loving conductor of tendrils and blooms. She adores nature and it’s this quiet connection to the natural world that defines her exceptional artistry.
Christine sets the standard and the example at SEMIA. Just when you think a design or an installation is perfect, she swoops in and challenges us to improve our work. As recently as this past weekend, just when we had finished designing the ceremony site for our couple, she suggested that we move the placement of our aisle design. What I thought was already perfect, ultimately became infinitely better.
It’s not just her discerning eye that transforms our work, it’s her relentless spirit making sure we’re being the very best version of ourselves. Chris’ unique determination, her desire to exceed expectations and her pursuit of true beauty is what propels this company. She encourages our growth and searches for new design experiences, new partnerships, new opportunities to transform the human experience through flowers. She reminds us daily to leave nothing on the table, and to put every ounce of heart and soul into all we do.  Only fitting, as she is our heart and soul, our Van Gogh, our magnificent teacher.

 


Sarah Dunsing

Chief Experience Officer

Sarah Dunsing brings an incomparable quiet determination, sophisticated calm, and level of organization to SEMIA. She leads us in product acquisition, ensuring that we have every hardgood necessary for our projects. She continually searches for inspiring vessels, candles, ribbons, planters and unique makers to elevate our event experience. She ensures that we are set up for success on every home and travel job, making sure travel details, itineraries and freelance team information is thoroughly obtained and communicated. She is a quick and confident decision maker who knows what we need for our operations, and is fiercely committed to making the SEMIA experience unforgettable on every level.
Beyond these skills, Sarah has emerged as a formidable floral artist. Although the youngest designer in our suite, she continually impresses me with her compositions and style. She has proven herself and her innate talent time and time again. She loves a creative challenge, from conceptualizing underlying mechanics to design timing, and her  insights are essential to our success.
 A favorite memory of her evolution as a designer for me is when she created the most spectacular large scale arrangement of cafe au lait dahlias to grace a baby grand piano. I remember turning around in the studio to look at her work and feeling moved. Moved by her approach and composition, moved by her ability to make a single varietal arrangement so very layered and developed, but most importantly, moved to watch this special woman realize her calling. To watch her “get lost” while designing…that’s a feeling only another artist can understand. Trust me, it’s a beautiful thing to witness.
Sarah is the SEMIA experience. Her character, approach, determination and artistry embody all we are and strive to be here at SEMIA.

Photo by Alex Paul

 

SEMIA Travel Team

When the scope of your event commands a greater level of production or travel, our talented extended team of floral artists and operational engineers is ready to work alongside you.

Connect With Us for Your Upcoming Event


The Floral Reserve

The Floral Reserve, SEMIA’s sister company, is an innovative wholesale flower market based in Providence, RI. Set in a collaborative environment dedicated to serving the discerning floral artist, we take pride in sourcing the very best botanicals for the floral community. We celebrate the exceptional talent and passion that defines this industry as well as the dedicated flower farmers who grow our magnificent blooms. We are committed to supporting sustainably sourced and grown flowers, and believe in promoting local and regional flower growers in our community. The Floral Reserve also provides access to a variety of premium imported and American grown blooms to further inspire our customers’ floral design concepts and creativity.

Visit The Floral Reserve