Ritesh Matlani never intended to pursue a career in botanical design; he stumbled upon it while searching for joy.
Matlani immigrated to British Columbia in 2015 to study at Vancouver Film School, later working as a producer in B.C.’s film and television industry. But after a difficult breakup and coming out to his family in 2022, Matlani was looking for new ways to be happy, as well as a new activity that would allow him to work with his hands. So, he spontaneously signed up for a seven-week course in the fundamentals of floral design.
“It opened up a whole new world for me,” he says. “I hadn’t thought about exploring that as an artistic career.”
He got his first private event commission a year after his training, and, in 2023, May 18 Florals was born.
Now, the creative director of the Langley-based botanical design company is creating immersive, joyful spaces through hands-on creative work. “Flowers draw everyone in,” he says, “and it allows me to connect with people.”
May 18 Florals creates sculptural florals, editorial event styling and corporate floral activations for brands, businesses, fundraisers, galas, intimate celebrations and awards—including BCBusiness’s very own 2026 Women of the Year Awards.
Matlani draws on his background as a TV producer to bring a client’s dream vision to life through botanically-forward event design that tells a story. It’s a style that’s bold, dramatic, colourful and highly textural.
“As people observed my talent and ambition, I got pulled into the right rooms, and the hustle never stopped,” he says.
Matlani has a diverse portfolio to back that ambition. May 18 Florals has designed botanical installations for the Be the Light Society Gala, an annual nonprofit event at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, sculptural florals for South Asian Bridal Houses like Art of Thread and Sunny’s Bridal, the opening night of EXNW’s industry conference in partnership with Gold House, floral and event design for the Disney/CBS TV show, Tracker, and the International South Asian Film Festival.
As an official partner for the 2026 Women of the Year Awards, May 18 Florals designed the stage florals, VIP table pieces, guest centrepieces and honouree bouquets. The response from the award winners and guests was overwhelmingly positive.
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Matlani emphasizes that May 18 Florals is more than a typical florist. Instead, it’s a design partner and production service—going beyond basics like budget and colour palette to learn a client’s story and the deeper theme of the event in order to truly enhance everyone’s experience, down to every thoughtful detail.
As an immigrant, Queer-led business, May 18 Florals also works to support members of the Queer community. “We’re giving them freelance work, training and opportunities,” Matlani says. “As of today, I’m a Canadian citizen, out and proud, building a Canadian creative business that invites brands, organizations and communities to let us help shape their most meaningful experiences.”
Learn more about May 18 Florals and its botanical design, event styling and corporate activations at may18florals.com.
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