When we started AESME STUDIO, our dream was to decorate weddings and parties with exquisite flowers and to make every event memorable and unique. We prioritised sustainable methods, going above and beyond to source the very best locally grown materials that were in season and conjuring designs that felt truly special, with a personal touch.

Hundreds of events later these priorities remain the same. From one single beautifully crafted buttonhole to high profile celebrations, our studio has proved that both can be done in a sustainable way, without compromising on attention to detail. The wedding industry needs a shake up and the rulebook on event flowers is ready to be rewritten.

In this intensive three day course we’ll be lifting the veil on our experience of designing flowers for events over the past decade. This course is for you if you want to learn how to create enchanting arrangements and installations specifically for events. To exceed your clients’ expectations with captivating designs that evoke the seasons and the wider landscape. You may be looking to brush up existing skills, refine your style or want to focus on a particular element of design.

This course will give you the time to dream and to practise your skills in an encouraging and creative environment.

6 MAY

INTRODUCTION

We come together over coffee to meet and get to know one another and to set our intentions for the week. The studio will be filled with an array of seasonal branches and flowers freshly harvested from our garden in the Hampshire countryside. We’ll begin by talking you through the AESME SCHOOL OF FLOWERS naturalistic philosophy, the evolution of our London design studio over the past ten years and the role of flowers in the celebration of weddings, parties and special occasions.

CENTREPIECE WITH PIN-HOLDER

In this first session we’ll ease into our creative practice with one of our favourite design recipes - a low, voluptuous table centrepiece. We’ll explore how to use curving branches for the perfect outline shape and then focus on layering and grouping to create a dramatic central arrangement for large circular or oval tables.

TABLE-SCAPE STYLING & PACKING FOR EVENTS

Designing impactful floral tablescapes, particularly for long trestles and family-style sharing plates, we are striving for a harmonious balance between theatre and careful editing. During this afternoon class we will design and style a number of table ‘scenarios’ with varying colour palettes and vessels.

7 MAY

BRIDAL BOUQUET & BUTTONHOLES

Attention to detail will be our mantra for the morning of day two as we practice the composition of graceful garden-gathered bouquets. We will guide you through the magical ‘hand-vase’ technique that allows us to honour the natural shapes and the tendencies of the ingredients, gently but purposefully layering and grouping the floral material before tying off and ribboning for an elegant hand-held bouquet. Intricate buds, sprigs and offcuts will be used to construct dainty buttonholes.

CEREMONY URN

In the afternoon we zoom out and scale up! Freestanding arrangements are an opportunity to embrace the idea of floral decoration as living sculpture, a chance to revel in the possibilities of the season and the setting you are designing for. For height and impact we’ll be working with forked branches, spindling stems, tall spires and the intentional accommodation of negative space.

8 MAY

CEREMONY ARCH INSTALLATION

Composing naturalistic floral installations is perhaps the most challenging aspect of event design. On the one hand there are the logistics - the where and how. A strong structural foundation, sustainable mechanics, weight, weather, safety and scale. On the other there is creating a design that is apparently effortless, that could convincingly be growing in-situ, undulating through areas of sparsity and abundance.

In our final morning session these questions will be our focus. As a group we will build an ethereal and romantic three-dimensional space that evokes the seasonal garden at this precise moment in the year. We’ll talk through takedown and preparing materials to be composted - a vital part of the cycle.

WEDDINGS & EVENTS Q&A

An open group discussion is a way to share ideas and experience, to brainstorm, trouble-shoot, to express hopes and dreams, concerns and anxieties in a safe and encouraging environment. You may come with a check-list of specific questions, or allow the discussion to unfold. This is a time dedicated to talking through any and all aspects of designing for weddings and events - how to find and attract the projects and clients you want, pitching and writing proposals, branding, social media and communication, managing a team, sourcing materials, working seasonally and sustainably, building a portfolio, photographing your work. Let’s discuss.

DEPOSIT

You can pay in full for this course at the time of booking or reserve your place with a £500 deposit. The remaining balance is due six weeks before the course start date.

TIMINGS

This is a three day course which will run from 10am to 3.30pm each day with a short break for lunch. Please arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before the start of the class.

LUNCHES

We do not provide lunch. Teas, coffees and water are provided throughout the day. We have a small kitchen area with a fridge if you would like to bring a packed lunch and there are lots of cafés nearby to choose from.

WHAT TO WEAR

The studio is in a converted railway arch that is shady and cool (perfect for the flowers!) We recommend bringing additional layers, wearing comfortable shoes and to bear in mind that you will be handling organic flower material throughout the day.

EQUIPMENT

Snips, aprons, flowers, vases and mechanics are all provided. We also stock a small range of our own brand ceramics, books and Japanese tools to buy at the studio.

DIRECTIONS

Directions to the studio in Shepherd’s Bush can be found here. If you are visiting from outside of London you can find suggestions on where to stay, shop and eat here.

Ts & Cs

Please read our Terms and Conditions in full before booking.