I love London, I love flowers, and I had a blast combining the two last summer. I enjoy reading about floral workshops, so I decided to write about my most recent experience with Aesme. I love attending workshops as it’s always my goal to expand my floral knowledge and skills and acquire new ideas and perspectives so I can be a better florist for my clients. Aesme is a flower business owned by two sisters, Jess and Alex, and their work is GOALS for me. It has a lush, seasonal and natural aesthetic using flowers they grow at their cutting garden outside of London.
Their 3-day workshop focusing on wedding work was held at their beautiful studio, a restored Victorian railway arch in Shepherd’s Bush, West London. It is a beautiful space. I have recently moved to a new studio, and theirs is my ultimate design inspiration. There are lots of images online of their studio, but it was a gift to see it in person.
Jess and Alex curated the most beautiful blooms, foliage and branches for us, which were mostly from their garden. There were varieties I’ve never used before, and for me, the main reason to attend a workshop is to get out of my rut and try new ingredients.
I stayed in Central London at a cute boutique hotel called Pilgrm, so close to Paddington Station, one of London’s major railway stations, and a short commute to and from Aesme - 5-minute walk to the train platform, 5 minutes on the train and then a 5-minute walk to the studio. My room was the size of a shoebox, but it had all the essentials (including a coffeebar on the ground level) and you can’t beat the convenient location.
The first day started with a meet-and-greet. I joined florists from Australia, Malaysia, Korea, Hong Kong and the UK with varying levels of experience. Some have had their businesses for years, some are just starting out. It’s so interesting meeting florists, especially from other countries. I was the only one from North America! Next on the agenda, Jess and Alex talked about their design approach and ins and outs of small flower farming. Then Jess demonstrated how she creates her bouquets. Then we were off to make our own bouquets. We made some boutonnieres too.
Day two comprised of tutorials on centerpiece design and tabletop styling. We designed 3 tables at different styles and price points.
The third day was devoted to large scale work - urn arrangements and an arch installation. Each day, Jess took photos of all our work. She has inspired me to improve my photography game.
Their adorable Irish terrier, Mavis, gifted us with her presence. Pups always provide a fun distraction.
I decided to just include behind-the-scenes photos here as I didn’t want a mile-long post. If you want to see my work I created there, check out what I’ve posted on Instagram. Want to read about another one of my England floral adventure, check out this post.
Truth be told, wanderlust could be my middle name, and I’m dying for another flower-related travel. I wonder where 2020 will take me! Speaking of, hope that you are all having a wonderful and productive year so far! Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Lovely