Dried Floral Workshop

Earlier this year I had the wonderful opportunity to co-teach “Modern (Dried) Wedding Florals Workshop”, hosted and organised by Michael from Ravenshills Flower Farm.

Michael is an incredible plants person with exceptional horticultural knowledge and experience. Through the powers of social media, Michael reached out to me early 2024 after I posted imagery of a dried floral cloud that I had created the previous year.

Michael wanted to run a Modern Floral Workshop with a focus on dried florals: partly to advocate for the freedoms they offer, partly to recognise their importance in making floristry a robust and sustainable craft for the future. The workshop was to be co-taught by other florists ;

Pearl of MilleFleur, Cissy of WildStems and Claire of Fig and Fern. I was well aware of Pearl & Claire’s work and was more than happy to co-teach alongside them… Cissy too – we had met previously on another florist’s workshop, so hanging out with like minded florists and friends was an easy decision.

Dried Flowers can be a little marmite I suppose but I have always enjoyed incorporating them into my work whenever possible…. They add texture, movement and of course provide longevity.

The workshop was brief, simply put, was to build a wedding: a ceremony and reception, from start to finish, against the late-summer landscape of Ravenshill farm. By splitting into two teams it meant we could cross examine & explore the other teams work. I worked alongside the lovely Claire of Fig And Fern as TEAM CEREMONY, with Pearl and Cissy leading the RECEPTION TEAM

Hannah x

Team Ceremony

Of course like any Floral workshop, we enjoyed a coffee and chat whilst watching a wonderful bouquet demonstration by Cissy. Each location was different on the farm but both outdoors. The weather just about managed to behave, kindly allowing us to create the installations before setting in at the close of play.

For our Ceremony set up, Claire and I dreamed up the concept that as we were creating in the Orchard we would incorporate lovely soft antique pink tones mixed back with a muted palette of all the dried materials that Michael had wonderfully grown earlier that year.

We discussed mechanics and logistics before embarking upon our creation on the A frame. The design slightly tweaked itself as the day progressed as we realised the light was better for the meadows to be down the aisle than grouped under the canvas.

I am a huge fan of Meadows and these worked wonderfully in the grass- almost blending in with the natural world that we set about creating in.

BTS on the Dried Floral Workshop at Ravenshill

Outdoor Ceremony Install at Ravenshill Flower Farm

Team Reception

Of course we were non the wiser as to what the reception team were creating but they did not disappoint. With more open space they created a framed area of a sail cloth style awning, undulating tablescape, grouped Meadows and climbing creations to frame it all.

Each Team created such beautiful installations that could easily be reimagined and repurposed to the other… so don’t dismiss dried materials – they come in many guises- flowers, foliages, grasses and seed pods…. All adding depth and interest to any floral design.