Earlier this month, I was invited to attend one day of a new Advanced Four Day Bridal Flowers course at the Covent Garden Academy of Flowers in London.
We started off the morning with a demonstration by the Principal, Gillian Wheeler. Gillian showed us how to make a tablecentre design using a posy pad, plus a small block of foam.
She explained that the advantage of creating the design using the pad was that you didn’t have to factor in the additional cost of a container or the need to take time out the following day to collect it.
Gillian advised us to visit the wedding venue that we were due to be decorating to see the colour of the walls in the rooms and the lighting, thereby helping us assist the bride in choosing a colour scheme which would complement the space.
After having placed twisted willow into the pad, Gillian used three types of foliage, berried ivy, variegated pittosporum and eucalyptus gunnii, to ‘green up’ the design.
Then she added blooms which included alstroemeria, lisianthus and spray white roses.
Placing the design on a table would be one way of displaying it. But Gillian showed us how lifting the tablecentre up on top of a martini glass with coloured water can give a different effect, as would placing it on top of a black goldfish bowl.
She also suggested that you could have a mixture of high and low designs on different tables at the venue.
Below is my finished design…
What we all found very useful was the critique which Gillian gave to each of us about our tablecentres…what worked and what could be improved upon, plus lots of hints and tips.
For example, when you’re creating a design it’s good to stand back from it sometimes to see it in its entirety, rather than close up to it. Plus go away and come back to your design as you’ll tend to view it differently when you return.
In the afternoon, Madeleine gave us some ideas of how to create bridal designs which are influenced by European florists. They reminded me of wedding flower creations by the very talented Moniek Vanden Berghe.
Using dendrobium orchids, hydrangeas, green bell, silver aluminium wire and cold glue, I created the delicate ‘bridal bouquet’ below.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading today’s blog post. I attended just one day of this four day course, which also teaches you how to make buttonholes, corsages, floral headdresses and tiaras.
If you’d like to keep up-to-date with news about the Covent Garden Academy of Flowers, they’re on Twitter and Facebook.
P.S. They now also have an online shop…
(Images : Rona Wheeldon for Flowerona)
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