Sakura Ikebana Workshop with Ayako Shida — A Floral Experience by EMME NYC

Celebrate the arrival of spring with an intimate floral workshop inspired by the beauty and symbolism of cherry blossom season.

Hosted by EMME NYC in honor of our limited-edition Sakura collection, this hands-on experience brings together scent, seasonality, and the art of mindful arrangement. Led by Brooklyn-based ikebana artist Ayako Shida, guests will be guided through the foundations of Sogetsu Ikebana—a modern and expressive form of Japanese floral design that emphasizes balance, movement, and personal creativity.

Ayako has been studying Sogetsu Ikebana since 2003 and brings over 20 years of experience working with flowers. She is the founder of SUIRYU, a Brooklyn-based floral design studio and ikebana class, where her work explores the intersection of traditional technique and contemporary expression.

In this beginner-friendly workshop, you’ll learn the basic principles of Sogetsu Ikebana using cherry blossoms and seasonal blooms. Ayako will guide you through how to work with a kenzan, and how to create thoughtful compositions that consider balance, proportion, and the relationship between flowers and vessel.

As part of the experience, guests will also be immersed in EMME’s Sakura collection, an interpretation of cherry blossom season through delicate, floral notes designed to evoke softness, nostalgia, and renewal. In true EMME fashion, we’ll be repurposing our signature candle jars as vases – giving new life to the objects we bring into our homes, and extending their use beyond the burn.

All materials are included, and guests will leave with their own ikebana arrangement set in a repurposed EMME candle glass.

What’s included:
– Seasonal flowers, including cherry blossoms
– Repurposed EMME candle jar (vase)
– Kenzan
– Floral scissors

No prior experience is required.

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Host or Publisher EMME nyc