Sidney Hayes is a florist and event planner whose signature is hard to miss: wild, unique florals that don't just fill a space — they define it. Over six years in floral design, Sid has developed a style that's unmistakably her own — abundant, sculptural, and alive, the kind of work that makes a room feel like it has a point of view.
That craft was built working alongside some of Atlanta's most respected floral and event houses — Flowers for Yona, Legendary Events ATL, and STEMS ATL in Kennesaw — before Sid founded Esse to bring that same intentional, boundary-pushing design under one roof. For the last four years, Esse has been the full expression of that vision: a queer-owned studio where florals and event planning live together, designed with equal care.
Sid's work reaches well beyond weddings. She brings an eye for brands to every event she designs — work that has put her in rooms with CoverGirl, Progressive, Porsche Cars North America, Idlewild, and Carlton Lee Studios, translating a brand's identity into florals and environments that feel considered, intentional, and entirely on message.
Her path into this work started early. As a college student, Sid planned everything from open mic nights to spring concerts for her campus activities board, then went on to apprentice with Atlanta wedding and event planners — doing every job from busing tables to designing floor plans. That ground-up experience is why nothing about an event escapes her attention. She plans and designs every event as if it were her own.
Esse is black and queer-owned, and that's the foundation, not a footnote. Sid's mission is to create events and florals that are meaningful, accessible, and entirely unique — and to make sure every client who walks through the door is celebrated fully, exactly as they are.
