Floral Design

Flower Power: the not-so-secret succulent.

by
A very unique succulent boutonniere - perfect for a groom who's flower-averse

Yep – every so often our fascinating and compelling content will indeed be about floral design.  Today we’re talking about succulents, something we’ve alluded to probably in a few photo descriptions, and perhaps tweets or Facebook updates.  Succulents have been popping up in floral design lately.  What is a succulent?  By Wikipedia’s definition, they are “water retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions.”  That refers to a lot of plants – we’re talking about the pretty kind.  You probably know them more by sight than by name.
Aeonium arboreum baby Pink-flowered aeonium Succulent spiral Succulent Succulent

The succulent "bloom" in the center of the bouquet on the left blends seamlessly with the flowers, yet adds visual interest and texture

Traditionally, one might not think of them as a decorative element, but that’s where we come in.  Combined with other blooms, succulents in a bouquet subtly evoke the desert at a Palm Springs destination wedding.  A centerpiece composed of a grouping of small succulent varietals adds a unique texture and depth to a tablescape that soothes the eye at a corporate event with a modern and spare decor scheme.  Succulents lining a pathway, or included with other outdoor accent pieces are not only elegant, but as their counterparts in nature do, they tolerate the desert sun without danger of wilting or discoloration.  Elegant, low maintenance home decorating is also a snap. Pick three small succulents you like, and place them in matching containers down the center of your dining table. Widen the space between them, and place a votive candle in the gaps.  Boom!  Instant casual elegance.  You’ll be seeing them in more than desert settings now that you know what to look for.  Succulents aren’t a secret anymore.

A succulent centerpiece at the Korakia Pensione in Palm Springs, CA

Succulent photos by Joey Martoni, Mariane Perdomo,  Duff Axsom, Benjamin Chun and Robyn Jay. Bridal photos by Mellany Miller and Cheryl McPherson

Related articles

Matches? We don’t need no stinkin’ matches!

by

The definition of Matchy-Matchy from Urban Dictionary is as follows:

Often used in fashion blogs. Used to describe an outfit that is too coordinated and consists of too many of the same types of colours, patterns, fabrics, accessories, designer pieces, thematic elements, etc. Can also be used in reference to interior design.

They don’t mention weddings specifically, but how many of us remember the eighties, when weddings were nothing BUT matchy-matchy? When the first thing brides did was select colors, and then proceed to order everything in those colors? We even remember a movie where the bride was asked by her reception venue what color to dye the mashed potatoes so that they’d match the bridesmaids’ dresses.  (Note- we are not linking to a page about said film because it was an artsy independent wedding movie so it broke the Big Studio Wedding Movie Happy Ending rule.  If you really want to see it anyway, google ‘Annabella Sciorra dyed potatoes’).
These days, people tend to choose a palette of colors they like that work well together, based around one favorite color. Basically that one is the one you’d have chosen if it were the eighties.  Then different elements of the wedding complement each other without all being the same exact color.

Check out The Perfect Palette: Palette Library for inspiration – or look at your own closet! A few colors you love will speak to you.  After all to look harmonious and pretty, the bridesmaids dresses don’t even have to match each other, let alone the mashed potatoes.

[gomelpink.jpg]

Bridesmaids and a packet of rice from America’s Matchy Matchiest Wedding of the 20th Century: Luci Baines Johnson. If she could have, she’d have painted the pillars of the white house pink!

Matches? We don’t need no stinkin’ matches!

by

The definition of Matchy-Matchy from Urban Dictionary is as follows:

Often used in fashion blogs. Used to describe an outfit that is too coordinated and consists of too many of the same types of colours, patterns, fabrics, accessories, designer pieces, thematic elements, etc. Can also be used in reference to interior design.

They don’t mention weddings specifically, but how many of us remember the eighties, when weddings were nothing BUT matchy-matchy? When the first thing brides did was select colors, and then proceed to order everything in those colors? We even remember a movie where the bride was asked by her reception venue what color to dye the mashed potatoes so that they’d match the bridesmaids’ dresses.  (Note- we are not linking to a page about said film because it was an artsy independent wedding movie so it broke the Big Studio Wedding Movie Happy Ending rule.  If you really want to see it anyway, google ‘Annabella Sciorra dyed potatoes’).
These days, people tend to choose a palette of colors they like that work well together, based around one favorite color. Basically that one is the one you’d have chosen if it were the eighties.  Then different elements of the wedding complement each other without all being the same exact color.

Check out The Perfect Palette: Palette Library for inspiration – or look at your own closet! A few colors you love will speak to you.  After all to look harmonious and pretty, the bridesmaids dresses don’t even have to match each other, let alone the mashed potatoes.

[gomelpink.jpg]

Bridesmaids and a packet of rice from America’s Matchy Matchiest Wedding of the 20th Century: Luci Baines Johnson. If she could have, she’d have painted the pillars of the white house pink!