Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Guest post: My Love Affair With Succulents

My beautiful friend Meghan has created a fantastic post for this blog. I love it, and couldn't agree more!


Photo Credit: Growpro Inc.


As some of you may have noticed across many a wedding blog, succulents seem to be popping up all over the place. Personally, I couldn’t be more thrilled as I absolutely adore them. I think they’re such a fun and unusual plant and they seem to go with so many different wedding styles.

For those just learning about these little gems, succulent plants are “water-retaining plants adapted to arid climate or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems and/or roots. The storage of water often gives succulent plants a more swollen or fleshy appearance than other plants, also known as succulence.” – Wikipedia

The most well-known succulents are probably the cactus and various versions of tender succulents such as aloe. Here’s a look at some of my favorites that are a little more unusual.


Sempervivum
Photo Credit: smgsucculents.com





Jovibarba Heuffelii
Photo Credit: smgsucculents.com


Jovibarba Rollers
Photo Credit: smgsucculents.com


Ok, but now on to the good stuff! “How do these desert-dwelling beauties make their way into my wedding,” you ask? The options are endless! Centerpieces, boutonnieres, bouquets, favors, escort cards, bouquets, these are just a few ideas. Here is some inspiration to get you started!


Check out these gorgeous centerpieces below! I love the look of different succulents potted together, especially with the 3D table number! The purples and blues in the second row would be amazing for a fall wedding and the mixture of tiny plants with white and orange roses is just too sweet for words.

Photo Credits: Top Row: Yes, Please Blog; Michelle Warren; MarthaStewart.com; Caroline Tran (taken from Style Me Pretty);
Bottom Row: Linda Chaja (taken from Style Me Pretty); Junebug Weddings

From just this small collection of photos I think you can see how succulents would work with many different wedding decors; modern, woodsy, dramatic, romantic, the list goes on and on!


While centerpieces may be the first place one would think to use succulents I think they’re equally fabulous in bouquets and boutonnieres. Look at the amazing colors in the first bouquet and how cute is the combination with billy balls?



Photo Credit: Top Row: Linda Chaja (taken from Style Me Pretty); Erin Heart’s Court (taken from Style Me Pretty)
Bottom Row: Erin Heart’s Court (taken from Style Me Pretty); Brooklyn Bride


Lastly, I’ve seen more and more options lately using succulents as favors/escort cards. What a sweet way to show your guests to their tables!


Photo Credit: Top Row: MarthaStewart.com; Erin Heart’s Court (taken from Style Me Pretty)
Bottom Row: Santa Barabara Wedding Chic (taken from Style Me Pretty); Custom Event Group


Since succulents are used to thriving in tough conditions they can be grown just about anywhere year-round. I can picture succulents as cake decoration, in the bride’s hair, lining an aisle, as I said earlier, the possibilities are endless! Thanks for reading and letting me share one of my newest obsessions!

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