Wedding Trends - Succulent Bouquets

For a while now I've been looking at classic wedding flowers (Lilies, Roses, Orchids) but I've been wanting to look at trends in wedding flowers and to cast my eye over whats going on out there in the wedding industry.  

Over the last few years succulents have become a new favourite for those looking for something a bit different. I put this down in part to the rise in popularity in The States of the rustic wedding. Thanks to the warmer, more reliably summery weather, couples there are making great use of fabulous outdoor spaces, barns, farms and country settings, and they've been opting to style weddings with rustic arrangements to complement their choice of venues.  

Brides who like relaxed, rustic, and country styles are also choosing more loose, natural bouquets with lots of interesting textures, and for these succulents are a perfect choice. Then there's the trend for blush shades of soft peaches and pale pinks, which works so well with dusty blue/grey succulent foliage.

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There are lots of different types of Succulents, but Echevaria and Sempre Vivum tend to be the most popular for wedding bouquets and decorations. They have a strong almost architectural feel and their rosette form and plump petal shapes are very striking. 

They come in so many shades too, from cool ice blues, dusty greys, and greens to warmer toned mauves, lilacs and reds. Thats part of the beauty of using succulents, theres such a vast array of colour and variety available, and they can be used in lots of different ways. 

Here's just a few of my favourite images of wedding bouquets and tips on how to make Succulents work for your bridal flowers 

Mix with other interesting flowers and foliage to create an interesting blend of textures. 

Succulents can be both physically and visually heavy, so use them sparingly and contrast with other flower shapes.

Simple neutral palettes put the focus on the textural elements of the bouquet and mean the bouquet won't be fighting for attention with colourful bridesmaids dresses or venue decor.

If you're using lots of different shades/and/or a variety of textures, you can still achieve a clean looking bouquet by grouping flowers and avoiding too much fluff or fuss.

Then again, a few whispy strands of foliage or feathers (used minimally to avoid the tack factor) can give the illusion of lightness to a bouquet of mixed succulents. 

One of my absolute favourites, this colour combination exudes understated elegance. The ice cool succulents with a blue tone, beautifully set off the creamy lemon/yellow centres of the Peonies. You don't necessarily need a lot of flowers to create a stunning hand tied bouquet.

If you're going to be using lots of large headed blooms with large rosette type succulents, its a good idea to vary the height of each and use tufts of foliage like herbs to soften the effect.

This sweet bouquet is quite compact and manages to keep things simple by sticking to 3 colours and flower types (the grey works like a neutral colour here instead of green foliage). 

Peaches and creams are the perfect partner for succulents. For peach think Talea and Vendella roses, peach Hypericum, Peonies and peach calla. Astilbe, Astrantia, white Eryngium (thistle) and Lisianthus make nice creamy touches. Berried Eucalyptus is a lovely touch with this combination too.

Don't be afraid to add a little colour. I love subtle colour combinations but succulents look fab with stronger vibrant colours too. Love, love, love these fruity numbers. Orange Ranunculus and poppies look great with grey/silver succulents. And the more limey crassula work so well with zingy plump Dahlia. A great little trail too don't you think?

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Hope thats given you some ideas for using succulents in your bouquet. If you are thinking about succulents don't forget that:

• Less is more with succulents, apart from when it come to texture, when more is more!

• Colour doesn't have to poke your eye out to be pretty.

• A great florist knows and loves working with foliage almost as much a flowers, so have faith and ask their advice on what will work with the overall effect your going for.

• Succulents don't come on long stems and they're gonna need to be wired, so unless you're feeling very ambitious, this is one type of bouquet thats probably best left to the experts.

For a more DIY take on succulents, have a go at the table decorations or favours. And if you need some inspiration for those, I'll be back with some ideas for decorating with succulents soon..

Images via - Project Wedding, Wedding Chicks, Bella Signature, Style me pretty, Wedding Chicks, Style Me Pretty, Once Wed, Once Wed, Style Me Pretty, Style Me Pretty, Bash Please, Bash Please, Unknown, Style Me Pretty, Pinterest, 100 Layer Cake

Simple Vases

As a florist I love leaves almost as much as I love flowers. I think choosing the right foliage to complement your colour scheme and flowers can make all the difference to an arrangement. So this week I wanted to show you some different ways of using foliage in vases. 

How sweet is this little grouping of autumn leaves? Pretty delicate bud vases really show off the individual leaf shapes and colours. Try grouping different types of foliage in recycled bottles. Interesting shaped vinegar and oil bottles are worth holding onto for displays like this. Keep an eye out at antiques fairs and in your local charity shops for vintage perfume and milk bottles.

Large tropical leaves like Philodendron, Monstera, Cycas, Strelitzia and Palms are bold and architectural in shape.  You only need one or two per vase for a striking yet minimal effect.  Use them as a backdrop or let them take centre stage. 

For a softer feel choose branches with lots of leaves in lighter tones. These gorgeous russet shades of yellow and orange stop the arrangement being too dark and heavy.  This would look lovely for a sophisticated take on Halloween or for an autumn wedding. 

 

Show off the natural beauty of leaves by placing one or two length ways in vases of different heights.  Pick variegated leaves and look for interesting textures. Hosta leaves suit this sort of treatment. Some strong foliages can withstand being submerged for a long time, but in general I'd advise using only a little water to avoid foliage turning to mush.

For the more adventurous, make like Constance Spry and experiment with different types of foliage. These kind of arrangements are not necessarily simple, but you'll have a lot of fun playing, and as you can cut stems from the garden, and trim a little here and there on a walk in the woods, they won't cost you the earth.

For the less creative types, masses of one type of foliage, especially eucalyptus, in an urn or footed vase always looks fab. What do you think, could you fall in love with foliage?

images top to bottom from here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here

Eat your greens

Ok you might not want to eat these greens but I think they're rather scrummy all the same.

Its fairly common to meet a customer or bride who doesn't want to use a lot of foliage but don't be too hasty to dismiss greens altogether.

Greens are like the flower equivalent of the onions in the casserole or the spread in your sandwich, they bring everything together, blending and enhancing other colours and shades whilst at the same time giving them space and distinction.

One of my early mentors used to say you had to leave room in an arrangement for the butterflies, room for them to flutter around. Sounds naff I know, but I see what she meant.

Actual space and/or foliage and greens create a visual break in an arrangement. Because they're a sort of neutral colour in flower arranging, they allow your eye to rest and mean you can appreciate the other components and colours all the more. They can be both soothing and subtle, vibrant and peppy.

So while they might not be your first choice, they are always a lovely addition to any flower selection. Here are just a few great limey greens to look out for..

Shamrock/Anastasia Chrysanthemum blooms - A curly multi-petalled bloom that lasts forever. Well almost. A multi purpose flower, perfect for tight modern groupings.

Alchemilla Molis- Sweet, delicate and a tad fluffy, its like a lime green Gypsophila, and yet I love it. Works really well with jam jars and in country or rustic themes.

Kermit Chrysanth - These lime green flat buttons are a floristry mainstay. They're long lasting and are perfect for covering a base and adding texture.

Bupleurum - This little filler is a combination of lemon and lime hues and has a lovely lightness to it. It can give your arrangements a touch of softness and movement.

Draceana and Cordyline foliage - Great for a zesty pop of colour, draceana will lighten and brighten any arrangement. Consider using it with purples, which can be a bit flat on their own.

Midori Anthuriums - For striking modern displays these distinctive blooms will add a touch of the exotic to your wedding flowers. They look fab mixed with other tropical flowers like Orchids, Helleconia and Birds of Paradise.

Viburnum (Guelder Rose), Hydrangea and trailing Amaranthus are a few more that are definitely worth checking out.  Ask your florist for advice on what would work with your favourite flowers and I'm sure you too will soon be hooked on greens. 

Simple Vases - Fern-tastic

Thought I'd share a little leafy love for this weeks simple vases. Foliage table centres are perfect for those who aren't keen on flowers (weird I know but there are some out there). Also great if you're allergic to flowers of pollen or want to minimise the discomfort of friends and family who suffer from hayfever.

Green table arrangements can be both classic and modern when pared with crisp white linens, and fresh and informal with natural linens and rustic hessian or burlap.

This week though I wanted to look specifically at ferns. There are so many varieties of ferns available to suit different wedding styles and themes you can't fail to be inspired.

Here a just a few ways you could make them work for you:

Use different types of fern, individually, in a display of mixed glass vases and they become a botanical installation, like a real life version of lovely old botanical drawings. Above, the tints of blue and green glass are really subtly pretty.

These single stems above with their well defined leaves have a really graphic feel too, making them perfect for minimal modern styles.

On mantlepieces, drinks or sweet tables use varying vase heights or raise some up on a custom made ledge, a piece of wood styled with bits of moss or lovely old books.  

Generous amounts of soft bushy ferns create a more abundant display. I love the opulent feel of these gold vases. The contrast between the high gloss and matt textures of the vases lends more drama to this otherwise simple display. The gold runner grounds the display and adds warmth.

If you're considering a natural green palette for your wedding you might want to incorporate vintage brown pharmaceuticals bottles, and other details like wood slices and bell jars to make a feature of pretty foliage leaves and plants. 

This last example is more of a planted arrangement. Use low glass dishes and a mixture of foliage plants, or experiment with oasis foam and different foliage. If you are going to have a go at this, try it out in advance of the big day because not all foliage (or flowers for that matter) like oasis. And do make sure you condition your foliage really well before adding to the wet foam.

So what do you think? Would you forego flowers for foliage? Have you seen any gorgeous green weddings? As ever, would love to hear what you think..

Images from here, here, here, here, & here