Not Just Another Succulent Boutonniere

I've been staring at a file on my computer labeled, "Photos to be Posted." The last three and a half months have been a wedding frenzy, so blog entries were put on the back burner. Since I drank coffee before teaching my class tonight, I am now wide awake at 1am and able to tackle an item (or two) in this folder.

Back in October, an awesome bride allowed me the liberty to free design her corsages and boutonnieres based on a few inspirational photos. The results were some of my favorite creations to date. I picked my favorite boutonniere and my favorite corsage and I think they both deserve their own spotlight, so I'm posting them in separate entries.

I've done many succulent boutonniere designs, but this particular one stuck out because it had so much charm. Two different types of succulents were used adorned with a couple pearl shell buttons and a ribbon stem tie. It was dainty, clean and simple and very much in-line with the purple and green color scheme in a way that seemed intentional, but not "in your face."

I actually love the decor of the entire wedding, so I'm still waiting for the official photos from the photographer to post the rest of the wedding flowers. The wedding was held at The Mountain Mermaid in Topanga Canyon--my venue soul mate! Between the mismatched vintage furniture (side note: I believe I prepped the flowers on a vintage autopsy table...at least that was what I was told), the numerous varieties of succulents growing on the premises, and feeling the serenity and the calm away from the city, I was in heaven. It provided for many great photo ops.

Stay tuned for its corsage cousin.

Current Obsession: Herb Boutonnieres

Let me introduce you to my current obsession. Reader, I would like you to meet Mr. Herb Boutonniere. Organically interesting, delectably fragrant, and simply chic, this little guy has it all! I have to say, he is the chameleon of all boutonnieres, perfect for almost any type of wedding--garden, spring, modern, organic, or traditional. He is also a great choice for the groom who refuses to wear a flower since he (the boutonniere, not the groom!) treads a fine line between masculine and feminine.

He is the perfect soul mate for almost any lapel, EXCEPT for maybe those that are sensitive to aromatics. Let's not forget the women. Mr. Herb Boutonniere can also moonlight as a corsage.

It was a pleasure introducing the two of you and I hope that soon he will also become your obsession!

Happily Ever After at Wayfarers Chapel

Rain, rain, go away...la la la...

I guess I've learned to appreciate rain more and more as I get older. It used to be a hindrance to just about everything--play, commuting, life. Now, it not only waters my extremely thirsty garden and washes away the dust on my bath-challenged vehicle, but it also makes me feel rejuvenated and cleansed (a "frenemy" of sorts). Why oh why does it always have to happen when I have to go buy flowers though? **sigh**

Instead of thinking about the hectic commute tomorrow, I'll reminisce about a recent morning outing up to Wayfarers Chapel atop the stunning hills of Palos Verdes where I was enveloped by rays of sunshine, a slight breeze and (dunt da da dah) silence (that just sounded like it could be the lyrics to a hit 70's song!). I had an early afternoon wedding to do and showed up a couple of hours early and took photos of the venue and the flowers I had designed.

If you are not familiar with the infamous Wayfarers, it is a beautiful chapel surrounded by glass walls and ceiling that features tremendous views of the ocean and affords you the feeling of being immersed in a natural environment even though the city is just a hop, skip and a jump away.


The bride made two requests from me: 1. Her bouquet needed to have the herb sage incorporated into the design and 2. The groom needed to have a hand in finishing off her bouquet. The first request was a cinch. The second request required more ingenuity and a bit of secrecy. The groom was excited with my suggestion that he surprise her by attaching a hand written note onto her bouquet handle. When the groom showed up to write his note that afternoon, he was smiling from ear-to-ear; a definite sign of their wonderful future together.


His boutonniere carried the same garden-inspired feel with the use of ranuncula buds and accents of sage.


I fell in love with the elegance of the Maid of Honor bouquet made of just ivory roses and ranunculus.


The flowers definitely embodied the beautiful simplicity of the venue and the refreshing feel of its surroundings which, on that particular day, was miles away from the weather I will be facing tomorrow...ugh. I know, I know...I can't complain. I live in LA.