A Succulent Anniversary Bouquet
Had Santolo sent me the photos of his wife Daryll's bouquet one year ago, I might have been too intimidated to take on the challenge. At first glance this piece seemed like it was an armload of peonies—my hands practically make these on their own anymore! But once I got past all of that fluffy goodness, I discovered the real gems hidden in the details: succulents, ferns, and lilacs. This one was going to be fun!
Surprisingly my favorite part to work on were the succulents. I couldn't get the right tone, so I ended up starting with a dark greenish-gray crepe and I hand-painted all of the details. I don't get to spend this much time on all of my projects, but the results are so rewarding when I do!
Wedding bouquet photos provided by client
I also really wanted to capture the ethereal quality of Daryll's whole look in the final piece, and my first batch of peonies just seemed to come out a little too pink for the job. So, I remade them with white crepe and added in blush tones by hand with pastels. Another instance where a little extra work made a big difference! The softness of the peonies them seem like they're floating next to all of the fun textures provided by the succulents and my take on the lilac buds.
Santolo let me know that the gift was a big hit, and I've been making other succulents inspired by this piece since then.
Look for more to come in the newly added gifts section of my site, and keep an eye out for another succulent-filled wedding bouquet on the way soon!
