From the moment I got engaged, and frankly, even before that, I knew that I wanted to have the plantiest wedding possible! My plants are a huge part of me and I wanted to incorporate that aspect into our wedding. I didn’t want my wedding to be houseplant-themed, but I wanted houseplants and nature to be woven into our day seamlessly, in a refined way that felt special. Katie O’Neil of Katydyd Events, our wedding planner, joins me in this episode to talk about the different ways we added plants to our wedding, and some that didn't make it but were totally great ideas! This is one of my most anticipated episodes—I literally waited two years!—and I can't wait to share everything with you.Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Society!The Bloom and Grow Garden Society is your one-stop-shop for plant parenthood growth. When you join you'll gain full access to the Garden Party Community Platform and App PLUS monthly plant care lectures with Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck, monthly office hours with Leslie to troubleshoot your personal plant care issues and monthly Growing Joy Calls with Maria to develop our community of Society Members and explore the plant/person connection.Click here to join us!Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!Check out this episode's full blog with photos here!In this episode we learn:[00:28] Why Maria wanted a planty wedding[04:40] Introducing Katie; Maria and Billy’s wedding angel[10:36] Mama Failla’s wedding advice[11:53] How Katie became the epic wedding planner she is today[14:34] Maria’s biggest wedding advice for everyone![16:56] How plants have developed as a trend in the bridal industry[17:58] Hoya kerrii as tablescape and wedding favor[21:36] What questions to ask yourself when planning a wedding with plants[22:56] Katie’s ultimate wedding planning goal[23:45] Finding the balance between a plant-themed wedding and a you-themed wedding[26:04] How to pick your wedding venue and Katie’s professional advice[31:15] How to incorporate plants into your invitations and signages[34:19] Using seed paper for your invitations[35:25] Incorporating plants into your wedding dress and suit[40:09] ‘Something blue’, wedding shoes, and floral hairpins[43:37] Picking out your color palette and bridesmaid dresses[44:36] Where to get your seeds for the upcoming growing season![46:58] What you’ll get when you join the Garden Society[48:37] How to repurpose your bridal bouquet and your bridesmaids’ bouquet during the reception[51:04] How to incorporate plants during the ceremony[54:15] Leaf girl instead of flower girl? Yes, please![55:47] Why you should swap your rice toss for a lavender toss[58:08] Fresh ideas for garlands at your reception[01:00:05] Why it’s important to get the right florist![01:02:19] Other fun, creative ways to add plants into your wedding[01:03:40] How to make the wedding green wall of your dreams[01:07:11] What to prepare for when you have live plants as wedding favors[01:08:11] Katie’s advice when doing DIY wedding pieces[01:10:51] How to make your wedding flowers last beyond your big day[01:12:35] How to incorporate macrame into your wedding[01:16:35] Katie’s biggest advice for incorporating plants into your wedding[01:20:53] Where you can hire Katie as your dream wedding planner![01:23:03] Where to get custom wedding timelines[01:25:54] Maria’s post-wedding reflectionsMentioned in the conversation:Check out the blog for this episode for a deeper dive into all of these ideasKara R. Modliszewski watercolor artist - Mad for Mod StudioBHLDNFiber and Foliage macrame shopLush Magnolia Flower Preservation artistTwo Sturdy Oaks by Henry David ThoreauDIY Wedding Copper Arbor blogBAGR Episode: 3 Plant Inspired DIY Wedding Ideas that Live on After the Big DayThank you to our episode sponsors:Territorial Seed CompanyIt’s time to start planning your garden and placing your seed orders! Territorial Seed Company has an unbelievable selection of seeds and plants to choose from to build the garden of your dreams all year, with sustainably-grown seeds for the best-tasting, best-producing, highest-quality vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Check out their amazing variety of seeds, plants, garden planners, and more at territorialseed.com and use code BLOOM10 to get 10% off their first order.Bloom and Grow Garden SocietyThe Bloom and Grown Garden Society is the premium tier of the Garden Party Platform, rooted in high-quality education and community. I’ve partnered with our Horticulturist in Residence Leslie Halleck to bring monthly “Node of Knowledge” plant science lectures, monthly “Ask our Horticulturist Anything” office hours, and Growing Joy Community Calls with me. Treat yourself to an annual membership for the holidays or gift to your crazy plant friends! Learn more at jointhegardensociety.com.Follow Katie:WebsiteInstagramFacebookPinterestFollow Maria and Bloom and Grow Radio:Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet!Take the Bloom and Grow Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!Instagram and Facebook: @BloomandGrowRadioTiktok: @bloomandgrowradioSubscribe to the Bloom and Grow Youtube Show! /BloomandgrowradioWebsite: www.bloomandgrowradio.comJoin the (free) Garden Club: www.bloomandgrowradio.com/garden-club