Although California's particularly wet winter has done much to ease the burden, the state's drought has raged on long enough to inspire a widespread trend in events with an eye toward conservation. Additionally, events like the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which takes place annually in the Southern California desert, have built upon the nationwide trend of desert aesthetics, including succulents and wildflowers as decor. From design to gifts and activities, here are 15 ideas to inspire drought-friendly event concepts.
At the U.S.-Ireland Alliance’s Oscar Wilde Awards during Oscar season in Los Angeles this year, Portobello Junction created centerpieces that included succulents in upcycled wine bottles.
Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for U.S.-Ireland Alliance
Rock Paper Scissors Events designed a shower with a theme that incorporated drought-friendly lavender on multiple layers, such as purple candies and floral arrangements by Cristina Lozito.
Photo: Courtesy of Rock Paper Scissors
One idea for a drought-friendly event is to eschew flowers altogether in favor of alternate decor ideas: To commemorate Harper’s Bazaar’s 150th anniversary, the magazine hosted a Los Angeles event in January where candles in glass vessels of varying heights surrounded the pool.
Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Harper's Bazaar
At the Essence magazine Black Women in Music event in Los Angeles in February during this year’s Grammy awards week, succulents decorated a wall announcing sponsor Lincoln.
Photo: Joe Kohen
ESPN hosted a large-scale Super Bowl bash in Arizona in 2015, where the look was meant to conjure a desert retreat. It included mid-century furniture and planters filled with cacti.
Photo:Â Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
At the Mashable House in Austin, Texas, during South by Southwest this year, a photo opportunity allowed fans to recreate Beyoncé’s iconic pregnancy announcement Instagram post—and used kitschy fake greenery.
Photo: Julia Robinson
Also at SXSW this year, CNN changed its concept from last year’s CNN Grill to this year’s CNN Bungalow on Rainey Street, with a residential look and feel, including a moss-filled logo decor piece atop fake hedging in the backyard.
Photo: Sasha Haagensen/Getty Images for CNN
At the fifth annual Streamy Awards in Los Angeles in 2015, host Fullscreen partnered with Caravents to host an after-party at the W Hollywood, where guests could discover and share decorative objects—including owls—that were meant to conjure emoji in real life. Vignettes included succulents in terrariums alongside the whimsical objects.
Photo: Paige Jones
At the Retreat at the Sparrows Lodge in Palm Springs during Coachella in 2015, sparse arrangements of succulents and wildflowers, alongside taper candlesticks and other objects, lent a bohemian atmosphere to a long table.
Photo: Tyler Curtis
At the Zoe Report and Dolce Vita pool party, held at the dFm House during Coachella in 2015, a dimensional succulent wall with a Zoe Report logo served as a photo backdrop in the entrance area.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
In Los Angeles in 2015, Mindy Weiss and Wedding Paper Divas celebrated their new collaboration with an event that showed off five distinct looks meant to embrace wedding trends. To bring to life the trend of using natural elements, guests created their own terrariums using succulents, moss, and twigs.
Photo: Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for Wedding Paper Divas
At a purple-theme baby shower created by Frog Prince Paperie, centerpieces comprised abundant bundles of lavender atop lace handkerchiefs.
Photo: Courtesy of Frog Prince Paperie
At the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Los Angeles in 2014, Mille Fiori Design mixed succulents with marigolds in the brand's signature color for high-contrast arrangements that popped.
Photo: Claire Barrett Photography
At an in-office party for 360 Live Media in Washington in 2014, guests each received a potted succulent from local florist Multiflor as a take-home gift.
Photo: Ben Droz
Nature’s Rentals created a living wall made from drought-resistant succulents for ESPN, with the company’s logo spelled out in yellow to pop against the green striped design
Photo:Â Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
