Obviously, the food. -The End.

Just kidding...While we love the food, we also love a gorgeous tables cape. A pretty scenery can heighten any holiday experience. Who doesn't like sitting around a stunning table with the people you love the most? (We talk about the importance of event design in one of our previous posts.)

Since we love food AND flowers, we thought we would share a few ways for you to incorporate both into your design. We've researched, pinned and even reached into our floral archives to find you our TOP 5 FAVORITE ARRANGEMENTS HIGHLIGHTING FRUIT AND VEGGIES!        (Cue the applause.) 

We love this gorgeous, colorful set-up by Bare Root Flora. They incorporate stunning purple kale, pomegranates and berries. This design is perfect for the "farm-to-table" type Thanksgiving dinner. Why we love it: It is a super laid back approach that actually elevates the space. 

Okay, we may be biased on this one...but did you really think we wouldn't include our favorite personal designs?! We were approached to design an intimate birthday celebration in the middle of the stables at The Inn at Dos Brisas a few weeks ago. We transformed an otherwise rustic space into something luxurious and elegant by using florals and fruit cohesive with their environment. Why we love it: We actually didn't spend a TON of money on fruits and they filled up a ton of blank space. Texture is one of our favorite things and this table has got it going on.

FIGS ON FIGS ON FIGS on grapes.

Figs are an iconic fall fruit...at least it is in my mind. When I see a gorgeous plum colored fig, I immediately want to buy it, cut it & throw it on a place setting. While figs are amazing and gorgeous, they tend to get expensive. A good complimentary fruit is black or green grapes. They can really beef up your centerpiece while being fairly inexpensive. Why we love it: Seed Floral used an insane amount of fruit to play up an otherwise simple table. These centerpieces could almost serve as an interactive appetizer!

Oh heyyyy, Maxit Flower Design again. Really y'all?! Of course we are going to show off!

We actually just executed this styled shoot at the beginning of November. We worked an amazing team of vendors and killed this stunning table by Spell Events. We didn't use super obvious amounts of fruit for this design. We really just wanted touches of freshness throughout. Why we love it: Subtle touches of fresh fruit is the perfect accent to these arrangements. And you don't HAVE to use fruit in the arrangements, there are no rules. Try using it in a different way, such as the egg cups pictured above or as a cocktail embellishment.

Last, but never least : one more by our fearless leader Maria Maxit. She created this centerpiece  along with Flower Magazine. Maria used fresh kale, artichokes, and even an eggplant to execute this stunning fresh design. Why we love it: It really is centered around the freshness. Your eye is immediately drawn to the artichokes and greenery. This centerpiece is perfect for the person that loves a rustic Thanksgiving table. It kind of takes me back to what they may have used during the first Thanksgiving...I know, I have a very vivid imagination.

Our favorite place to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables is Central Market here in Houston...however, we have recently discovered Fiesta Market. They have a supply of exotic fruit almost year round. When picking out fruit, go for what stands out to you the most. I don't always necessarily choose something based on ripeness but on coloring. Dragon Fruit looks best when it is super fresh while Bosc pears look stunning when over-ripe. 

In case you need some extra inspiration, here are a few of our favorite fruits & veggies to incorporate into our arrangements:

• Figs
• Bosc Pears
• Crab Apples
• Ornamental Kale (Beware: some varieties don't smell so sweet.)
• Grapes
• Dragon Fruit 
• Seasonal Fruits (Think citrus for summer, squash for fall, use what you have!)
• Artichoke
• Hops (yes, the same kind used for beer!)

We hope you feel as inspired by fruit as we do. Enjoy creating beautiful spreads.

Happy Holidays to you & yours.