LIFE

Succulents lend rustic, elegant chic to modern weddings

Sarah Wolfe
Associated Press
Anastasia Stevenson’s colorful bridal bouquet also uses roses and various succulents. Some succulents can be replanted after the wedding is over.

Succulents are showing up everywhere in the world of weddings, from bouquets and boutonnieres to centerpieces and even take-home favors.

They’re dainty yet hardy, and come in a surprising array of colors and textures. Best of all, they’re eco-friendly and can be replanted at home after your nuptials as a reminder of the special day.

“Succulents add a modern look,” says Viva Max Kaley, a New York-based wedding planner. “Instead of pretty petals, it’s a cool geometric use of lines. My clients tend to gravitate toward that aesthetic, so it’s been a really popular choice.”

Robbin Watson, a 27-year-old living in Boston who is getting married in Connecticut next July, is using succulents to add a pop of dusty blue and mint green to her cream-colored bridal and bridesmaid bouquets.

But while she loves their aesthetic, succulents are more of a sentimental choice for her.

“I lived on the West Coast for a few years with my fiancé, where succulents are very prevalent. Not so much in the New England region, where I live now,” Watson says. “To bring a little West Coast into my wedding ceremony, I thought succulents would be a great way to incorporate my memories of living in San Diego.”

This photo provided by Hollychappleflowers.com shows shows a bouquet focused around a large, rosette-shaped echeveria succulent and secured with plant leaves, designed by Holly Chapple. Succulents are showing up everywhere in the world of weddings, from bouquets and boutonnieres to centerpieces and even take-home favors. They’re dainty yet hardy, and come in a surprising array of colors and textures.

Bridal bouquets

Bouquets like Watson’s are the most obvious and popular way to use succulents in weddings.

Debra Prinzing, Seattle-based author and founder of the eco-conscious floral directory site SlowFlowers.com, says the trend has been popular among California brides for years, but has really taken off thanks to social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram.

Demand for drought-hardy succulents in the gardening world has also made these once hard-to-find plants readily available year-round across the U.S., and at a cheaper price than more traditional wedding flowers like roses and peonies.

The plants’ vibrant green and sometimes purple colors pair especially well with jewel tones.

This photo provided by How To DIY Wedding shows a tea cup wedding favor designed by Laurie and Heather Comeaux of Unique Floral Designs. More and more couples are using succulents as wedding favors -- an eco-friendly parting gift that's far less likely to be tossed in the trash when guests get home.

Boutonnieres, centerpieces

Succulents can feel like a more “masculine” floral accent and have become a popular choice for boutonnieres as a result, says Anastasia Stevenson, a wedding planner and website How to DIY Wedding founder.

They’re sturdy and can stand up to the rigors of being pinned to a jacket that’s tossed about all day. Succulents make good corsages for the same reason.