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Unexpected Ways to Use Succulents as Part of Your Wedding Décor

Unexpected Ways to Use Succulents as Part of Your Wedding Décor

By Lauren Pardee

February 11, 2014

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Credit: Custock Photography

These popular plants are so durable—and pretty, too.

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Credit: Custock Photography

Although succulents aren't traditional wedding plants, they have been a favorite amongst brides and grooms for some time now. We can see why this greenery trend is still around—succulents are durable, colorful, and low maintenance—which is why they are a no-brainer accent for your big day. After all, if they can thrive in an arid desert, they can definitely make it through your wedding. Ultimately, they're the perfect choice for any event's locale (but they'll look especially at-home if your venue is located in a dry-weather climate).

Another reason why this plant is so loved by soon-to-be newlyweds? Their sturdy make-up. Feel free to use them as escort cards (they're the perfect base for calligraphy!), place card holders, and napkin rings—however you integrate them into your design landscape, you don't have to worry about this flora falling apart. They also make cute and reliable cake toppers (as evidenced by this B.R. Sweets treat) and confection decorations; their sturdy weight ensures they won't blow away in a breeze. A succulent's bold structure can also define the shape of a bouquet or centerpiece, making it the ideal statement plant.

Succulents come in a plethora of shapes and colors—viper's bowstring hemp features tall leaves with a dark green hue, while echeveria elegans showcase shorter, rounder mint shoots. You can even opt for burro's tail, a lime cascading iteration, or spiral aloe that grows in circular form. As you'll note from the images ahead, any succulent you choose will bring earthy texture and a touch of modernity to your event.

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Escort Card Favors

Credit: B.Willow

25 Ideas for the Prettiest Calligraphed Escort Cards

Thanks to their long lifespan, potted succulent escort cards can double as plant wedding favors that'll remind guests of your celebration for years to come. These thoughtful gifts were created by Lemon & Lime Event Design.

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Warm-Weather Altar

Credit: Birds of a Feather

Trending Now: Cactus Wedding Ideas

Use warm-weather plants like succulents and cacti to lend earthy flair to your desert altar, like this one by Ro & Co.

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Ring Box

Credit: Leslie D. Photography

Ring Boxes to Have and to Hold Your Wedding Bands

Place a succulent inside a glass terrarium to create a ring box that nods to your big-day vegetation. The bloom's structured leaves will hold your bauble in place.

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Napkin Rings

Credit: JoPhoto

The Prettiest Place Settings from Real Celebrations

Succulent napkin rings can help tie your simple place settings into your greenery-centric centerpieces, as evidenced by this LB Floral and The Quarry Venue design.

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Green Tablescape

Credit: Joshua Aull Photography

50 Wedding Centerpiece Ideas We Love

Make like Francine Ribeau Events and Isari Flower Studio and enhance your earthy green tablescape with succulent centerpieces.

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Statement Blooms

Credit: Elena Wolfe

64 White Wedding Bouquets

If you're looking for a bouquet plant that won't get lost in a sea of statement blooms, opt for succulents—they are structured enough to stand out amongst bold flora. Flowers by the River's clutch is proof.

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Place Card Holders

Credit: Anna Roussos

20 Unique Place Card Holders to Elevate Your Reception Tables

Nod to your garden wedding theme by using tiny succulents as unique place card holders. White Ribbon Boutique Events chose the bud to display Michaela McBride name tags.

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Greenery Wall

Credit: Jessie Schultz Photography

A Wedding Trend We're Loving: Living Walls

Add an organic touch to your industrial venue with a greenery wall that features different succulents. Ruffle Effect created this design.

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Sturdy Plants

Credit: Melissa Jill Photography

Outdoor Escort Cards That Won't Fly Away

Make plant escort cards out of succulents so they'll stay intact as guests handle them. Gold Leaf Event Design & Production's iterations are proof that the sturdy vegetation will last—these held up weighted pieces of plexiglass, cut to look like hot air balloons.

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Desert Treat

Credit: The Nichols

The Prettiest Ombré Wedding Cakes for Couples Who Love Color

Celebrate your desert wedding venue with a cake that's decorated with greenery native to the area. Coco Paloma Desserts did just that by finishing off this confection with succulents.

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Calligraphed Cards

Credit: Blush Wedding Photography

20 Elegant Ways to Decorate Your Wedding with Calligraphy

Succulents make great paper escort card holders because their grooved leaves ensure calligraphed assignments won't blow away. Just take these Balconi Floral Design Studio and Fox & Flourish ones, for example; they also doubled as favors.

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Boutonnière Bundle

Credit: Emily Delamater Photography

64 Boutonnières You Both Will Love

Looking for a more masculine take on a floral boutonnière? Substitute traditional blooms for a tiny bundle of succulents to lend a unique accent to your groom's look.

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Reflective Favors

Credit: Jessica Bordner Photography

23 Seasonal Summer Wedding Favors

Succulent favors will help remind guests of all the amazing memories from your soirée long after it's over. This couple gifted purple-and-green Shop Succulents plants, which nodded to their colorful, earthy celebration. The gold vessels also represented the event's metallic color scheme.

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Tiny Treat

Credit: Eddie Judd

52 Small Wedding Cakes with a Big Presence

Handing out mini single-serving confections that match your larger big-day cake? Decorate your tiny treats with small florals that also complement your life-size dessert. Cakes by Krishanthi used petite succulents to do just that.

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Colorful Clutch

Credit: Carlie Statsky Photography

34 Romantic Red Wedding Bouquets

Opt for two shades of green in your bouquet—Seascape Flowers created this arrangement—by rounding out kelly-green succulents with darker filler plants for a dynamic display.

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Masculine Accent

Credit: Chris Barber Photography

21 Slate and Stone Décor Ideas That Will Modernize Your Wedding

If your cake is as modern and masculine as this concrete-inspired Cakes by Krishanthi confection, a colorful floral topper might look out of place (too feminine!). The solution? Add structural succulents (either fresh or sugar iterations will do!), instead.

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Centerpiece Focal Point

Credit: Erin McGinn Photography

20 Beautiful Ways to Add a Pop of Green to Your Wedding

Thanks to their bold look, succulents can anchor your centerpieces. Flowers by Semia framed a massive echeveria violet queen—which served as the focal point of this arrangement—with greenery and thistle.

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Springy Palette

Credit: Jana Dillon Photography

The Prettiest Spring Wedding Centerpieces

Remake Bella Bloom's arrangement for a floral decoration that's perfect for spring. The mix of white hydrangeas, blush garden roses, and pale blue succulents created the perfect pastel color palette.

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Cake Topper

Credit: Lavender and Twine

36 of the Best Wedding Cake Toppers

If you've already chosen to forgo a traditional wedding cake, why not opt for a unique topper, too? We love how The Scoota Baker finished off this fondant confection with succulents and garden roses by Twig & Twine.

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Contrasting Buds

Credit: Jen Jinkens

52 Gorgeous Winter Wedding Bouquets

Recreate this Bloom & Blueprint bouquet by contrasting soft white garden roses and hydrangeas with structured green succulents for a refined, but still organic clutch.

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Father of the Bride

Credit: Jen Huang Photography

74 Emotional Father-Daughter Wedding Photos

Help your father stand out in a unique way by gifting him a succulent accessory for his lapel.

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Silver-Painted Antlers and Succulents

Credit: Jessica Lorren Photography

Boho-Chic Wedding Ideas for Free-Spirited Brides and Grooms

Add earthy and metallic accents to your tablescape to complement your bohemian wedding theme. Bluebird Productions incorporated silver-painted antlers into this succulent, peony, and dahlia centerpiece by Bare Root Flora.

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Aisle Decoration

Credit: Bryce Covey Photography

35 Altar and Aisle Decorations We Love

Enhance your wedding aisle with blooms that reference your big-day design. This desert ceremony featured succulents, coral peonies, and ranunculus from Mindy Rice Floral and Event Design; they matched the event's peach-and-green color palette.

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Winter Accessory

Credit: Shannon Von Eschen

How to Put on a Boutonnière

These Bare Root Flora boutonnières, made from brunia, seeded eucalyptus, thistle, dusty miller, spray roses, privet berries, and dry pods, would lend a wintry feel to the groomsmen's big-day ensembles.

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Short Buds

Credit: Bryce Covey Photography

28 of the Prettiest Rustic Wedding Centerpieces

When designing your centerpieces, opt for shorter flora so guests can see (and speak with) one another across the table. Mindy Rice Floral & Event Design did just that with bright arrangements of coral amaryllis, succulents, orange parrot tulips, roses, white freesia, tangerine ranunculus, and blush grevillea.

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Potted Centerpieces

Credit: Vienna Glenn Photography

Trending Now: Terra-Cotta Wedding Décor

Add unexpected, earthy textures to your floral centerpieces by featuring terra-cotta-potted succulents with clusters of hydrangeas and pink roses.

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Unexpected Ways to Use Succulents as Part of Your Wedding Décor

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Escort Card Favors

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Warm-Weather Altar

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Ring Box

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Napkin Rings

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Green Tablescape

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Statement Blooms

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Place Card Holders

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Greenery Wall

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Sturdy Plants

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Desert Treat

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Calligraphed Cards

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Boutonnière Bundle

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Reflective Favors

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Tiny Treat

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Colorful Clutch

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Masculine Accent

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Centerpiece Focal Point

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Springy Palette

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Cake Topper

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Contrasting Buds

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Father of the Bride

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Silver-Painted Antlers and Succulents

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Aisle Decoration

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Winter Accessory

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Short Buds

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