Trending Now: Butterfly-Inspired Wedding Décor

Looking for a symbolic way to represent your marriage throughout your wedding décor? Consider butterflies, which are known for metamorphosing—they speak to a bride or groom's transformation from individuals to life-long partners. The insects also represent magic, romance, and joy—themes and emotions that are particularly relevant on your wedding day.

Beyond their symbolic meaning, butterfly-inspired accents can elevate your ceremony or reception décor, too. Butterfly dishware can add a striking print to places settings, while escort cards made from paper bugs can dress up a seating chart. Whether you display preserved insects in between Lucite slabs to add color to a translucent sign or place butterfly-shaped hand fans on white folding chairs at your event, these delicate critters bring whimsy to anything they touch.

Butterflies can also make a major fashion statement when added to your (or your wedding party's!) ensemble. Just take this flower girl, for example. The 3D butterflies on her dress brought dimension to her look. If the groom wants to forgo a traditional boutonnière for something more unique, a butterfly pin is the perfect replacement. And for the bride? If you'd like to add a summery hue to your bridal outfit, do so by embroidering orange monarchs onto your veil.

Butterflies can also nod to your big-day venue. If you are hosting a garden wedding, place life-like ones sporadically throughout your event. Whether on a bar top, table runner, or cake, you'll give the illusion that these insects have landed all around your soirée. In need of more inspiration? You're in luck. Ahead, we've rounded up our favorite butterfly wedding ideas to inspire your own.

Printed Dishware

Make like this couple and complement your feminine tablescape with butterfly-printed dishware for a splash of on-theme color.

Sanctuary Venue

Host your soirée at a butterfly sanctuary, like this couple did, so the live bugs are a guaranteed part of your big day; they'll float around the room, delighting your guests.

Unique Sendoff

Looking for a unique ceremony sendoff idea? Place live butterflies in glass containers (Mon Voir calligraphed these) on each seat. Guests released these insects after the couple said "I do."

3D Wedding Cake

Upgrade a simple white cake by decorating it with 3D elements. Fleur and Flour made it look as though butterflies hda gathered on this single-tier confection.

Wing Numbers

Nod to your love for the outdoors with butterfly wing table numbers. Laura Made It created this iteration, which matched Amorology's pink-and-yellow tablescape.

Vintage Flair

This bride pinned her grandmother's butterfly broach to her bouquet wrap as her something old. An antique, like this one, can add vintage flair to any arrangement—and whimsy, too, if the vintage piece is shaped like this pretty bug.

Garden-Inspired Gown

Search for a wedding dress like this butterfly-embroidered Claire Pettibone ensemble if you're dreaming of a gown that nods to your garden locale.

Pretty Pop

Recreate Tessa Lyn Events' seating chart for a nature-inspired station that lends color to your outdoor event. These blush-and-yellow butterflies prettily popped against an all-white backdrop.

Whimsical Table Runner

Decorating your table runner with butterflies will give your setup a whimsical, outdoorsy feel, as evidenced by this tablescape.

Colorful Veil

Add a pop of color to your all-white bridal ensemble by embroidering butterflies onto your veil. Jemima Williams designed this accessory.

Soft Installation

Copy this couple's hanging butterfly installation if you wish to soften an industrial-style venue. The feminine accent prettily contrasted this bar's masculine aesthetic.

Effortless Landing

Adorn your outdoor seating chart with preserved butterflies for a romantic look, like Jenna Caitlin Designs did here. The yellow insects prettily complemented golden blooms by Heirloom Design House.

Stamp Hints

Allude to your wedding's locale through your stationery with stamps that represent your chosen setting. This bride used an array of succulent and butterfly postage on her invitation packages by The Idea Emporium and Isidore & Augustine to hint at her flower-filled wedding in the desert.

Unique Boutonnière

Forgo a traditional boutonnière and decorate your suit with a butterfly pin for a fun accessory that speaks to your wedding's spring date.

Watercolor Illustrations

Set the tone for your garden wedding with nature-inspired save-the-dates that feature butterfly and flower illustrations. Florine Asch painted this custom watercolor iteration.

Perched Place Cards

Direct guests to their reception chairs via an eye-catching butterfly escort card station. We suggest attaching paper iterations—Scheme Events created these—onto a grass backdrop for an earthy display.

Gift Station

Enhance your gift table's feminine aesthetic by placing preserved butterflies on your tablecloth and presents. Sterling Engagements used the insect to upgrade this pink station's romantic look.

Hand Fans

Keep guests cool during your outdoor ceremony with butterfly fans. We love how these handmade iterations added a vibrant hue to white folding chairs.

Transformative Display

Star Hansen Events created butterfly wall installations to symbolize this couple's transformation from fiancés to spouses. We suggest doing the same for a meaningful, nature-inspired décor moment.

Escort Cards

Place faux butterflies and other bugs on top of escort cards to give your setup a natural look. Uprinting created this display—the insects from Bioquip looked as if they'd landed on this station themselves.

Patterned Wings

Olive Willow Designs created framed insect escort cards to showcase this couple's shared love for entomology. Remake this seating chart with different butterfly types for an eye-catching décor element with lots of colors and patterns.

Lucite Sign

Red butterfly decorations can enhance any moody wedding color palette. Stone Fruit pressed burgundy insects between Lucite slabs to create this modern bar cart sign.