Unexpected Ways to Use Succulents as Part of Your Wedding Décor

succulent wedding cake decor
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

succulent Escort Card Favors
B.Willow

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

succulent and cacti alter decor
Birds of a Feather

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

succulent ring box
Leslie D. Photography

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

Succulent napkin rings
JoPhoto

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

succulent centerpieces in glass boxes
Joshua Aull Photography

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

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Statement Blooms

succulent wedding bouquet
Elena Wolfe

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

tiny succulents place card holder
Anna Roussos

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

green wedding ideas jessie schultz backdrop
Jessie Schultz Photography

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

succulent favors with gold paper hot air balloons
Melissa Jill Photography

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

ombre cakes the nichols
The Nichols

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

plant cupcake wedding favor succulent seating card
Blush Wedding Photography

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

succulent boutonniere
Emily Delamater Photography

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

bridal shower favors succulents
Jessica Bordner Photography

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

succulent mini cakes
Eddie Judd

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

red and yellow fall floral bouquet arrangement
Carlie Statsky Photography

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

three tiered gray frosted wedding cake with succulent decor
Chris Barber Photography

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

succulent wedding reception table bouquet
Erin McGinn Photography

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

floral and succulent arrangement decor
Jana Dillon Photography

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

succulent cake topper
Lavender and Twine

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

white floral and green succulent wedding bouquet
Jen Jinkens

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

succulent boutonnière
Jen Huang Photography

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

veronica-daniel-wedding-welcome-party-aspen-21-s112050.jpg
Jessica Lorren Photography

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

katherine-jared-wedding-0554-ds111387.jpg
Bryce Covey Photography

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

kendall-grant-wedding-boutonnieres-015-s112328-1215.jpg
Shannon Von Eschen

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

katherine-jared-wedding-0899-ds111387.jpg
Bryce Covey Photography

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

Laser-Cut Flag Centerpieces
Vienna Glenn Photography

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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