Wedding Trends - Succulent Bouquets

For a while now I've been looking at classic wedding flowers (Lilies, Roses, Orchids) but I've been wanting to look at trends in wedding flowers and to cast my eye over whats going on out there in the wedding industry.  

Over the last few years succulents have become a new favourite for those looking for something a bit different. I put this down in part to the rise in popularity in The States of the rustic wedding. Thanks to the warmer, more reliably summery weather, couples there are making great use of fabulous outdoor spaces, barns, farms and country settings, and they've been opting to style weddings with rustic arrangements to complement their choice of venues.  

Brides who like relaxed, rustic, and country styles are also choosing more loose, natural bouquets with lots of interesting textures, and for these succulents are a perfect choice. Then there's the trend for blush shades of soft peaches and pale pinks, which works so well with dusty blue/grey succulent foliage.

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There are lots of different types of Succulents, but Echevaria and Sempre Vivum tend to be the most popular for wedding bouquets and decorations. They have a strong almost architectural feel and their rosette form and plump petal shapes are very striking. 

They come in so many shades too, from cool ice blues, dusty greys, and greens to warmer toned mauves, lilacs and reds. Thats part of the beauty of using succulents, theres such a vast array of colour and variety available, and they can be used in lots of different ways. 

Here's just a few of my favourite images of wedding bouquets and tips on how to make Succulents work for your bridal flowers 

Mix with other interesting flowers and foliage to create an interesting blend of textures. 

Succulents can be both physically and visually heavy, so use them sparingly and contrast with other flower shapes.

Simple neutral palettes put the focus on the textural elements of the bouquet and mean the bouquet won't be fighting for attention with colourful bridesmaids dresses or venue decor.

If you're using lots of different shades/and/or a variety of textures, you can still achieve a clean looking bouquet by grouping flowers and avoiding too much fluff or fuss.

Then again, a few whispy strands of foliage or feathers (used minimally to avoid the tack factor) can give the illusion of lightness to a bouquet of mixed succulents. 

One of my absolute favourites, this colour combination exudes understated elegance. The ice cool succulents with a blue tone, beautifully set off the creamy lemon/yellow centres of the Peonies. You don't necessarily need a lot of flowers to create a stunning hand tied bouquet.

If you're going to be using lots of large headed blooms with large rosette type succulents, its a good idea to vary the height of each and use tufts of foliage like herbs to soften the effect.

This sweet bouquet is quite compact and manages to keep things simple by sticking to 3 colours and flower types (the grey works like a neutral colour here instead of green foliage). 

Peaches and creams are the perfect partner for succulents. For peach think Talea and Vendella roses, peach Hypericum, Peonies and peach calla. Astilbe, Astrantia, white Eryngium (thistle) and Lisianthus make nice creamy touches. Berried Eucalyptus is a lovely touch with this combination too.

Don't be afraid to add a little colour. I love subtle colour combinations but succulents look fab with stronger vibrant colours too. Love, love, love these fruity numbers. Orange Ranunculus and poppies look great with grey/silver succulents. And the more limey crassula work so well with zingy plump Dahlia. A great little trail too don't you think?

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Hope thats given you some ideas for using succulents in your bouquet. If you are thinking about succulents don't forget that:

• Less is more with succulents, apart from when it come to texture, when more is more!

• Colour doesn't have to poke your eye out to be pretty.

• A great florist knows and loves working with foliage almost as much a flowers, so have faith and ask their advice on what will work with the overall effect your going for.

• Succulents don't come on long stems and they're gonna need to be wired, so unless you're feeling very ambitious, this is one type of bouquet thats probably best left to the experts.

For a more DIY take on succulents, have a go at the table decorations or favours. And if you need some inspiration for those, I'll be back with some ideas for decorating with succulents soon..

Images via - Project Wedding, Wedding Chicks, Bella Signature, Style me pretty, Wedding Chicks, Style Me Pretty, Once Wed, Once Wed, Style Me Pretty, Style Me Pretty, Bash Please, Bash Please, Unknown, Style Me Pretty, Pinterest, 100 Layer Cake