One wedding trend still going strong this year is the use of succulents and other greenery. We get it -- the simplicity of the greens and whites is stunning. The most common displays of this theme are in bouquets and table decorations, of course. But with so many brides doing this, you may want to add a few details here and there to make your wedding stand out from the rest. Mixing in unexpected colors, signature cocktails and desserts, and other accessories are just a few ways to make the theme your own.
One of our favorite colors to pair with succulents is this deep garnet.
Another is ultra violet, pairing with more general greenery.
Keep reading to find ways to incorporate each of these in your wedding plans!
Flowers and Decorations
You’ll want to minimize the use of these colors in a bouquet or decorations in order to truly stick with the greenery theme, but just a couple of flowers per bouquet in either of these beautiful colors will be enough to draw anyone’s eye.
The same applies to table arrangements. How gorgeous is this simply-decorated reception hall, from the garland to the lights to the bursts of purple on the tables? Less is more if you’re looking for an attention-getting pop of color.
If your venue allows for it, use a “stepable” succulent or other sturdy plant in the aisle – it’ll feel like walking through a forest. Sedum Makinoi is durable enough that it could be planted afterwards, too, so you could have someone collect it after the ceremony and include it in the favors or plant it yourself. Imagine looking at your yard every day and being reminded of walking down the aisle!
Accessories
These wooden ring boxes are adorable and would be an awesome craft for you and your partner to make together.
If you’re leaning more towards succulents, these beautiful ring boxes are sure to stun as a ring-holding terrarium. You can paint the outside garnet red or ultra violet to match.
Use leaves as your place cards or escort cards. You could also use potted mini succulents as an escort card and a favor.
Cocktails
Really take your reception up a notch by serving one of these cocktails. You can also put your own spin on the cocktail and include a recipe card and personalized cup or flute as a wedding favor.
Greenery – put the theme into your drinks!
Pomegranate and Rosemary Champagne Cocktail: this easy cocktail is gorgeous and delicious, with just pomegranate arils and juice, rosemary, and champagne.
Rose and Cucumber Collins: this twist on the gin-based classic Tom Collins is refreshing and perfect for a summer wedding.
Green
Midori Mebuki: a bright green drink made with melon liqueur that tastes like sour candy. “Mebuki” means “budding” in Japanese and refers to the beginning of spring, making this cocktail an interesting addition to your spring wedding bar menu.
Amuse Vert: this recipe calls for Hendrick’s Gin, which is made with rose and cucumber, ginger, lime juice, and fresh kiwis. The fresh fruit adds to the color and adds a sweet and tart flavor that can’t be matched by artificial fruit flavoring.
Ultra Violet
Shrinking Violet Cocktail: supposedly, the name comes from how fast this drink shrinks after you take a drink. Made with just Crème de Violette Liqueur and champagne, this simple purple cocktail is a great upgrade to the traditional champagne toast.
The Artist: a violet gin martini. Garnish with flowers instead of olives.
Garnet Red
Summer’s Garden: another wonderful summer drink. Blackberries, rose geranium syrup, gin, and lemon juice blend beautifully for a light, tart taste.
Frozen Hibiscus Margarita: this clever combination can be served in a glass as a margarita or frozen and eaten as a sorbet. The addition of hibiscus flowers and vanilla bean make this a margarita your guests will love recreating at home.
Desserts
My favorite part of any theme is the matching desserts. This is your chance to get really creative. Where do succulents, greenery, and flowers fit in the dessert world?
Lilac blackberry pavlova: this meringue-based dessert is fairly easy to make and is just as delicious as it is pretty.
Donuts: you can’t go wrong with donuts to begin with, but with these colors and the added flowers, your guests won’t be able to stop – gushing or eating!
Candied violets: this versatile candy can be added to cookies, cakes, ice cream, drinks, fruit plates, and more for a sweet, delicate touch.
Violet creams: basically a violet-infused pudding that can be served as a pudding or over shortbread cookies. Sprinkle some of the candied violets on top!
Rosewater and raspberry panna cotta: another “basically pudding” dish, this panna cotta is creamy and decadent, despite the recipe boasting it’s low-calorie content (but we all know calories don’t count at a wedding anyway).
Red velvet cheesecake brownies: What’s better than combining two desserts? Cutting them into heart shapes and serving them at your wedding.
Red velvet lava cakes: don’t forget the napkins - you'll need them for these decadent brownies that are also cheesecake.
Even if you choose flower-less desserts, you can still dress up the dessert table with this theme. Remember the Sedum you walked on? That same plant works beautifully as a filler on your dessert table. It’s small enough that it will rest underneath the edge of any serving platter while still giving your desserts a colorful background.
Elizabeth graduated from The University of Findlay with a Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing. She now resides in Portland, Oregon where she is employed in the real estate business and is particularly enjoying the local cuisine. As a writer, Elizabeth believes in a quote from one of her favorite TV shows: "We have only two jobs on this Earth. The first: to learn. The second: to cope." A deep desire to learn struck Elizabeth when she was young, and now she hopes to help you cope by sharing information, and helping you apply the knowledge. Weddings and event planning can be overwhelming; sometimes it's okay to take a little advice from a stranger on the internet.
