Succulent-wedding-bouquet-blue and purple.

What is a succulent bouquet?  What should a succulent bouquet look like, especially if it is for a wedding?  That’s kind of like asking what a flower bouquet looks like? The simple answer is “it depends”.

Searching the internet and magazines there are all kinds of “succulent bouquets”.  Some have one or two succulents while others are 100% succulents. So it’s really up to the bride and florist to create something that says “wedding succulent bouquet”.

Here are a few tips to make sure your succulent bouquet, regardless of how many succulents it includes, looks stunning.

Echeveria rosettes

What succulents should you use?
There are hundreds of succulent varieties but when it comes to a bouquet echeveria succulents are the most popular.
Echeverias most resemble a blooming flower and have a plump flesh where it holds water.  Echeverias don’t have flat petals like a flower so they have a more bulky chunky appearance.  They come in a variety of shapes and colors that include light sky blue, pale and light-green, dark green, violet, and ivory as well as some that have red tips and pink hues.

These are all great colors for creating a succulent bouquet. When is comes to color something to keep in mind is that the color you see in an image might change with lightning.  We have taken photos of the same succulent with different lighting and the color can vary from green to blue depending on the light. So don’t stress about having an exact color because mother nature doesn’t work that way.  Instead enjoy the beauty of the succulent and its natural color and how it changes with lighting.

Sempervivums are another variety that have a thinner skin and do not hold water in their leaves like echeverias.  Sempervivums come in greens and can change colors to a dark purple when stressed from lots of light.

Crassulas are another variety of succulents which can add texture and other geometric shapes.  They tend to come in varying shades of green.

Sedums can offer an array of earth tones such as bronze and ochre colors.

Crassula perforata

Where succulents come from is important.
Many succulent varieties come from semi arid regions of the world.  They don’t like desert heat, they don’t like it where it gets below 45 degrees for prolonged periods of time and they don’t like excessive moisture and rain.  Succulents aren’t dummies they find the climate of Southern California to be ideal for growing here in the U.S.  

When working with a florist it’s important to understand how and where they get their succulents.  Because a succulent that has been shipped in an enclosed box for several days and then it kept inside a warehouse for a few more and then purchased by a florist who then keeps it in their studio for a couple of days will look and be stressed out and tired right before it is added to your bouquet.

So ask where they get their succulents and how do they insure freshness?
At Urban Succulents for a Saturday wedding we like to take the succulent out of their soil  a few days prior (Wednesday or Thursday) create the bouquet, and next day air the order so it arrives fresh and happy. 

Make sure your florist has worked with succulents
This might sound obvious but there are florist that have not worked with succulents and do not know how to properly source them or wire them so they can be fitted into a bouquet with fresh flowers.   Trust but verify.  

Succulent sedums

How much does a succulent bouquet cost?
A succulent bouquet cost anywhere from $60 to $200 depending on the number of succulents and the complexity of the bouquet.  On the low end of the scale the bouquet will likely be small and there might be three or four succulents.  The more expensive bouquets will have 20 to 24 succulents and may include harder to find succulent varieties.  Also keep in mind next day shipping of a bouquet via Fed Ex will run between $50 to $60.

Wired Succulents are a money saving alternative
Another great way to save money is wired succulents.   These allow you to create your own bouquet with fresh local flowers. The succulents come individually wired and ready to insert into a bouquet.

Re-planting your succulent bouquet
One of the great things about a succulents bouquet is they can be replanted.  Simply deconstruct your bouquet and remove the floral tape and wire. Then let the succulents rest in a dry area exposed to lots of natural light.
Over time some of them will start to grow roots.  Once there are roots you can place them in potting soil and let them take root, making sure not to over water.   

Get inspired
Urban Succulents,com specializes in succulent bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and succulent hair combs.  For ideas about succulent bouquets visit our website https://www.succulentlyurban.com/ or check out the ten of our favorite succulent bouquets to see what’s possible.