The Perfect DIY Wedding Keepsake
Using succulents as part of your wedding bouquet can add a lot of color and variety. They're a popular flower choice for bouquets, especially in the fall and winter, as the flower selection becomes more limited. While florals will be thrown away after your big day, succulents can be saved and become a long-term garden to remind you of your growing relationship. It's easy to take your bouquet and turn it into a potted arrangement.
Your Succulent Bouquet
Rather than making a succulent bouquet myself, I got a bouquet from Succulently Urban on Etsy. I was so glad I did!
Her bouquets are absolutely beautiful and it arrived in pristine condition. The packaging was designed in such a way that the bouquet wasn't able to move and there wasn't anything that could touch or damage the succulents during shipping.
This really is a durable bouquet that will definitely survive a full day of use for your wedding.
What's in the bouquet?
Something fun about this particular bouquet… if you look on the right hand side of the picture below, you'll notice the bouquet actually has Echeveria blooms in it (did you know that succulents actually flower?).
I thought that was a really nice touch. Plus, succulent flowers last quite a long time.
Remove the ribbon
The first step is to remove the ribbon from the bouquet. You can either cut it off or untie it. I tend to save all sorts of ribbons so I untied mine. This will reveal all the stems and wires of succulents and flowers. You might even be able to save the ribbon and use it for another project or keep a section of it as a bookmark and another wedding memento.
Cut the floral tape
Cut through the floral tape and remove it to expose the stems and wires. This will likely be the trickiest part. Often florists will wrap smaller sections and then wrap all of them together. Cut through as much as you can to make it easier to remove the various stems.
Pull out non-succulents
With this bouquet, most of the flowers were under the first layer of floral tape. Remove any flower stems that aren't succulents. You can throw these away or save them if you can find a use for them! I love the thistle in this bouquet. I think they would save and could look interesting as decoration on a shelf.
Pull apart succulent stems
Continue to cut off the floral tape and separate the floral stems from the succulent's wires. You should be left with a collection of succulents attached to wires.
Peel back the floral tape
I found the best way to remove the wires from the succulents was to pull back the floral tape and clip the wire near the top.
Cut and remove the wires
Cut off extra long lengths of wire so you don't have to pull as much out of the succulent (which is more likely to cause damage. Leave enough wire that you can then pull out the pieces. Do this for each of the succulents so you are left with just the succulent cuttings.
Remove dead leaves from succulents
To encourage the succulents to put off roots and grow healthy and beautiful, pull off any dead leaves around the bottom of the succulent. Removing these leaves helps to prevent rot later on.
Leave the cuttings to dry
Removing the wires from the succulents can cause some damage to occur inside the stem of the succulent. It's nothing serious, but any “open wound” on a succulent can cause it to rot when watered. I recommend letting the succulents dry out for a day before you place them in the soil.
Plant the succulents
Now for the fun part! You get to arrange all your succulent cuttings into a stunning container arrangement.
My bouquet was mostly Echeverias which are all about the same height. They are also particular about over-watering. So, I selected a shallow bonsai pot to plant them in.
This shallow container was perfect! It provided enough room for soil but is low enough that it allows the succulents to be the focus. Originally I had selected a much deeper pot, but it was distracting and shifted the view away from the plants.
The Ultimate Resource for Your Succulent Wedding
Of course, the bouquet is just one part of your wedding florals. Succulents are a great addition to any area of a wedding. We've put together a complete resource for using succulents for your wedding including the best places to buy succulents, DIY tutorials, and more.
Tips for Planting Succulents
While planting succulents is pretty straightforward, I highly recommend reading through our succulent planting tips before you get too far in. This will help ensure your bouquet garden turns out perfectly and lives for years to come.
Save Your Succulents With This Critical Watering Technique And Look Like A Pro
A big part of keeping succulents healthy is providing them with the right environment. You'll want to pay attention to the soil they're in, how much sunlight they're getting, and most importantly, how often you're watering them. The method and frequency of watering succulents are critical to preventing rot while encouraging lots of new growth.
Has Your Succulent Lost Its Color?
The succulents in this list can all tolerate low light. But most colorful succulents won't fare so well. There are a number of factors that help keep your succulents colorful, including how much light they get. Even some of these "low light" succulents will look a little better with more light. Find out how to give your succulents healthy stress and bring out their brightest colors.
7 Worst Mistakes Beginners Make When Growing Succulents
Many people assume that they can take care of succulent plants however they want -- just treat them like normal house plants. The problem is succulents aren't like most other house plants. They have completely different watering needs and often need more sunlight and airflow than other plants. Find out what the most common succulent mistakes are and how to avoid them.
Yes, Your Succulent Is Probably Dying, But Here's What To Do About It
There are a number of reasons your succulent might not be looking great. Find out how to tell what's wrong with your succulent and how you can fix it or prevent it from happening again.
This article originally appeared on Succulents and Sunshine.