Wedding greenery looks fresh, smells great, and costs a lot less than flowers! From eucalyptus and ivy to elephant ears and succulents, foliage can be just as beautiful as blossoms. Greenery is less likely to trigger allergies, too. We love how herbal and forest themes can support pagan and medieval fantasies, but vines and leaves can also really suit an urban architectural vibe.
Here are eight places greenery can add to your wedding decor and general vibe.
Decor
The most obvious way to bring in wedding greenery is in the wedding decor. Just choosing the right venue can be half the battle. We’ve seen weddings in gardens, parks, forests, and farms. Check the natural features when you visit venues, and count the plants and trees as part of your decor. Add potted plants, silk vines, or even branches and slices of tree trunks to carry on the look.
Greenery decor lends itself to the DIY, but if you’re working with a florist, make sure you share your vision before you make your choice. Some florists love the offbeat outside the box nature of looking beyond the blossoms, and some just don’t. Check out the fern wreaths at this Tennessee wedding for an example of creative use of greenery!
Bouquet
A loose, hand-tied bouquet is usually less pricey than a more formal, structured one. Go with a high greenery-to-flower ratio for serious savings. The example here includes some blossoms, but the filler foliage gets a much more important role. The effect is natural and relaxed, but also gorgeous –just like the bride.
Boutonniere
Herbs often include small, special flowers along with intriguing greenery. In a boutonniere or corsage, they make a statement. They’ll dry nicely, too, and provide a keepsake. The lavender has a subtle unisex scent of its own.
Favors
Send guests home with greenery they can plant. They’ll remember your wedding for years! Choose plantable pots for maximum convenience.
Centerpieces
Leaves, seedpods, and the rest of the parts of plants can be as lush and lovely as flowers… but they cost much less. Use the classic formula: thriller, filler, and spiller. That means you start with a few gorgeous blooms, fill in with greenery, and pick some plant materials that will cascade down the front of the arrangement to finish it off.
Take a completely different tack with a DIY succulent terrarium. We have the full instructions right here!.
Food
Greens are always a welcome addition to a meal. When your decor is based on greenery, those pretty leaves reinforce the look. From arugula to kale, there are so many different shapes and colors in greens raw or cooked that this one detail can make guests catch their breath when they see the table.
Cake
Natural flowers on cakes are trendy — and can be less pricy than molded sugar paste flowers. Take it a step further and use fresh greenery. This example takes a traditional multi-tiered fondant-covered cake and dresses it up with elegant foliage sprays.
If you DIY your cake, double check to make sure the leaves and other plant material you use are non-toxic.
Clothes
Okay, this is a stretch. But how sweet is this leafy wedding shawl? Checkout a moss cape for another take on this idea.
We can’t resist including these charming shoes, either. Once you pick a wedding greenery theme, it can inspire many more leafy elements. Check out our entire greenery archive for ideas!