Here comes the bride (and she’s carrying cacti and sweetcorn)
WEDDING bouquets are getting heavier as modern brides are choosing cacti, succulents and even vegetables over traditional flowers, industry experts have said.
Echeveria, a green succulent from Mexico, has become almost ubiquitous at trendy wedding ceremonies, with other similar plants proving popular for their unusual colours, such as grey.
Others brides are opting for cabbage plants and even sweetcorn, as social media sites such as Instagram encourage bridal creativity.
With brides spending an average of £550 on their wedding flowers, florists say they are under pressure to create unique bouquet designs.
“Brides in general are less conservative now and perhaps listen less to their mother or mother-in-law and just go with what they really want. The trend for succulents started in the States, possibly because of warmer climates in some parts of America, and we’re seeing more of it within wedding work,” said Tracey Griffin, of the British Florists’ Association.
“A bride could say her grandfather grows sweetcorn, so that could be incorporated into the bouquet.
“Every bride wants her day to be memorable.”
However, she added that the need to duck when the bouquet comes flying might be less pressing thanks to florists who are now constructing smaller “throwing bouquets” for brides determined to fulfil the wedding tradition.
“You wouldn’t want to get bashed on the head with a bouquet with half a dozen succulents in it,” Ms Griffin said.