Photo: Bella Scottsdale / Jane In the Woods

In recent years, we’ve seen more and more couples take an eco-friendly approach to wedding planning. From wedding invitations printed on recycled paper to paper cocktail straws instead of plastic ones, every element of a wedding can be eco-friendly if you’re conscious about what you buy and where you buy it from. 

And that includes wedding flowers.

Sure, flowers are natural, but some are treated with chemicals. Some are grown with pesticides. Many are transported from far away, which creates unnecessary carbon emissions. And no matter how pretty they may be, all of these things take a toll on the environment. 

But don’t worry — you don’t have to completely ditch your bouquet in order to have a green wedding.

Here are seven eco-friendly bridal bouquets that are perfect for your big day!

Greenery Bouquet

 Photo: Bella Charlotte / InContrast Images

Want a gorgeous wedding bouquet that doesn’t include any flowers at all?

Have your florist put together a greenery bouquet full of fresh plants and vines. 

Eucalyptus, jasmine vine, green trick dianthus, and ferns are just a few of the various plants that you can turn into a gorgeous bridal bouquet. We love these for a boho wedding or a rustic celebration!

Don’t want to skip the flowers altogether? You don’t have to! A greenery bouquet can look even more beautiful with a few eco-friendly blooms scattered throughout.

Birch Wood Flower Bouquet

 Photo: Bella Madison / Claire Teator

With some artistic skill, birch wood shavings can be used to make faux flowers that look just like the real thing. 

Unless you’re adept in the art of wood carving, we don’t recommend this as a DIY project. Instead, ask your wedding planner to find you a wood artist. A skilled artisan can create a stunning wedding bouquet and other floral arrangements, all made from sustainable birch wood.

Related: 5 Ideas for a Cottagecore Wedding

Sola Wood Flower Bouquet

Photo: Bella Little Rock / Kati Mallory

You can make your wedding day eco-friendly and still enjoy gorgeous flowers by choosing a sola wood bouquet. 

Sola wood flowers come from the shavings of marshy plants, similar in feel and texture to balsa wood. Like birch wood, the bark can be cut back, and the inside can be shaved and shaped to look just like real flowers.

Sola wood flowers can be made to look like roses, peonies, dahlias, and all sorts of other blooms. It takes quite a bit of skill to create a wedding bouquet from sola wood, so it’s best to hire a wood sculptor to create one for you!

These flowers can also be painted to match your wedding colors. So if you’re having a blue wedding, a blush wedding, or an all-white celebration, you can make your bouquet match your colors to a tee! 

Paper Flower Bouquet

Photo: The House That Lars Built

If you’re a DIY diva that knows how to be crafty, you can create your own one-of-a-kind wedding bouquet out of paper! 

With some recycled paper, floral wire, tape, and scissors, you can make a colorful paper flower bouquet to carry down the aisle on your special day. And unlike real flowers that have to be dyed to match certain color palettes, paper flower bouquets can be crafted in any color you like! 

Whether your wedding color palette is navy blue, blush pink, burgundy, or some other shade, it’s easy to make a paper flower bouquet that perfectly matches your bridesmaid dresses and other wedding décor.

If you’re thinking about making a paper flower bouquet, there are lots of easy DIY tutorials that explain how to do it step by step.

Not keen on the idea of paper flowers?

Silk flowers are also a good option, especially if you want a keepsake bouquet that you can have forever!

Fruit or Veggie Bouquet 

Photo: Bella Chicago / Kayla Coleslaw

Skip the faux flowers altogether and create an arrangement of fruit, produce, and dried herbs! With some strategic cutting, snipping, and arranging, some fruits and veggies can actually look like flowers. 

We don’t recommend a fruit or veggie bouquet if you’re having a lavish wedding at a castle or a casual ceremony on the beach. But if you’re having a rustic wedding in your backyard or a barn wedding on a farm, this is a great way to be eco-friendly and show your unique sense of style.

Not sure what type of produce to use? Think purple cabbage in place of real flowers. Use green cabbage as leaves. Add artichokes, blueberries, kumquats, and dried herbs as “filler” flowers. And if that’s not enough texture, add in a succulent or two!

You might also be interested in: How to Plan a Non-Traditional Wedding 

Real Flower Bouquet (With Eco-Friendly Flowers)

 Photo: Bella Shreveport / Laura Caraway

Just because flowers are natural doesn’t mean they’re eco-friendly. In fact, most cut flowers used in wedding bouquets are not. 

But that doesn’t mean you can’t have real flowers in your bouquet. You can, if you buy them from an eco-conscious grower.

Eco-conscious growers use natural light, natural fertilizers, and safe pesticides to grow their blooms. They also limit their distribution area and only deliver flowers locally.

We totally understand if you want a real flower bouquet, real flower arrangements for your ceremony, and real flowers in your wedding centerpieces. So, just look for a florist that buys from eco-conscious growers!

And for those brides and grooms who can’t find any eco-conscious growers in their local area, there is one other alternative:

Instead of having a huge bouquet and towering centerpieces, pare your flower arrangements down to just a few single stems.

DIY a Floral Bouquet From Your Backyard

 Photo: Bella Milwaukee / eHarbony Photography

Eco-friendly flowers can also come straight from your backyard (or one that’s nearby). If you have your heart set on a real flower wedding bouquet, by all means, you should have one!

Here’s how to DIY an eco-friendly flower bouquet for your big day: 

Start by picking flowers from your own garden or from a local grower (to cut down on those carbon emissions from transportation). Homegrown wildflowers are perfect for a casual wedding. Hydrangeas and lilies are ideal for a classic, elegant celebration. If you have these in your backyard, use them!

Next, assemble your bouquet with eco-friendly products. That means skipping that spongy, non-biodegradable floral foam.

Instead, use chicken wire and metal pins to keep your flowers positioned upright. Weave twigs together to create a lattice support. Or, use natural elements, like pebbles, sand, clay, or gravel to hold your flowers in place. 

When it’s all together, wrap your stems with burlap or linen fabric, and you’ll have a flower bouquet that’s beautiful, eco-friendly, and real!

Further reading: Your Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Bridesmaids Bouquets

Conclusion 

In addition to your bouquet, you can also use eco flowers for boutonnieres, bridesmaid bouquets, centerpieces, and corsages. You can even add one or two to your wedding cake, a fun hair accessory, a garter, or a sash on your wedding dress.

Whether you’re having a winter wedding or a summer celebration, eco-friendly flowers are easy to incorporate into any ceremony. From sola wood to locally grown blooms, there are lots of ways to carry a beautiful wedding bouquet made with the environment in mind.

And we just know that whatever type of bouquet you choose, it will be amazing!

For more fun wedding ideas, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!