15 Cactus Wedding Ideas That You'll Get Stuck On

Given our love for all things texture in wedding designs, the gloriousness of the cactus is not one we would ignore! Diverse in shapes, sizes, and even colors, the cactus provides a beautiful look to any desert-themed wedding. We may be coastal, but that doesn't mean we can't get in on the cacti trend! If nothing else, you're basically going to get to know a lot of different types of cacti from this inspirational roundup! (Hello, Prickly Pear and Golden Barrel, you're in the spotlight today!) Curated from Etsy and from our fellow wedding editors, we found the most spiky chic ideas for any couple looking to bring a little Southwestern spirit to their Virginia wedding.

Prickly pear cactus wedding bouquet with wildly textured flowers

Prickly Pear Cactus Wedding Bouquet

as seen on Belle the Magazine

When it comes to cacti, putting them in a handheld bouquet might not be the very first thought, but remove the prickly bits, and you've got a gorgeous textured addition to your personal florals!

Photography: Coffee Creative Photography | Wedding Dress: Rosa Clara Bridal | Hair and Makeup: UR New Image | Florals: Fiori | Creative Direction: Belle the Magazine


Blue coastal cactus watercolor wedding invitations

Coastal Cactus Wedding Invitation Suite

as seen on Etsy

Hello, most perfect mashup of desert and beach! By having watercolor washes of blue and pretty cacti illustrations, it's a coastal lover's dream invitation design.

Stationery: Spotted Donkey Ink via Etsy


Modern rustic wedding cake with cute sugar cactus topper

Wedding Cake with Sugar Cactus Topper

as seen on Junebug Weddings

Love cacti, but not fancying the real thing? We adore this sweet little sugar prickly pear cactus topper with an adorable sugar rose hat. When placed on top of a modern white wedding cake, it's perfectly showcased!

Photography: Carrie J. Photography | Event Planning: Honey Lemon Events | Venue: Album Studio Rentals | Florals: Blush and Bloom | Cake: Le Dolci | Calligraphy: Thunderloft Paper & Goods


Cactus wedding centerpieces with protea and succulents

Mini Cactus Wedding Centerpiece

as seen on Tidewater and Tulle

Mix and match your floral favorites with any kind of cactus you want! Professional florists are fantastic at complementing the shapes of various blooms, and we think succulents, king protea, and pincushion protea look great against the green and the spikes. (The other cacti pictured? You'll want to ask about grafted cactus, bunny ear cactus, and cactus from the parodia family.)

Photography: Sarah Street Photography | Florals and Styling: Isha Foss Design | Venue: The Historic Post Office | Specialty Rentals: Mad Hatter Vintage Rentals


Cactus wax seal stamper and green wax

Cactus Wax Seal

as seen on Etsy

Show off your desert wedding theme right by putting a little cacti wax seal love on your wedding invitations or even your wedding reception menus!

Wax Seal Stamper Set: Mister Robinson via Etsy


Cactus for wedding portrait backdrop

Cactus Wedding Backdrop for Portraits

as seen on Nouba

We may not live in the Southwest, but that doesn't mean we don't have gorgeous cacti backdrops for portraits in Coastal Virginia! Locally, you can find beautiful desert-inspired areas at the Norfolk Botanical Garden or at the Virginia Zoo both in Norfolk.

Photography: Sarah Jean | Styling & Concept: Peak Lane | Florals: Botanica Naturalis | Hair: Dan Secker | Makeup: Emily Love Makeup | Rentals: Hire Society | Model: Joleen Traill


Painted cactus cookies

Cactus Painted Wedding Cookies

as seen on 100 Layer Cake

We kind of have a soft spot for all things sweets, so we're always going to suggest themed desserts! And these hand-painted cacti sugar cookies are perfection!

Photography: The Fresh Prints | Design & Planning: Lux Events and Design | Cookies: Sweet and Saucy Shop


Cactus inspired signature cocktail

Prickly Pear Inspired Signature Wedding Cocktail

as seen on Wedding Chicks

Even if your theme is about other things, you can still bring in the prickly beauty by having a signature cocktail inspired by it!

Photography: Angela Zion | Catering: Jonathan Caleb Cake | Styling & Florals: Statice


Watercolor cactus wedding place cards with pastel cactus centerpiece

Cactus Wedding Place Cards

as seen on Green Wedding Shoes

While we love all cacti, we especially love the paddle-shaped prickly pear whether it's in real life or on custom place card tags. It's just too cute!

Photography: Megan Welker | Event Design: Beijos Events | Florals: MV Florals | Calligraphy: Poppy Jack Shop | Rentals: Hostess Haven & Adore Folklore | Drink Stirrers: Jenn and Jules Designs via Etsy


Wood engraved cactus wedding save the date

Wooden Cactus Engraved Wedding Save the Date

as seen on Etsy

The saguaro cactus takes centerstage in these wooden save the dates. We love how unique these are and how nice of a keepsake they become!

Engraved Save the Dates: Alfalfa Design via Etsy


Golden barrel cactus wedding decor ideas

Cactus Wedding Ceremony Decor

as seen on Love Inc.

If you're seen these chubby round cacti, then you've spotted the Golden Barrel. We don't recommend having these all over your wedding since they're quite large and spiky, but for your ceremony decorations, we love how they diversify the heights of a typical ceremony arch (especially when paired with the candelabra cactus seen on the right!).

Photography: Gideon Photo | Event Design: Amorology Weddings | Venue: Colony 29 | Florals: Twigg Botanicals | Backdrops: Back Up Backdrops


Vintage cactus postage stamps for cactus wedding

Vintage Cactus Postage Stamps

as seen on Etsy

Blend your love of vintage and cactus with these fun postage stamps for your wedding invites. (And each stamp also gives you a lesson in cactus identification! The nerds in us totally geeked out over these!)

Vintage Postage Stamps: Gubba Gumma via Etsy


Cactus wedding table number

Prickly Pear Cactus Wedding Table Number

as seen on Style Me Pretty

Prickly pear wins again! Place these gorgeous sturdy green lovelies in a metal "florist pin frog" and gently paint on your table numbers for a wow factor on your reception tables!

Photography: Tec Petaja | Event Planning: Bash Please | Florals: Moon Canyon Design | Rentals: Casa de Perrin


Acrylic cactus shaped drink stirrers

Acrylic Cactus Drink Stirrers

as seen on Etsy

Spice up your signature cocktails with cactus-shaped drink stirrers! It's a subtle and oh so cute touch to the desert aesthetic.

Photography: Megan Welker | Event Design: Beijos Events | Florals: MV Florals | Calligraphy: Poppy Jack Shop | Rentals: Hostess Haven & Adore Folklore | Drink Stirrers: Jenn and Jules Designs via Etsy


Mini cactus wedding favors for guests to take home to plant

Itty Bitty Cactus Wedding Favors

as seen on Wedding Chicks

Oh, cacti heaven on a table right here! Have your guests take home a little cactus of their very own. Mix up the varieties along with some succulents, and stick some escort cards into the soil to let everyone know where they are sitting... and you've got yourself the perfect double duty favor!

Photography: Jenny Kim Photography | Florals: Tracey Reynolds Floral Design


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