What to Do With Your Flowers After Your Wedding

Photo Credit: Theresa Uy

So you’ve finalized your guest count, the seating chart is planned and your florist has confirmed your final order for your big day:  the arch, aisles, bridesmaids, chair swags, bar, centerpieces – check! It’s going to look beautiful and full of flowers just as you envisioned. Then your florist asks you what you'd like to do with your flowers after your event.

After? Wait what?

Yes.. the flowers are yours completely. And if you would like some suggestions on what you can do with them, here are some of my favorite ones:

1. Parting Gifts for Your Guests
   A lovely parting gift for your guests would be offering them at the end of the night to your guests to enjoy.  If this is something you plan in advance, let your florist know so they can design them in a way that allows for someone to take arrangements home or provide packaging and service to repurpose florals from your ceremony into bouquets for guests to take at the end of the night. For my destination wedding clients, I love to offer repurposing arrangements for their guests hotel rooms for the time they are visiting.
   
   
2. Nursing and Care Homes and Hospitals
   Nursing and care homes will welcome florals gladly, as will some hospitals (although they may be more restrictive because of allergies, etc).  Ask your planner or florist about local area homes and hospitals that would be open to receiving them. 
   
   
3. Give Them Away
   Your DJ, MC, planners, caterers and waitstaff will appreciate the offer of taking an arrangement home that they can share with their loved ones. Hotels and restaurants will sometimes be able to repurpose and reuse greenery and foliage as well. Ask your planner or see directly with your venue. If your event happens on a day before a holiday such as Easter, you can also see if there are places of worship that may appreciate your florals. 
   
   
4. Compost Them
   Much of the florals at the end of the night end up in the garbage and if you would like to avoid that, reach out to local farms, gardener-friends or ask your florist to see if they would like to compost them.
   
   
5. Preserve Elements of Your Bouquet as a Keepsake
   Local artists such as Kristen Moux of Modern Bouquet Preservation in Honolulu, will take your bouquet and dry selected florals to create resin sculptures, an everlasting memento. You can also hang your bouquet upside down to dry for a long-lasting floral arrangement or create a rosary made of flower petal beads from your bouquet.
   
   
6. In Remembrance of Your Loved Ones
   This is rather bittersweet but very thoughtful. Bring some floral arrangements to decorate the resting places of loved ones to remember those celebrating with you in spirit. It’s a touching way to celebrate their memory.

More questions? I’d love to help answer them for you.

Ask Away!