Post-Wedding: Floral Arrangements' Second Life

So, the wedding's over. The food's been eaten, the music has stopped, and the guests have left. But what happens to all the flowers? From bouquets to centrepieces, table decorations to ceremony adornments, flowers play a huge role in any wedding. And they can be expensive. So, it's only natural to wonder what happens to them once the big day is over.

Well, there are a few options. You could hire your florist to clean up and take the flowers off your hands. Or, you could let your guests take the arrangements home—a sweet gesture that's sure to be appreciated. If you want to keep your flowers, you could dry or professionally preserve them. Or, you could donate them to a nursing home, hospital, or church to brighten someone's day.

Donate to a nursing home or hospital

Donating your wedding flowers to a nursing home or hospital is a great way to spread joy and inspire hope. It's a generous act that can brighten the days of those in need of a boost and bring cheer to the community. Here are some things to keep in mind if you're considering this option:

Finding an Organisation:

First, you'll need to find an organisation that accepts flower donations and serves the community you wish to help. Some organisations specialise in regifting flowers, such as Plants & Blooms Reimagined in Washington, D.C., or Petals with Purpose in Florida. These groups will collect your flowers, create smaller arrangements, and deliver them to hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities. Other options include Random Acts of Flowers, which serves several locations across the country, and Flower Angels USA, a Massachusetts-based charity. A quick online search will help you find local organisations or charities that accept flower donations.

Considerations:

Before donating, it's important to contact the hospital or nursing home to ensure they can accommodate your contribution. As flowers are perishable, they can only be handled and transported for a limited time. Large arrangements, in particular, may be ill-suited for donation as they often require rebuilding to fit their new space. It's also essential to communicate clearly with your vendors, especially your florist, about your plans for donating the flowers. They may be able to help with the process, but it will likely come at an additional cost.

Timing:

Donating your wedding flowers requires some planning ahead of time. These plans should be predetermined and arranged before your wedding week. Contact the organisation you've chosen and confirm their procedures for accepting donations. Some organisations may even arrange for delivery directly from your venue after the wedding.

Benefits:

Donating your wedding flowers not only spreads happiness but can also be environmentally friendly by reducing floral waste. Additionally, your wedding flower donation is usually tax-deductible, which is a great benefit.

By choosing to donate your wedding flowers to a nursing home or hospital, you're not just extending the life of those beautiful blooms, but you're also sharing your joy with those who need it most.

Compost or throw away

Composting or throwing away your wedding flowers is an option, but it's not the only option. If you'd like to keep your flowers, you can dry or professionally preserve them. Drying can be as simple as hanging your flowers upside down in a dark closet. Alternatively, you can hire your florist to clean up and compost the flowers for you.

If you're looking to part with your flowers, you can let your guests take the arrangements home. This works best with vased arrangements that can be easily carried and transported. You can also donate your flowers to a nursing home, hospital, or church. There may be local companies that handle the distribution of donated bouquets to these places. However, keep in mind that many hospitals won't accept floral donations or have restrictions on the types of flowers they accept.

If you're looking for a more eco-friendly option, you can compost your flowers and return them to the earth. This is especially suitable if your flowers don't have much life left in them after your wedding, as florists often prep and handle flowers to be at their peak blooming state during the event.

Dry or professionally preserve

Drying and pressing are popular ways to preserve your wedding flowers, and there are several methods you can use to achieve this.

Air-drying

One of the simplest ways to preserve your wedding bouquet is to air-dry it. This method is a good option if you want to keep your flowers' original shape and dry the whole bouquet. First, remove any browning parts of the flowers, along with torn petals and extra leaves. Then, tie a piece of string to each stem and hang your flowers upside down to dry in a dark, temperate area. Let your flowers air-dry for at least two weeks or longer, depending on the temperature. The colour of your wedding bouquet will gradually fade but it will still look nice in a vase or hanging on a wall.

Silica gel

Silica gel is porous sand that absorbs moisture from flowers to preserve their shape and colour. You can buy silica gel at most craft stores for $10 to $30. Place your flowers face-up in an airtight container with a small amount of silica gel at the bottom. Then, slowly pour silica gel over your flowers and allow the crystals to settle into the petals. Seal the container and let the flowers sit for about a week. Once the flowers are dry, gently brush off any excess sand and use a floral preserving sealant or hairspray to protect your flowers from moisture. You can display your flowers in a shadowbox frame.

Pressing

Pressing is another easy way to preserve your flowers, although they won't retain their original shape. Place your flowers between two sheets of parchment paper and put them inside a heavy book. Weigh the book down with vases or more books and leave for at least seven to ten days. When your flowers are dry, you can frame them or glue them into your wedding guest book.

Wax-dipping

Wax-dipping your flowers will extend their life by up to six months and will keep their colour and shape quite well. However, this method won't preserve your flowers permanently. Melt paraffin wax in a saucepan and leave it to cool slightly. Then, dip your flower heads one by one into the wax and immediately pull them out and leave to dry hanging down. You can hang your waxed flowers upside down to dry or place them upright in a vase.

Professional preservation services

If you don't want to preserve your wedding flowers yourself, there are many services offering professional flower preservation. Your flowers will be dried to maintain their colour and shape and then turned into a variety of creations, such as artwork, jewellery, or paperweights. This process can take up to 20 weeks.

Repurpose for a post-wedding brunch

Repurposing your wedding flowers for a post-wedding brunch is a great way to save costs and be sustainable. Here are some ideas to reuse and repurpose your floral arrangements:

Bridal Bouquets

The bridal bouquet is often the most exquisite and expensive arrangement, so it's worth considering how to display it during the brunch. If you have a sweetheart table, you can place the bouquet as a centerpiece. Alternatively, you can put it on the welcome table for guests to admire as they sign the guest book. If you want to display the bouquet after the brunch, place it in a vase with fresh water immediately after the wedding ceremony to prevent the flowers from wilting. Consider the height of the vase depending on the length of the stems—a shorter bouquet works well in a glass cylinder vase, while a taller vase suits longer stems.

Bridesmaids' Bouquets

Bridesmaids' bouquets are usually smaller and less expensive, making them perfect for adding pops of colour and freshness to the brunch. Place them on the bar or refreshment tables, space them out along the sweetheart table, or put them near the wedding cake or seating arrangement sign. If you want to use them as centrepieces, be mindful that they might look out of scale on standard-sized tables and could obstruct guests' views.

Ceremony Arch Arrangements

If you have a large arch arrangement, you can reuse it as a beautiful backdrop for photos at the brunch. If it's light enough, you can move it to the brunch venue. Alternatively, you can deconstruct it and place the flowers in vases around the brunch area. Keep in mind that these flowers are usually large, heavy, and wet, making them tricky to repurpose.

Ceremony Aisle Arrangements

Ceremony aisle arrangements can be reused as centrepieces or decor on the memory table or sweetheart table. They are typically the right size for round reception table centrepieces.

Other Ideas

• Offer the flowers to guests as party favours or include a game where guests can win a floral arrangement.
• Donate leftover flowers to hospitals, senior living homes, or organisations that repurpose bouquets, such as Repeat Roses or Random Acts of Flowers.
• Dry or press the flowers to preserve them and use them for crafts, decor, or household items.
• If you're not leaving for your honeymoon right away, display the arrangements in vases around your house to extend the enjoyment of your wedding flowers.

Remember to communicate your plans for the flowers with your vendors, and if possible, enlist the help of family, friends, or your wedding party to transport and set up the arrangements at the brunch venue.

Let guests take them home

If you want your guests to take the floral arrangements home, it's best to plan ahead. You can decide who takes them home in advance or make an announcement at the reception. This option works best with vased arrangements that are easy to carry and transport, and it's ideal for local guests who can enjoy the flowers for more than a day or two.

If you're using rented vases or vessels, your guests won't be able to take those home. Discuss this with your florist in advance so they can prepare the arrangements for your guests to take home. It will likely cost extra, but it's worth it to know your flowers won't go to waste.

You can also give your floral arrangements to in-town guests if they are simple, non-rental, low arrangements. In some cultures, guests expect to take the centerpieces home. Just make sure you're not using specialty containers that your florist expects to get back. Ask your florist if the arrangements can be built in a liner that your guests can take home.

Frequently asked questions