Many brides and grooms choose to get married in the summer, and there are bound to be flower bouquets, table centerpieces, and other floral arrangements at each of these weddings. Have you ever wondered what happens to all those beautiful flowers once the celebration is over? Unfortunately, many of these flowers are only used for the ceremony or reception before being thrown away. If you’re getting married, reduce your wedding waste by reusing the floral arrangements instead of tossing them in the trash at the end of the night. Here are some of the many ways these flowers can be reused:
Donation
Visit local hospices, nursing homes, women’s shelters, and hospitals and ask if they accept flower donations. Flowers have the power to brighten anyone’s day, so spread the cheer by sharing your floral arrangements with others.
If you don’t have time to visit these locations, research organizations in your community that help you donate leftover floral arrangements. Repeat Roses is an organization that will pick up all of your flowers after your wedding, repurpose them into smaller floral arrangements, and then deliver them to patients in hospitals, cancer treatment centers, and hospices. Look into whether Repeat Roses—or a similar organization such as Random Acts of Flowers—serves people in your community.
Pressed Flowers
If you want to hold onto the memory of your wedding flowers forever, consider pressing them instead of throwing them away. Pluck the best-looking flowers from your arrangements and make sure they are completely dry. Then, open up a phone book to a random page located somewhere in the middle. Line each side with parchment paper and then place the flowers on top of the parchment paper. Close the book and put other heavy items on top of it to apply more pressure to the flowers. After seven to ten days, your flowers should be moisture-free and completely pressed.
There are countless arts and crafts projects that you can do with pressed flowers. Since these are the flowers from your wedding, you may want to put them in a decorative picture frame so you can display them next to all of your wedding photos.
Give Them to Guests
As the wedding begins to wind down, ask some of your closest friends and family members if they would like to take a few of your floral arrangements home. Many people would love to have these beautiful arrangements displayed in their homes, so your guests will probably jump at the opportunity to take a few with them.
Make a Wreath
Bring some of your floral arrangements home so you can use the flowers to create a unique wreath. All you will need for this project is a few supplies from a local craft store. Then, you can create an incredible wreath by following these steps. Once you’re finished, hang your new wreath on the outside of your front door to welcome guests to your home.
Follow these tips to extend the life of your breathtaking floral arrangements and reduce the amount of waste you produce at your wedding!
