5 Ways to NOT Waste Your Wedding Flowers After the 'I Dos'

 After spending a pretty penny on your wedding flowers, doesn't it seem like a shame to simply let them wilt (and eventually throw them away)? Our hearts break just thinking about it... Thank goodness there are some post-wedding options for those beautiful blooms that don’t involve a trash can. Take a look at these five options for your flowers once the big day is done.

Make your flowers do double duty by donating the blooms. Flower arrangements can usually be sent to retirement or nursing homes, homeless shelters, and other organizations. Search for a local flower donating charity and give them a call. Most will come to you to pick up the flowers and deliver them while they’re still fresh, but different organizations have different procedures, so it’s best to check beforehand. If you can’t find a local non-profit that’s dedicated to donating flowers, try contacting a hospital or retirement home directly and ask a close friend or relative to drop them off.Photo on FH Weddings

Dried flowers make for a super memorable and sentimental keepsake, and there are several approaches to holding onto flowers forever. Most brides choose to only preserve their bouquet — you can’t preserve everything, after all! But even if you’re only saving one arrangement, you have some decisions to make! First, decide whether you want to preserve your whole bouquet or just a few blooms. Then, decide what you want to do with the flowers — will you display them in a shadow box frame, or store them in a box for safe keeping? To guarantee that the flowers will last, it’s best to hire a preservation specialist. A quick Google search in your area should give you some good results. You’ll want to deliver the flowers ASAP so they’re as fresh a possible. Until you’re able to get them to the preservationist, wrap your bouquet in a damp cloth and keep it in a fridge or cooler. (P.S. If you donate the flowers, the florist bill is tax deductible!)Wedding Flowers Photo by White Rabbit Studios on Southern Weddings

The flowers at your wedding won’t die overnight, so someone might as well appreciate them while they last! Of course, you’ll probably have too many arrangements to take home yourself, and if you’re going going on a honeymoon right away, there’s no use in holding onto them. Instead, give the arrangements to your guests! This works super well for centerpieces. Try a table game — maybe the flowers go home with whoever has known you and your spouse the longest or the person whose birthday is closest to your wedding date. Get creative! Just remember to talk to your florist before giving away the arrangements. Florists often rent vases for weddings, so if you plan to keep or give away the whole arrangement, you might see an extra charge for the containers. Plus, he or she might have some suggestions for creating transportable (i.e. not 5-feet-tall) arrangements.Wedding Flowers Photo on Snippet and Ink via Lover.ly

If you have a close relative or friend who passed away before your wedding, putting your bouquet or other wedding flowers by their grave can be a thoughtful way to remember them.

Why not get creative and repurpose your flowers in a new way? For example, The Isle Co. will embed some of your flower petals in a wax candle (don’t worry, they won’t burn or melt away!). You can wear your flowers as a necklace or bracelet by having Blossoms Into Beads convert them into custom jewelry. What to do with your flowers after the wedding may not seem like an important piece of the planning process, but it is! Leaving flowers at your venue could potentially cost you a clean-up charge, and why waste such a gorgeous part of your wedding? Plan ahead, and you’ll have no trouble making the most of your wedding blooms.