Who doesn’t love a good bang for their buck?! I am a huge fan of double use for flowers at weddings when it makes sense. Whether you are planning a wedding in Yosemite, Sonora, Calaveras, the Central Valley, Wine Country, or by the beach, you can learn here how and where to make the most of your wedding flowers. Here you will find a breakdown of which pieces are best to repurpose on your wedding day.
BOUQUETS: I deliver your bridal bouquet and bridesmaids bouquets in clear cylinder vases. This is to make them as neutral as possible so that you can use those bouquets and vases as decor at the reception. Sometime before the reception (but after everyone is holding their bouquets for the ceremony), designate a family member/planner/friend to move those vases to various spots in the reception area. Then, post ceremony, everyone pop those bouquets in the vases and you are good to go! Spots to decorate could be: bar, dessert table, favor table, head table, gift table, etc. Basically, any accessory area is perfect.
CORSAGE ALTERNATIVE: Corsages are also becoming a thing of the past for mothers and grandmothers. Becoming more popular is the posey bouquet, which is a smaller, simpler version of the bridesmaids bouquet and costs about the same as a corsage. These also make great extra decor and mom/aunt/grandma doesn’t have to wear a corsage all night.
TOSS BOUQUET: Next tip, you do not need a toss bouquet. Use a bridesmaids! Your bridesmaids rarely take those home, and why pay for more when you don’t have to?!
AISLE WAY FLOWERS: If you have any flowers at the beginning of, or down your aisle, these make the easiest repurposing pieces. Sometimes these types of flowers are on wine barrels, or lying right on the ground, but either way it’s just a “pick up and move” situation. You can either pay your florist for their time to stay on site to make these moves, or, check with your planner to ask their policy, or designate a friend or family member.
ARCH FLOWERS: This one is a ‘sometimes’. It totally depends on how the arch flowers are constructed, which would be based on the size and style of your arch. I do NOT recommend deciding on your arch design solely based on if you can or cannot repurpose it. Some of my most favorite, stunning designs were ones that couldn’t be moved after their initial installation. Typically, the larger, more dense, and more creatively shaped your arch is, the less likely it can be repurposed. Oftentimes though, more simple arch designs are put together in floral foam that has a cage of some kind around it. The cage makes it self-contained, is usually zip tied to the arch, and it can then be easily removed and repurposed. The zip ties can be cut down by a planner/friend/family member AFTER your post ceremony pictures are done and then placed in the reception area. These pieces generally look great at the base of the head table, or on a larger space such as a large bar area.
Here are a few of my favorite repurposed items from past events. A lakeside wedding’s ground arrangements double as cocktail table and sweetheart table decor after the ceremony. A bridal bouquet makes a stunning sweetheart table centerpiece.
