Flowers at a Wedding are a necessity, according to many brides. Not only do they serve as accessories to the bridal party, they may also be a huge chunk of the decor at the ceremony and reception venues. We’ve seen so many posts on blogs and Pinterest of weddings with lavish floral displays, numerous arrangements for centerpieces and other table decor plus don’t forget the Flower wall, which is now becoming quite a trend. But what happens to the flowers after the wedding? Do they just go to waste? I had a chat with one of my friends and Vancity Vendors, May Mahboubi of Sunflower Florist. Hopefully we’ll be able to answer your questions or at least give you some ideas on this matter.

• Give centerpieces away as prizes – It’s pretty common for couples to hold table games and the winner gets to take the centerpiece home. Think of it as a bonus wedding favour. The game could be as easy as finding a sticker underneath your plate or seat or by having them solve a puzzle or answer trivia questions. The options are endless.

• Give centerpieces away as a thank you – To show your appreciation to your families, bridal party or even your wedding vendors, you can offer these beautiful arrangements to them as a thank you for being there for you.

• Donate them & brighten someone’s day - May says, “if the couple left any flowers at the venue, we donate them to a nursing home. They have a flower program for seniors and we always donate our extra flowers to them so the seniors can have fun doing floral arranging.” That is such a wonderful idea. If you are doing this yourselves, it would be best to call ahead of the wedding and ask if they accept floral donations in the first place and then let them know when they should be expecting you.

• Reuse them for the next day – If you’re having a brunch the day after or maybe a gift opening party, why not extend the life of these flowers and use them for the next party or even to decorate your home?

• Dry them – I dried my bridal bouquet as it was (still wrapped in ribbon). It was very easy, I just hung it upside down for a few weeks and then put it in a vase to remind me of that day.

• Flower swap – May says, “often I see on bridal swap links, some people ask around to see if there is anyone having a birthday party or something similar and would like to have these extra flowers.” May brings up a good point, it really doesn’t hurt to put up a posting to see if someone would be able to use your flowers the day after. You can negotiate the price and even have them pick it up at the end of your event. Buyer beware though and always be alert when dealing with people online.

But what about large scale decor like flower walls or arrangements that adorn chandeliers? It can be a bit tricky and May says her team simply takes the entire structure back to the shop and pick out flowers good enough to be donated. However, guests often take some stems home before they take it away. You can always have your DJ or MC make an announcement to see if anyone would love to take some home at the end of the night.

Thank you May for these great tips. All the photos you see on this post are her work, if you’d like to know more about them, visit their social media links below or you can stop by their shop on Richards and Pacific.

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All photos provided by Sunflower Florist

Photographer credits: Pure White Studio (feature photo), Amber Hughes Photography, Jasalyn Thorne Photography, Pebble and Pine Photography, Blush Photography, Modern Romance Weddings