After wedding...what to do with flowers?

I told guests to take them (family and close friends). My mom took the biggest arrangements and got to enjoy them while I was at my honeymoon.

We went on our honeymoon immediately afterwards, but I asked my mom to take them to a nursing home. They definitely accept them, and the staff said that it really brings joy to the patients' day. They also have a schedule at the one we donated at so everyone gets flowers! They also had vases for the ones that we wanted to keep the vases originally holding the flowers. It was awesome. I'm so glad that my wedding flowers brought joy to even more people.

PS: DH and I also took a tiny bouquet on our honeymoon (we drove), and they lasted all week!

Try contacting repeat roses. I learned about this from a bride here; they will match you up with an engaged couple who will come and get your flowers, re arrange them and deploy them to hospices, nursing homes,etc. It's cool.

That's a great idea too, @DRGCAS. It's great to have someone enjoy them after the fact!

That was so wonderful of you @emaebe!

@celia - I will absolutely look into that. Sounds like such a great service!

We decided to go with the real touch artificial flowers so I could put them together in advance, but when we looked at real, I had planned on rooting at least some of the roses so we could have living reminders of our day. We may still do a few real for that very reason.

There is a non profit in our area that picks them up and takes them to nursing homes. I think we are going to go that route.

Had I done real flowers, I would send them to nursing homes. But I ended up making all of mine with artificial flowers. I'm actually kind of disappointed I won't have real ones to send to a nursing home now.

Absolutely nursing homes and hospitals would love them!

Or, if there is a high school nearby with an FFA Florist classroom, they would love to repurpose them.

Ask your florist. I do both for my clients.

Personally i'm donating my flowers to the facility my grandmother lived in for 5 years before she passed. the staff there was incredible-and my grandmother's old roommate is still there, i send her little gifts occasionally since her family lives out of state,

What an amazing idea! I also thought about giving the flowers to high school Proms if the wedding is in Prom season as well as bridesmaids dresses donated to less fortunate graduates.

I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was really neat.

I will be taking my bouquet to place on my mums grave the morning after our wedding. I will only have two bridesmaids so they will probably keep theirs

Lots of our guests took them home!

I tossed my bouquet, so I wouldn't be tempted to dry it or something. I don't know what the BMs did with theirs, but my mom was sick in the hospital, so we took the arbor that had hung on the gazebo over the ceremony to her in the hospital.

Since I'm having a DW across the country and going straight to our honeymoon after we're just gonna give any and everything wedding to the people who live the closest

Great ideas everyone! Thanks so much!

I am having fake flowers but I think donating to nursing home with be amazing

If you are planning to donate them to a hospital or nursing home, make sure they are scent free flowers. Lots of places have scent free policies.

Yes, we are also going to donate to nursing home in the area. My mom lived in a nursing home for years and it really brightened up residents any time they got something special like that.