Centerpieces after the wedding...

I really want to take my centerpieces to a retirement home after my wedding.

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That centerpiece is beautiful and giving them to a retirement home is a very sweet gesture. I am trying not to have a bunch of things that need to be taken out of the venue at the end of the night. I just want to be able to leave at the end of the night without having to think about all of the stuff I am responsible for removing from the venue. I have rented the vases, candles, and candle holders for the centerpieces for this reason. My planner will handle packing things up, but someone (probably Mom) will need to take whatever isn't rented home and I don't want to overburden my mom. I think so far, it's only pictures from our memorial table and I'd like to keep it that way if I can. Sigh, so many little decisions that need to be made. :/

I'm not sure yet. Most of guests are travelling so they probably wont take any. I might save one for me depending on how we end up doing them. They wont be in a vase....

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I am thinking very far in advance since I still have 8 months to go, but I am trying to make decisions on things ahead of time so that I can realize my end goal...... not have a bunch of stuff that someone will have to be responsible for at the end of the night.

View Quoted Comment Better to be over prepared than under!!
I'm still trying to make sure all the other stuff gets ordered Haha

You could donate your centerpieces to nursing homes. They would really appreciate it and itll brighten up their rooms.

We're planning to let local family members, close friends, etc. know in advance that they can take one at the end of the night. We'll probably end up with a couple that come home with us, but not too many.

View Quoted Comment That is such a sweet idea!!! Do you have someone who can do this for you? You may be tired the day after your wedding.

I had also planned to take mine to a nursing home the next day but since I bought my vases I told my guest they could take them if they wanted and there weeent any left over :/

View Quoted Comment Well our wedding will be over at 3; I want us to go deliver it to the nursing home personally 😊

I would love to be able to donate the flowers, but our wedding isn't over until 11pm and we will be going to a hotel that night and our honeymoon the next day so it would leave that responsibility to a family member to do.

Most of my guests are out of town, so taking flowers home is impractical. I plan to donate them to a memory care facility or nursing home.

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That's my plan. I don't think it's a huge ask to have someone help donate the flowers. You can also reach out to the place you want to donate them, they may be able to help coordinate.

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There have been posts from others who found youth/service groups who would pick up the flowers at the end of the reception and deliver them a nursing home, etc. Maybe your church or another organization you belong to has a group who would be willing to do this. It's a lovely idea!

I wrote cards to hand to the moms, grandmother's, and some uncle's and aunts to tell them to take floral arrangements. We so had a sign that said to take them home as well-- flowers and vase-- and had craft paper bags for favors and flowers in case they needed them. Even when you're saying hi to your guests you can tell them to take the centerpieces home. I had guests that even brought them home to China!
I took the rest of the flowers home to press and dry. Ended up framing them and I absolutely love them. There are also services that turn your flowers into dye to dye a scarf!

We plan to take ours to the local retirement home. We will have notes unter each centerpiece to request people not take them as the boxes are rented and the flowers already have a home.

View Quoted Comment Oh that would be sweet!!!

I want to go ahead and have like a raffle game for each table and see who at that table take them

All my centerpieces are eucalyptus garland so I’m really not sure anyone would want to take them lol. But if not, as other ladies have said, nursing homes would be the place I would donate them.

Thank you ladies for all of your advice. I decided to reach out to a couple of organizations that might be willing to either pick up the centerpieces or have a family member take them into their care at the end of the night so that they can hand deliver them to a local retirement home for donation. You ladies are good eggs with tremendous hearts. Thanks again!