11 Things To Do With Leftover Wedding Flowers, Food, and Decor

Wedding Planning Tips // Huntsville Wedding Photographers

I’ll never forget the moment my car door closed.

Our wedding day was amazing. I loved everything about it because it was our story. But one of my favorite memories is still the moment my car door closed after running through a tunnel of bubbles.

Everything was quiet. We waved and cheered – then drove away and kicked off my shoes. (Sigh of relief. Any brides feel me on that one?) It was the moment that reality really started sinking in. We were married, and we were literally driving away to start our new life together.

We’re thankful for all the people that stayed behind to clean up from the celebration. The flowers, the decorations, the leftover food.

What to do with it all? Today we’re sharing a few tips on dealing with all the “stuff” after the wedding is over!

What Do I Do With The Flowers?

1. Donate them to a nursing home, assisted living, or hospital. Ask ahead of time if you can drop off leftover florals after the wedding is over. You’ll be sure to brighten someone’s day!

Tip: be sure to include vases. If you don’t want to use the originals, purchase some at a dollar store ahead of time to use!

2. Send them home with friends who stayed to help clean up. Everyone enjoys a little floral love! Sometimes our sweet mother-of-the-bride will even send us home with a bouquet of flowers! If you want to make your vendors feel super loved, that is one way to do it. :)

3. Donate them to your church. It’s a way for everyone to enjoy a little piece the celebration again! Whoever is in charge of florals for your church will probably be super appreciative for the treat. Just make sure you check ahead of time to see what is appropriate and if there is a place for them!

There are also lots of crafty things you can do with dried flowers on Pinterest, but they usually require immediate preparation of the fresh flowers. And I mean, who wants to press flowers on the honeymoon? If you’re a crafty soul, however, this option might be a no-brainer!

What Do I Do With the Food?

4. Check with your caterer to see how they handle leftovers. They might already have a plan in place for what to do with the leftover food!

5. Donate to a local food bank or shelter. There are obviously a few rules they have to follow when it comes to food donations, so call ahead of time to see what they can accept.

Bonus Tip: Not sure where to start? Feeding America will help you track down a few food banks. If you’re in North Alabama, check out Downtown Rescue Mission.

6. Share the leftovers among people hosting out of town guests. It’s handy to have a little help in the kitchen! You can also freeze some items for the bride and groom to enjoy after the honeymoon. With all the craziness of post-wedding tasks, it’s nice to have some scrumptious chicken dish to pull out of the freezer for dinner!

Bonus Tip: Bring some disposable or reusable containers to the reception. It will be much easier to divide and transport the leftovers!

What Do I Do With The Decor?

7. Check out wedding resale opportunities, such as Hampton Cove Wedding Plantation’s Wedding Resale event. They’re like yard sales for brides!

8. List items on bride Facebook groups or Craigslist. If you don’t have time to deal with trying to meet up with individuals to sell a dozen vases, host a yard sale yourself and advertise it on those Facebook groups.

9. If you really just want to get rid of everything, consider listing all your decor as one big bundle. You won’t be able to ask as much for it since it’s really likely people will only use certain items within the bundle, but you can get a little money back for the least amount of hassle.

10. Check out ways to put your decor to a new use! Have a ton of leftover vases? Jump on Pinterest to see how you can turn them into hand-crafted Christmas gifts. You might find ways to incorporate a few of the pieces into your house decor.

11. Ask your wedding planner. She might have an email newsletter with a space for used items for purchase, or maybe she has a bride currently looking for those items!

Bonus Tip: You already have professional pictures of your decor! Grab some shots from your wedding gallery and upload them to your post. Professional pictures of your items in action will make them look more attractive than a quick cell phone shot of a pile of picture frams.

Do you have any tips for dealing with the leftover wedding stuff? Food, flowers, decor, dress? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below!

*hugs*

Amber

Want more? Check out these bonus resources!

6 Things You Should Be Delegating on Your Wedding Day

6 Tips For Preserving Your Wedding Dress

A Diamond is Forever! 5 Tips for Taking Care of Your Wedding and Engagement Rings

Downloadable Freebie! Grab this eBook filled with ideas to keep your wedding guests entertained at the reception!

Bonus Tip: Sometimes food, flower, decor, and dress donations are tax deductible. If you plan to donate, ask for a donation receipt and share it with your accountant at tax season.