It’s likely the last thing you’ll be thinking about when planning your big day. 

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While wedding flowers add undeniable elegance and individuality to your ceremony and reception, what should be done with those gorgeous arrangements once it’s all over? 

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Disposing of wedding florals isn’t your only option. There are many ways to preserve their beauty — either by sharing them with others or incorporating them into your home decor.

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Let Botanica Floral + Home guide you through what to do with flowers after a wedding to keep them vibrant and attractive long after the ceremony.

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• Do You Keep Flowers After a Wedding?
• How Do You Reuse Wedding Flowers After Wedding?
• 6 Things You Can Do With Your Wedding Flowers When the Celebration Is Over
• Frequently Asked Questions About What To Do With Wedding Flowers After a Wedding
• What Do Florists Do With Flowers After a Wedding?
• What To Do With Artificial Flowers After a Wedding?
• Botanica Floral + Home: Premiere Wedding Design Services in Portland, OR

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Whether you keep your wedding flowers or not is totally up to you. 

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Many couples wish to have a keepsake from one of the most important events of their lives and preserved flowers help capture the beauty of that once-in-a-lifetime occasion. 

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If you don’t wish to keep them, with a little bit of planning you can at least ensure they don’t go to waste. 

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You may need to coordinate with an experienced florist if you wish for their assistance following the wedding. Botanic Floral + Home’s full-service floral package includes removal of all floral and rental items after the event. Contact us today to discuss our other services.

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“Shop Our Floral Delivery Portland/Vancouver Metro Area Today!”

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We’ve put together six creative ways you can ensure maximum enjoyment of your wedding florals:

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1. Let your guests take them home.
2. Donate them to a nursing home.
3. Dry them.
4. Press them.
5. Have a painting made of them.
6. Create a resin paperweight.

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#1: Share Flowers With Your Guests

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As hosts, the wedding couple often wants to honor those who came to celebrate their union. One great idea for what to do with flowers after a wedding is to share them! 

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Nicely contained arrangements — such as those in a vase, basket, or other container — work great as gifts for your guests. 

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Discuss with your florist whether you may give away any vases or containers they provide. Rented vases must be returned, but purchased vases are yours to dispose of as you choose. Your florist may accommodate you by putting arrangements in takeaway containers that are hidden inside any containers to be returned.

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#2: Gift Flowers to a Nursing Home or Retirement Community

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If they still look vibrant after the wedding, the arrangements can be donated to local nursing homes. This kind of donation can help brighten up the residents’ rooms and is the perfect option for larger arrangements. 

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To simplify things post-wedding, you may want to designate someone ahead of time to clean up, store, and deliver the arrangements after you say “I do.”

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#3: Dry Your Bridal Bouquet

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Follow these steps to dry your bouquet:

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1. Disassemble the bouquet.
2. Dry each flower separately, by hanging it upside down to air-dry in a safe area with moderate temperature and low humidity. This step may take at least a week, more if the air is cool.
3. Rearrange your dried flowers by placing them in a vase or creating a wreath. Ribbons and fancy ties from the original bouquet can be used to beautify your creation.

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#4: Press Your Flowers

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You can choose to press the flowers yourself or hire a professional. 

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Check out the work of Olive Branch Studios or Keepsake Floral to get an idea of how your pressed flowers might look if done professionally. 

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Prices for these beautiful arrangements vary, so be sure to budget according to your preferences. You’ll also want to coordinate a way for the flowers to be sent to the professional while they are still fresh.

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If you’d rather press your flowers on your own, follow these steps:

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1. Spread the flowers on clean wax paper in your new desired arrangement.
2. Lay the flowers, sandwiched between two pieces of wax paper to protect them from ink, inside a heavy book.
3. Close the book and place a weight (such as additional books) on top. If you don’t have a book large enough, simply use wax paper weighted down with heavy objects.
4. Wait seven to ten days for the flowers to dry.
5. Frame the dried flowers or place them in a shadow box.

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#5: Have a Painting Done of Your Bouquet or Arrangement

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Since no method can perfectly preserve the appearance of the flowers on your wedding day, you might want to consider having a painting created of them in their original glory.

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When you commission an artist to paint your flowers, you can specify a specific style, such as an impressionistic watercolor painting or a realistic acrylic rendering.

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This painting can serve as a meaningful piece of decor as well as a vivid reminder of the freshness and beauty of your wedding day.

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#6: Create a Resin Paperweight

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By using clear epoxy resin and following these instructions you can preserve your flowers for decorative or practical use:

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1. Prepare the flowers by drying them in an airtight container filled with silica sand or beads. This can take seven or more days. Once they’re completely dry, gently shake any remaining silica out of the flowers.
2. Set the flowers into a mold (purchased at a local craft store) in the desired layout.
3. Take a picture of the flowers for reference. Then, after removing the flowers from the mold, pour in a thin layer of epoxy resin.
4. Referencing your photo, replace the flowers into the mold in the desired layout.
5. Add more epoxy resin on top of the flowers and the first layer of resin, popping bubbles as needed. Continue adding additional layers of epoxy until the flowers are fully submerged.
6. Allow the resin to cure for 1–3 days before removing it from the mold.
7. Sand down the surface, including any sharp edges, before adding a final thick coat of epoxy.

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If you don’t want to DIY your resin paperweight, you can enlist the help of artists who specialize in this type of unique creation.

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You may opt for your florist to perform the clean-up of floral arrangements after your wedding. 

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If so, and if the flowers are in good shape, the florist may choose to recycle them for use in an upcoming event. Alternatively, the florist may cooperate with other organizations that accept recently used flowers.

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If you’re wondering what to do with silk flowers after a wedding, some of the above ideas still apply. 

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You can donate artificial flowers to an organization such as a nursing facility, frame them in a shadow box, or give them to guests as a special “Thank you.”

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Artificial flowers can be repurposed in ways real flowers cannot be, such as in crafts. For instance, you can cross-stitch them onto a cloth or canvas or incorporate them into a centerpiece decoration for your anniversary.

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As a NW Portland florist, Botanica Floral + Home looks forward to serving you by helping you plan the floral backdrop of your wedding venue, designing arrangements that will stun your guests, and setting it all up on the big day.

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The final design will reflect your aesthetic vision of your wedding scene — the parts complementing the whole — and create an impressive atmosphere of elegance and romance.

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Our full-service floral package also includes the removal of floral items after the event. 

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Visit our shop to browse our inventory of flowers, floral containers, and gifts. There, we can begin discussing the possibilities of the blooms and bouquets you want to adorn your wedding. We look forward to serving you in our NW Portland flower shop.

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“Shop Our Floral Delivery Portland/Vancouver Metro Area Today!”

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