While I’m obviously here to promote wedding bouquets created with fabrics, jewelry, feathers, or other notions that are personalized or heirloom, I appreciate that there will always be a place for traditional bouquets of fresh flowers. Even when you do use my services to create your bouquets and wearable floral items, you may still want fresh centerpieces at the reception. So what do you do with them at the end of the night?
Enter Wendy from Petals for Patients. This organization receives floral donations from large events such as weddings, corporate galas, fundraisers and memorial services. For a reasonable service fee, they will collect your donated flowers, which includes dismantling large floral arrangements right at the end of your event. They then store the flowers overnight. On Sundays (or the day following your event), volunteers will create small bedside bouquets and distribute them to hospice care patients in the local area.
This is such a great service that gives more purpose to the flowers vs. just throwing them away at the end of the night. Even more exciting is the fact that you don’t have to worry about assigning a guest cleaning duty at the end of your party. As part of your fee, Wendy and her staff will clean up everything floral-related and return the rented vases to your florist the following week. (Please note, your florist must approve this as an option.)
I love this service and think if you use fresh floral of any kind for any type of event you should consider it. I also would like to suggest you work with Carrie at Petals Floral Design to create your pieces. Carrie is in the business because she loves the art of floral and the happiness around a celebration. She isn’t going to gouge you on price just because it’s a wedding arrangement, nor is she going to force you into products that aren’t “you”.
I can tell she is very honest with her brides and won’t promise anything she can’t do. As an example
, she’s now suggesting my magnolia hair pins to her clients requesting fresh flower hair clips. She knows fresh won’t last the night (let alone through pictures!), so my custom-designed hair pin was a perfect solution for her ladies.
It’s summer! Fresh flowers are all around. Be mindful of how you use them and we all come out ahead!
