What to Do With Wedding Flowers After | Preservation Guide
What Happens to Your Flowers After the Wedding? (A Guide to Preservation, Donation, and More)
After photographing 400+ weddings in Nashville since 2017, I've watched couples spend $2,000-$5,000 on gorgeous wedding flowers. And then I've watched what happens to those flowers after the wedding.
Most couples don't think about this until the end of the night when they're staring at their bouquet wondering: "What do I actually DO with this?"
Your flowers are beautiful, expensive, and tied to one of the most important days of your life. But they're also perishable and will die in a few days if you don't do something with them.
I'm going to tell you all your options for wedding flowers after the big day—from preservation to donation to practical disposal—so you can decide ahead of time what matters to you.
What Actually Happens to Wedding Flowers
The Reality:
Your bouquet: You keep it (probably)
Bridesmaids' bouquets: They take them home or leave them
Centerpieces: Guests take them, venue disposes them, or they get left behind
Ceremony flowers: Moved to reception, left at venue, or disposed
Boutonnières/corsages: Usually taken home by wearer
If You Don't Plan Ahead:
Most wedding flowers end up:
Left at the venue (venue disposes of them)
Taken home and put in vases for a few days, then thrown away
Given to guests who may or may not want them
Forgotten in the chaos of wedding night
Without a plan, thousands of dollars worth of flowers just... disappear.
Your Bouquet: Preservation Options
Option 1: Professional Flower Preservation
What It Is: Companies preserve your bouquet using freeze-drying, pressing, or resin techniques. You get permanent keepsake in frame, shadow box, or display case.
How It Works:
Contact preservation company BEFORE wedding
Give them bouquet immediately after (or next day)
They preserve flowers (takes 6-12 weeks)
You receive finished product to display
Cost: $200-$800+ depending on method and display
Pros:
Professional, beautiful result
Permanent keepsake
Can display in your home forever
Cons:
Expensive
Takes months to get back
Requires planning ahead
Popular Methods:
Freeze-Drying: Flowers maintain 3D shape, placed in shadow box or dome
Pressing: Flowers flattened, arranged in frame
Resin: Flowers preserved in clear resin block or jewelry
Option 2: DIY Preservation
What It Is: Preserve flowers yourself at home.
Methods:
Air Drying:
Hang bouquet upside down in dark, dry place
Takes 2-3 weeks
Flowers will be dried/crispy but maintain shape
Free!
Pressing:
Press flowers between heavy books
Takes 2-4 weeks
Creates flat dried flowers
Can frame yourself
Free!
Silica Gel:
Bury flowers in silica gel (craft store)
Maintains color and shape better than air drying
Takes 1-2 weeks
Cost: $15-30 for silica gel
Pros:
Much cheaper than professional
You control the process
Can be meaningful DIY project
Cons:
Results aren't as polished
Takes time and effort
May not last as long
Learning curve
Option 3: Take Photos, Then Let Them Go
What It Is: Enjoy bouquet on wedding day, take beautiful photos (which last forever), then dispose of flowers when they die.
Philosophy: Flowers are meant to be temporary. The photos preserve the memory; you don't need physical flowers.
Pros:
No extra cost
No effort required
Memories preserved in photos
Aligns with sustainable mindset
Cons:
No physical keepsake
Some people want tangible memento
My Take: This is totally valid. You hired a photographer (me!) to capture your flowers beautifully. Those photos last forever. The actual flowers don't have to.
Option 4: Partial Preservation
What It Is: Preserve a few special flowers, let the rest go.
Examples:
Press one rose from bouquet, frame it
Save petals in small glass jar
Preserve boutonnière only
Save just the ribbon from bouquet
Pros:
Meaningful without full commitment
Cheaper than preserving entire bouquet
Simple keepsake
Cons:
Not as dramatic as full preservation
Centerpieces and Ceremony Flowers
Option 1: Guests Take Them Home
Most Common Solution:
At end of reception, announce guests can take centerpieces. Usually the ladies at each table figure out who takes it.
Pros:
Flowers get used instead of wasted
Guests appreciate free flowers
Simple solution
Cons:
Not all guests want to carry flowers home
Can create awkward table politics
Some centerpieces still get left behind
How to Make This Work:
Announce it during reception ("Please take centerpieces home!")
Have coordinator mention it to tables
Accept that some will still be left
Option 2: Donate to Local Hospitals or Nursing Homes
Beautiful Option:
Donate centerpieces and ceremony flowers to hospitals, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities the day after wedding.
How It Works:
Contact facilities BEFORE wedding to confirm they accept donations
Arrange pickup or delivery for day after wedding
Flowers brighten patients' rooms
Organizations That Often Accept:
Hospitals
Nursing homes
Hospice facilities
Women's shelters
Senior centers
Pros:
Flowers bring joy to people who need it
Meaningful way to extend wedding joy
Nothing goes to waste
Tax deductible donation
Cons:
Requires planning ahead
Need someone to coordinate pickup/delivery
Not all facilities accept flowers
Nashville Options: Call local hospitals or check with organizations like Random Acts of Flowers (national organization that might serve Nashville area).
Option 3: Repurpose for Day-After Brunch
If you're hosting day-after event:
Use centerpieces and ceremony flowers to decorate day-after brunch or goodbye breakfast.
Pros:
Flowers get used twice
Cost-effective
Beautiful brunch décor
Cons:
Only works if you're hosting day-after event
Option 4: Compost Them
Eco-Friendly Option:
If you or family member composts, wedding flowers can be composted.
Pros:
Sustainable
Flowers return to earth
Environmentally conscious
Cons:
Need access to compost
Doesn't work for everyone
Bridesmaids' Bouquets
What Usually Happens:
During Reception: Bridesmaids set bouquets down somewhere and often forget about them by end of night.
End of Night:
Some bridesmaids take them home
Some get left at venue
Some get given to guests
Some get forgotten
If You Want Bridesmaids to Keep Them:
Tell them ahead of time! "Please take your bouquets home at end of night."
Assign someone (coordinator, mom) to collect bouquets and give them to bridesmaids as they leave.
Otherwise, they'll likely be forgotten in the chaos.
Bouquet Toss: What Happens to That Bouquet?
Two Options:
Option 1: Use Your Real Bouquet
Toss your actual bouquet. Whoever catches it keeps it.
Pros:
Traditional
One less bouquet to deal with
Cons:
You don't keep your bouquet
Tosses can be rough on flowers
Option 2: Use Separate "Toss Bouquet"
Florist makes smaller, cheaper bouquet specifically for tossing. You keep your real bouquet.
Pros:
You keep your actual bouquet
Toss bouquet is cheaper/smaller
Less heartbreaking if it gets destroyed in toss
Cons:
Costs extra ($50-150)
Another thing to coordinate
What Most Couples Do:
Skip bouquet toss entirely (it's becoming less common), or use real bouquet and let it go.
Planning Ahead: What to Decide Before Wedding
Questions to Answer:
☐ Do you want to preserve your bouquet?
If yes, research preservation companies NOW
Book them before wedding
Plan how to get bouquet to them
☐ What happens to centerpieces?
Guests take them?
Donate them?
Someone specific takes them?
☐ Who's responsible for collecting/donating flowers?
Coordinator?
Family member?
Friend?
Vendor?
☐ Do bridesmaids want their bouquets?
Ask them!
Assign someone to make sure they get them
☐ Are you doing bouquet toss?
Using real bouquet or toss bouquet?
Timeline for Flower Decisions
2-3 Months Before Wedding:
☐ Research bouquet preservation options if interested
☐ Contact preservation company and book
☐ Contact hospitals/nursing homes about donation if interested
☐ Decide on bouquet toss (real vs. toss bouquet)
1 Month Before Wedding:
☐ Confirm preservation company details
☐ Confirm donation pickup/delivery if applicable
☐ Tell bridesmaids your plan for their bouquets
☐ Assign someone to coordinate flower logistics
Day After Wedding:
☐ Get bouquet to preservation company (or start DIY preservation)
☐ Coordinate centerpiece donation/pickup
☐ Make sure bridesmaids got their bouquets (or didn't want them)
What I've Seen at 400+ Weddings
Most Common:
Bride's bouquet:
Taken home, sits in vase for a week, dies, gets thrown away
OR preserved professionally
Centerpieces:
Half taken by guests, half left at venue
Venue disposes of what's left
Bridesmaids' bouquets:
Forgotten at venue or left on tables
Rarely actually make it home with bridesmaids
Most Meaningful:
Couples who planned ahead:
Bride who immediately gave bouquet to preservation company representative at end of night (they came to venue to pick it up).
Couple who donated all centerpieces to children's hospital next day.
Bride who pressed one rose from bouquet herself and framed it.
The ones who had a PLAN were the ones whose flowers didn't just get thrown away.
Costs Breakdown
Professional Preservation:
Freeze-drying in shadow box: $300-600
Pressing and framing: $200-400
Resin jewelry: $150-300
Full bouquet in glass dome: $400-800
DIY Preservation:
Air drying: Free
Pressing in books: Free
Silica gel method: $15-30
Frame for display: $20-100
Donation:
Free (or minimal delivery cost)
Doing Nothing:
Free (flowers just die and get tossed)
Sustainable Options
For Eco-Conscious Couples:
Choose local, seasonal flowers: Lower environmental impact
Donate flowers after: Extend their life and joy
Compost them: Return to earth
Use potted plants instead of cut flowers: Guests can take them home and they live on
Rent silk flowers: Some companies rent high-quality silk flowers that look real
Questions Couples Ask
"When do I need to give bouquet to preservation company?"
Usually within 24-48 hours of wedding. Flowers start dying immediately, so sooner is better.
Many preservation companies will come to your venue at end of night to pick up bouquet. Ask about this!
"Can I preserve bouquet myself if I change my mind after wedding?"
Yes, but results won't be as good. Professional preservation works best with fresh flowers.
If you decide after wedding, try air drying or pressing immediately.
"Do I need to preserve the whole bouquet?"
No! You can preserve just a few special flowers or even just the ribbon.
Partial preservation is valid and meaningful.
"What if I forget to plan for flowers?"
Then they'll probably get thrown away or left at venue. That's okay!
You'll have beautiful photos of them, and that's permanent.
Don't stress about this if it's not important to you.
"Are preserved flowers worth the cost?"
Depends on what matters to you.
If having physical keepsake is important: yes, worth it.
If photos are enough: no, save your money.
There's no "right" answer.
My Honest Take
After photographing 400+ weddings:
Most couples don't think about this until it's too late. Then they either:
Feel guilty throwing away expensive flowers
Wish they'd preserved bouquet
Scramble to figure out what to do
If you care about preserving flowers, PLAN AHEAD. Book preservation company before wedding. Have a plan.
If you don't care, that's fine too! Your photos preserve the memory. The actual flowers don't have to.
But make a conscious decision either way instead of just letting flowers get forgotten.
Final Thoughts: It's Your Choice
Your flowers are:
Expensive
Beautiful
Meaningful
Also temporary
You can:
Preserve them forever
Let them go and keep photos
Donate them to spread joy
Give them to guests
Compost them sustainably
All of these are valid choices.
Just make the choice intentionally instead of by default.
Decide what matters to you, plan accordingly, and don't stress about it.
Your wedding day will be beautiful. Your photos will last forever. What happens to the physical flowers is up to you.
More Wedding Planning:
About Heck Designs and Photography
We're Nashville wedding photographers who have documented 400+ weddings since 2017. We've photographed thousands of bouquets, centerpieces, and floral arrangements—and we know how to make your flowers look stunning in photos that last forever.
If you're planning a Nashville wedding and want a photographer who captures your flowers beautifully so you have those images regardless of what happens to the physical flowers, let's talk about your day.
Your flowers will be gorgeous. Your photos will be permanent. We'll make sure you have both.