5 Things to Do With Your Wedding Flowers After the Big Day
You worked so hard to pick the perfect bouquet. The colors, the blooms, the way it smelled when you walked down the aisle — all of it was exactly right. And then the wedding ends, and suddenly you're not sure what happens next.
Don't worry. You have options! Really good ones! And if you're a bride anywhere in the Midwest, you might be closer to a solution than you think.
Here are five things you can do with your wedding flowers after the big day, so those blooms don't just end up in the trash.
1. Have Them Preserved
This is hands down the best way to hold onto your flowers for years to come. Flower preservation turns your real blooms into something you can actually display — think framed pressed pieces, wood trays, or a beautiful shadow box hanging in your home.
The sooner you send your bouquet in after the wedding, the better. Most flowers start to fade within a couple of days, so timing matters. If you're in the Iowa area or want to ship your bouquet, check out our preservation services to see what's possible.
We'll take it from there.
2. Hang Them Upside Down to Air Dry
Not ready to decide just yet? That's totally okay. A simple way to buy yourself some time is to hang your bouquet upside down in a dry, dark space like a closet or a spare room.
Just make sure the stems aren't soaking wet when you hang them. Give them a little shake, pat them gently, and let them air out naturally.
Once they're fully dried, you'll still have your bouquet if you decide later that you want something made from it like a shadow box design. (We actually work with already-dried bouquets too, so don't count yourself out if you've already done this step.)
3. Give them a second life as a centerpiece or home arrangement.
After the wedding, transfer your bouquet into a vase with fresh water and enjoy them for a few more days at home. Style them on your kitchen table, your nightstand, or your bathroom counter — somewhere you'll actually see them. It extends the joy of the wedding weekend without any effort, and it buys you a little time to figure out what you want to do with them long-term.
4. Donate Them
Your flowers meant so much to you; why not let them brighten someone else's day, too?
Consider dropping them off at a local assisted living community, a care facility, or a hospital. A fresh bouquet can mean a lot to someone who doesn't often receive flowers. Many places are happy to accept them, and it only takes a quick call ahead to check.
It's a small act that makes a big difference.
5. Make Something at Home
If you're feeling a little crafty, your flowers can become something totally new. Dry them out and add them to a wreath, arrange them in a vase as a dried display, or even mix dried petals into homemade potpourri.
You don't have to be an artist to pull this off. A simple glass jar filled with dried petals from your bouquet looks beautiful on a nightstand or shelf.
Think of it as a little piece of your wedding day living on in your everyday life.
Bonus Tip: Missed the Window? We Can Still Help.
If the flowers from your wedding are long gone and you're wishing you'd saved them — you're not alone, and it's not too late.
We offer bouquet recreations where we source fresh flowers based on your original bouquet, then press and design something beautiful from them. It's a way to still have something meaningful, even if the originals didn't make it.
You can fill out our recreation request form to share the details about your bouquet, and we'll take a look at what's possible.
Ready to Do Something with Your Bouquet?
Your flowers don't have to be a "what if." Whether you're a few days out from your wedding or you've had a dried bouquet sitting in a closet for months, there's still something we can create for you.
Take a look at our full list of preservation services and reach out. Based in Dubuque, Iowa, we work with couples across the Midwest — whether you're local or shipping your bouquet from Madison, Door County, the Chicago suburbs, or anywhere in between. We'd love to help you keep your flowers forever.