Even Greener

In keeping with this Spring's rapidly developing theme, this month's wedding newsletter is going to be about (yes, you guessed it) ways to make sure your wedding is as green as possible. This month, though, we're dealing with something you may not have thought to plan for: the aftermath of the ceremony, and what you're going to do with all of those flowers.

Sure, you'll probably want to preserve some of them as keepsakes (one of my co-workers likes to tell the story of how her wedding bouquet lasted eight years, thanks to protea's longevity as a dried flower and her mother's willingness to dust it regularly!), but you can't save all of them, so it's best to plan now for how to dispose of those that guests don't decide to take home. Or, if you want to encourage your guests to take everything home, consider using potted plants. Your guests can enjoy them for years to come, and more plants in the world is definitely an environmental good!

But before you do anything else, check with the venue where you'll be holding the wedding. If it's at a church or reception hall, they may have procedures in place for exactly this type of thing, and you may be bound to follow their procedures. Of course, if their procedures aren't to your liking (all waste goes to a landfill? Yikes!), you can try to get around them or lobby them to make small changes, like recycling glass and cans or finding a way to compost floral waste.

If you're holding your wedding at the home of a friend or relative, find out if they maintain a compost heap, or know someone who does. Extra flowers (and vegetarian food scraps) can find a home there, and help contribute to a future garden's healthy soil. Some cities even offer curbside pickup and composting of household scraps or yard waste, either of which might include flowers.

The most important thing you can do is be conscious of your choices, and try to find a way to reduce waste. If possible, recycle the boxes your flowers arrive in, and encourage your guests to compost any bouquets they take home, after, of course, enjoying them for as long as possible! Until then, please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions, about this newsletter or just about wedding flowers in general. In addition to the resources mentioned above, you might also want to browse our Wedding Newsletter Archive. If that doesn't help, just give me a call. I'm here all day Monday – Friday, and I'm always happy to hear from brides or grooms-to-be!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you're having a great Spring!

Best Wishes,

Andrea Ashmore
andrea@flowerbud.com
Event Flower Specialist
Flowerbud.com