Reusing florals. Is it ok? Where do you do it? What pieces do you reuse? Will guests see if? Is it tacky? I have heard endless questions and comments on reusing florals so let’s dig in.

Let’s start with the first question. Is it ok to reuse flowers? Yes of course! Chances are you’re paying good money for a qualified florist and you want to get use out of them! It is totally OK buttttt there is some etiquette to it which we will get into in this post.

Next up: Where do you reuse them? Reusing florals IS ok but be careful where you are choosing to reuse the florals. Putting reconfigured florals that have been sitting in the sun possibly for a few hours before and during a wedding ceremony on guests tables is not the best option. Choose areas that need some beefing up but aren’t prominent in guests eye view (unlike a dining table they will be sitting at for a few hours). Think bar area, around signage, around the cake, maybe to slightly lush up the head table if the floral pieces aren’t overly wilted.

Next – what pieces do you reuse? This is the golden question in reusing florals. Often times people think reusing bouquets is a great option but let me explain why it it is not. Your bouquets have been with you for hours taking photos/in the sun/tossed aside for a photo/walking down the aisle etc. They have be used and worn out. There is no way they are looking as good and fresh as they did when the day began. Placing the used bouquets on a guestbook table is one thing but using them as a centrepiece is not something I would recommend. In full honesty – it’ll look messy. A piece I do recommend reusing is larger ceremony pieces – arch pieces, the arch itself, aisle pieces, etc. These can be used as is or reconfigured for signage/cake/bar. These are also typically more expensive than your bouquet so it makes more sense to reuse those bigger pieces. Plus you get a beautiful floral ceremony setting and then get to lush up the reception with them!

Final questions… will guest see it? Is it tacky? The key to reusing florals is doing is as discreetly as possible. Have your planner move them after guests have cleared the area and a professional vendors will not (should not) reconfigure in front of guests either. Use back doors to reset them and don’t walk right through cocktail hour with a giant floral piece. Discretion is key in this task being effortless and going unnoticed. And no it’s not tacky. You paid for those florals so why not display them everywhere!

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