How to Repurpose Your Wedding Flowers After the Big Day

Your wedding bouquet is something you spend the least time selecting, yet it becomes one of the most important elements after your big day. After the whirlwind of your wedding day, these bouquets are often ignored, which leaves them decaying in the corner. However, when the celebration settles, their purpose doesn’t have to wilt. 

Wedding bouquets can be repurposed into something beautiful or preserved to last for many years. For example, they may find new meaning as a pressed masterpiece, forever sealed in a shadow box, or a pendant hanging on your neck. The essence of these beautiful flowers can also be captured in the gentle glow of a homemade candle. There is an abundance of ideas. The best path for your flowers depends on the kind of flowers you’ve chosen. 

So, if you’re confused, thinking about what to do with those dried wedding bouquets, take your notepads out or bookmark this guide! Let’s look at some of the best and most creative ways to repurpose your wedding flowers after your wedding day. 

1. Pressed Flower Art

Want to hold your flowers for ages to come? With flower preservation, it is possible. Pressing flowers with the right techniques can give your wedding bouquet a better life that keeps them alive for decades. 

The best part of pressing flowers is that it’s one of the simplest ways to hold on to those memories and even create something new from them. Plus, flower preservation also captures the delicate form as well as the vibrant color of the bloom. 

Here’s how you can prepare your wedding bouquet for preservation.

Select and Prepare: Different flowers need different care when being preserved. So, whether you have daisies, pansies, lilies, or roses, each one may need a different way to be saved. It’s a good idea to start pressing them as soon as you can to keep them looking their best.

Press: Make sure you don’t leave your flowers in direct sunlight or a moist room, as this may ruin them completely. After the flowers are dry and free of moisture, carefully place them between two sheets of parchment paper or blotting paper. If you feel the task is out of your league, you can send them to a professional for flower preservation.

Weight and Wait: Stack as many heavy books on top of the flowers and leave them undisturbed in a dry place for 2-4 weeks. Once the flowers are pressed, you may turn them into a beautiful keepsake. 

2. You Can Make Potpourri

The scent of the flower is likely to fade away with the passing time. If you want to preserve not just the petals but also capture the mesmerizing smell of the flower, you can make potpourri out of it. Making potpourri allows you to capture the very essence of the flowers while extending their life. 

Here’s how to do it:

Dry Them Completely: Hang those flowers upside down in a dark and well-ventilated place for 1-2 weeks. No moisture should be left in them. They must be completely dry so no mold can grow. 

Get Your Base: Once those flowers are dry, gently separate the petals from the stems. 

Make It: You need to add a “fixative” like crushed cedar chips or a tablespoon of orris root powder for lasting fragrance. 

Add Accents: You can stir in cinnamon sticks, cloves, and dried citrus slices for visual appeal and a spice note. 

Secure: After you do all the said above, seal the mixture in an airtight jar for a week or two while shaking it occasionally. This allows the scents to meld perfectly. 

You can create drawer sachets with this custom blend, put them in decorative bowls around the house, or put them in small mason jars as unique wedding party or guest treats. 

3. Make Floral Candles

Imagine lighting a candle that doesn’t just fill the room with light but also reminds you of your big day. Creating embedded floral candles is the way to make it true. However, creating floral candles requires careful technique so that the result can be beautiful and safe to burn. 

Given below is a step-by-step process to make it:

Choose the Flowers: You need to have fully dried and pressed flowers (no moisture!). They can cause the wax to splatter or produce steam because since fresh or moist flowers pose a fire hazard.

Melt the Wax: Use a double boiler to slowly melt soy wax flakes or leftover candle pieces. Do not try to melt wax directly over a flame, as it can be dangerous.

Prepare the Mold: After they melt, you need to secure the wick to the bottom of your chosen mold (a mason jar works beautifully). Arrange the pressed flowers against the glass while avoiding placing them near the wick. 

Pour it Carefully: Slowly pour it into the mold once the wax has cooled down. This keeps the flowers in place and stops the heat from making them curl.

Set it: Finally, let the candle cool down completely for at least 24 hours before you actually attempt to remove it from the mold or use it.

Surprisingly, you’d witness the most breathtaking keepsake. These candles serve as gorgeous centerpieces or personalized bathroom accents. As a gift, they make a thoughtful set with your homemade potpourri that shares the beauty and scent of your party.

Conclusion 

The magic of your wedding day lives on in the details, and your flowers are one of the most precious. They have the power to bring back the happiness of your celebration long after you've left the venue. From making beautiful keepsakes to potpourri and candles, you can cherish the token of your love the way you want to. Apart from that, you can also make beautiful arrangements or create a flower shadow box. 

Instead of letting your flowers fade, you can turn them into something beautiful, such as art for your walls, scent for your home, or light in a candle. Each creation is a special reminder of the love, joy, and memories from your big day. 

Struggling to make your first keepsake or want to preserve those precious petals? Leave this to the Olive Branch Studios. We master the art of flower preservation, and we preserve your flowers with the best possible methods that suit the kind of flower you choose. Let us create a beautiful keepsake from your dried pressed flowers in Hazel Park, MI.