GIVING BACK: FLORAL EDITION
How to reduce waste and recycle florals from one wedding florist to you.
Let your flowers live on, just like your love. It’s a good sign to share with the universe isn’t it? There are a few different things that I do, personally and communally to make sure that the flowers that go into a wedding also get to come out. To start, here are some more obvious ideas:
Gift your guests! Take them home, let them be a reminder to your friends and family of your love.
Donate to a non-profit or hospital or community center- allowing people that have a need for flowers/ received those flowers. I’m sure it’s easy to think of something in your neighborhood or somewhere you’ve heard of.
Find a party, event, or gathering that the flowers could amp up! I’ve decorated DJ booths and stages and gotten some free perks out of it!
Dry them! Dried flowers are trending and also are just pretty cool. Decorate your house with them! Hang them in a corner or window and let the air do the work.
Now, let’s think more outside the box, these options are really speaking my language:
Gather a group or a partner and create a floral mandala outside in nature. Start with a focal flower and continue to move into a circle. With each type of flower, say what it means to you and what you’d like to call in. As all flowers are compostable, this creation is an offering to the earth. Shine in its beauty.
Baths, baths, baths. Take the leftover flowers and make a spiritual bath. It’s easy, you’ll take the heads and petals of the flowers, draw a nice bath, light a few candles, add some salts and then fill the bath with flowers. Smell them, cleanse with them, thank them. And I highly recommended journaling after your bath.
Make some medicine. Flower Essences are a great start. You can also make Agua De Florida, Peace Water, skin oils, and even some poperriet. Look at what you are working with and there just may be a medicine calling you!
Natural dyes! I’ve recently partnered with Oakland-based Textile Designer, Kristin Arzt of Scrambles Quilts and she’s making magic with some of my leftover flowers. Eco-printing is the coolest new thing!
Find a local medicine maker and see if they would like to use any of the products for their potions!
Recycling flowers is an important part in the wedding process and something that is missed a lot in the floral industry in general. On top of that, it’s a reaaaal good omen. The longer your flowers live, the longer your love!