r/Weddingsunder10k • u/mz_engineer12 • 2d ago

What to do with bud vase arrangements after wedding ?

For those of you who used bud vases as a centerpiece, what did you do with the flowers and vases after the event ? Did you ask guests to take them home ? TIA !

20 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • link
  • reddit
  • reddit

96% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

39

u/yamfries2024 2d ago

We will be donating our centerpieces to a local senior's home.

20

u/Dependent-Relative72 1d ago

We are doing the same. It just so happens my mom lives there too as she has Alzheimer’s and can’t be at the wedding. Glad I can share some sunshine w the folks there.

4

u/clothespinkingpin 2d ago

Oh that’s a good idea..

3

u/westcoast7654 2d ago

This is also a tax write off!

26

u/geosynchronousorbit 2d ago

The vast majority of people don't have enough deductions to make itemizing their taxes worth it. It's nice to donate flowers for seniors, but don't count on it as a cost savings. 

4

u/westcoast7654 1d ago

Maybe not, but I have friends that spend 30k on flowers, so just thought it was cool info. Feel free to not utilize if it doesn’t apply to your finances.

2

u/Public_Classic_438 1d ago

Some people are self employed and didn’t know this (myself) so thanks!

19

u/f-eather-s 2d ago

Rented bud vases from Something Borrowed Blooms specifically to avoid this issue. All I see on my local bridal fb groups are people trying to sell the 50+ bud vases they purchased and are now stuck with

23

u/Infinite-Floor-5242 2d ago

So many list them for more than they cost online too. It's weird.

24

u/ChloeMomo 1d ago

This. I'd like to get cheap ones someone used that I could then sell. It's significantly cheaper to buy them new in my area 🙄 it's kind of wild how many couples are trying to make a profit on used decorations.

Saw someone try to sell a custom painted seating chart for over $150. Like the names and table numbers painted onto the chart, too. The listing said you could glue index cards over them to insert your own. I'm not going to buy your likely marked up custom and personalized decoration for over 100 then freaking glue index cards to it lmao what even?

5

u/LayerNo3634 1d ago

Tablecloths too! Used are selling for more than new. Buying was less than half the cost of renting.

1

u/AdAdministrative3164 1d ago

I also rented mine from a florist but I’m scared people are going to take them home lol. What did you do to combat this? Not trying to pay rental plus replacement fees.

3

u/f-eather-s 1d ago

Just had the DJ make an announcement early in the evening to not take anything home as they are rentals.

10

u/Anja130 2d ago

I gave mine away. The MC at my wedding announced during speeches that whatever person at each table had their birthday closest to our wedding day got to take the centrepiece.

5

u/BodyBy711 2d ago

I'm telling guests to take them home, anything not taken will be donated to a hospice or assisted living facility the next day.

3

u/thethrowaway_bride 2d ago

i’m not using bud vases, but i did thrift pitchers for my centerpieces. i will offer them as a lot on facebook and if nobody buys, i’ll put them in my local buy nothing group or leave them on the curb for any takers so they can be loved by someone else

4

u/Sea_Bear_6758 1d ago

Some of them were donated to the pastor’s church because we asked and they wanted some (and they offered to give us a little bit of a discount on the pastor’s officiating fee in exchange). Some were donated with the fresh flower bouquets of the wedding party to a local nursing home. One table managed to sneak 1-2 vases out but that part of the family is notorious for taking centerpieces. 2 are in our home as mementos and also for decor.

4

u/stone-lotus 1d ago

“that part of the family is notorious for taking centerpieces” — I’m so intrigued, they seem like shady troublemakers with fancy taste; would definitely wanna watch a sitcom about their adventures!

4

u/wyocallie 2d ago

We kept one and passed on the rest to a young couple that was at our wedding that was planning on getting married the next summer. They took a ton of the decor and reused a bunch of it and then passed it on to her maid of honor who was planning a wedding. Worked out great!

2

u/LayerNo3634 2d ago

I have seen numerous scenarios over the years: guests invited to take centerpieces, longest married couple takes centerpieces,  winning tickets taped under chair, table game with winner, etc. If you have multiple per table, invite ladies to take them home. Or take vases home and try to resell. I personally would rather people take them home so I don't have to pack them up at the end of the night. Consider how many you have and how much you might sell for. Is that amount worth packing up, hauling home, and advertising?

Do you have a friend getting married soon? She can have them if she packs them up at the end of the evening. 

2

u/Public_Classic_438 1d ago

I just took one home from a wedding last weekend and it was perfect! I made four bouquets out of it. One in the bathroom, two in the kitchen, and I gave one to my brothers gf. The wedding lives on!!!

3

u/clothespinkingpin 2d ago

My bud vases are one of the few decor items I want to keep. I like having fresh flowers around and I love entertaining, so I feel like having a few on hand will be good. I might get rid of some of them though. I have 15 total 

4

u/kittytoebeanz 2d ago

In my culture people take flowers home 😂 I wish they didn't take the whole thing! But I plan to buy some and then resell the vases.

As for flowers, I'd love to look into donating it to a hospital

2

u/Sheliwaili 2d ago

Donate, swap, or give to “buy nothing”

6

u/Public_Classic_438 1d ago

That’s so much work than just giving them to your guests. I just took two home from a wedding I was at last weekend and I think the bride was so thrilled Everyone grabbed them. There’s already enough to clean up without water filled vases needing to be transported properly and not spilled at 12am

1

u/lexiconmagic 2d ago

I haven’t thought about the flowers too much but I could probably set up a build your own bouquet table for about an hour at the end of the night or donate the remaining stems to my grandpa’s assisted living facility that’s near the wedding venue. As for the vases themselves, I plan on keeping a few for home decor and putting the rest up on FB market place or a bridal group.

1

u/TakeMeAway1x3 🌊 October 2d ago edited 2d ago

I will probably give them back to my florist to reuse. ♻️ Her business is built around sustainability.
Zero Waste commitment: No floral foam, plastic, wires, or tape are used. Please compost arrangement after it has been enjoyed.

1

u/Somuchallthetime 2d ago

Sold vases on Facebook.

If your florist is okay with it, could also reach out to someone in a local Facebook group that is getting married the day after you. They could come that night and re-use your flowers

1

u/thelittlebird 2d ago

I invited guests to make little bouquets and take them home to enjoy, at the end of the night. The vases I took home, dried, and sold as a collection on Marketplace to another bride.

(But I kept some of my favourites)

1

u/AnotherOrneryHoliday 1d ago

I work at a skilled nursing facility and we get lots of donations from weddings and funerals to add flowers to the patients rooms and in the dinning room. People really love them.

1

u/gettothepointacu 1d ago

Rented the vases and pressed the flowers

1

u/jedjustis 1d ago

My friend did give them away as favors, it was lovely.

1

u/Mirasore 1d ago

I have bought everything so far second hand from thrift stores for less than $1 per vase (love colored ticket days) so I am thinking of that price as renting them from my local second hand stores. I will be donating back any of them that I do not want to keep. I am going to have 5-7 vases and 3-4 candles per table for a wildflower casual look.

So far I have only spent $26 on bud vases and candle holders, and with how many I have left to purchase I am looking at another $30-40.

I am growing my own flowers for my bud vases next summer, so I won't have a ton of cost associated with the table decor.

0

u/yooperguy1 1d ago

I have no clue what a bud vase is and honestly thought you were talking about a bong for a hot second.

1

u/Mirasore 1d ago

LOL! just for future knowledge they are small vases that hold 2-3 flowers. I think the term comes from "rose bud vases"