“Share The Love” with Donated Wedding Flowers

Brides and grooms can now opt to have a portion of their wedding flowers donated to one of our local non-profit partners

Weddings can be wasteful. In fact, The Green Bride Guide estimates that the average wedding generates over 400lbs of trash and 63 tons of CO2 - the same amount that 4-5 people would create in an entire year! But thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities to do better, and one impactful way is to repurpose wedding flowers and “share the love” of your wedding day with folks who could use a little joy.

The idea of donating wedding flowers isn’t a new concept. There are a handful of incredible regional and national organizations that specialize in exactly this; their team takes the flowers at the end of the night and rearranges them into smaller vases, which they then donate to local charities. One of the noteworthy things, however, is that this requires the brides and grooms to coordinate with yet another company - and during a time filled with oodles of emails, contracts, meetings, and vendor back-and-forth, most brides and grooms understandably want to streamline this process. Plus, almost all of these organizations charge a fee (usually a few hundred dollars or more) to the bride and groom in order to facilitate these donations.

Here’s how Waverly Flower Co.’s “Share the Love” program works:

Brides and grooms will have the choice to donate a portion* of their wedding flowers. During our last meeting, usually about six weeks prior to the big day, we’ll review the donation options with clients who may be interested, and the non-profit partners that would be available to receive donations. In most cases, brides and grooms can select which organization they’d like to receive their flowers. This year, we’re proud to be working with hospitals, women’s shelters, cancer centers, and senior living facilities.

At the end of the reception on the wedding day, the Waverly Flower Co. team will assist with “breaking down” and collect all vases and vessels as agreed upon in the contract. (We leave one or two for you as a keepsake, though, and brides and grooms always retain all personal flowers!)

The following morning, our team will repurpose the lush, cascading centerpieces into smaller arrangements more suitable for the folks who will be receiving them. They’ll then be transported to the non-profit organization later that day.

Sometimes, not every flower will be suitable for donation. This is especially true with the more delicate varieties that get stressed during transport, high heat, or being without a water source. Flowers and foliages that are towards the end of their vase life will be composted and eventually fertilize future wedding flowers; no trash created!

To learn more, or to inquire about donated flowers for your organization, please visit waverlyflowerco.com/sharethelove

*Please note that we never donate any “personal” flowers, like the bridal bouquet or boutonniere; we always encourage our brides and grooms to keep these, and ideally enjoy them forever through the use of a preservation artist! Additionally, we always reserve at least one or two centerpieces for our brides and grooms, as a special keepsake.