Three Ways to Repurpose Your Wedding Flowers
By Ana Constantinescu, Chicago-based flower preservation artist and owner of Bloom & Make
Your wedding flowers are gorgeous, and honestly it feels a little sad to just toss them. The good news is you have options that let those blooms keep doing what they do best: bringing joy, creating memories, and connecting people. Whether you want to share them around the city, preserve them as gallery art, or gather your crew for a fun craft night, there's a path that'll feel right for you. The best part is that you can totally mix and match to make it work for you.
Start by Picking Flowers That Last
Let your florist know you want sturdy stems and blooms with long vase life (think five or more days). This makes everything easier down the line.
I have both grown and pressed tens of thousands of flowers, and these are my favorite blooms for lasting beauty:
Amaranth, anemones, anthuriums, cala lilies, celosia, chrysanthemums, delphinium, feverfew, freesias, gomphrena, hellebores, hydrangeas, larkspur, lisianthus, most types of ranunculus, most types of roses, orchids, snapdragons, statice, stock, strawflowers, sunflowers, tulips, zinnias
On the other hand, these types of flowers have shorter vase life and won’t survive more than a couple of days after the wedding:
Butterfly ranunculus, dahlias, lilacs, most peonies, poppies, and some varieties of garden roses (white ones in particular)
One more thing: ask your florist to skip the floral foam if possible. Foam-free designs are easier to donate, press, and compost. It's a small switch that makes a real difference.
Photography by The Still Life Photograaphy
Option 1: Preserve Your Bouquet
If you want to hold onto a piece of the day or are madly in love with your flowers (my clients say this a lot!), preservation is your move.
Simply put, flower preservation is the art of removing moisture from flowers. It turns your bouquet into something that lasts — whether it’s framed art on your wall, a tray you actually use, or jewelry.
Preserved flowers are an incredibly versatile art medium, offering endless possibilities:
Pressed-flower frames capture all the details you might not have noticed on your wedding day. The flowers are flat, arranged behind glass, and when done with archival materials, they age beautifully over the years.
Shadow boxes feature preserved flowers in 3D form. They typically are a couple of inches deep, which makes them somewhat less versatile than conventional frames.
Resin pieces can be decorative or functional. Think serving trays, coasters, ornaments, jewelry, and blocks. Fair warning: epoxy resin yellows over time (usually within one to two years) and functional pieces will show wear from daily use.
With so many options to consider, it can be hard to decide. Here are a few questions to guide you:
Do you want art to look at, or art you can use? Pressed frames shine as a focal point in your favorite space. Resin pieces can be objects that you interact with daily and make wonderful, thoughtful gifts for family and closest friends.
What's your space situation? If you're renting or need to move frequently, smaller portable pieces (jewelry, trays, coasters, small frames) might make more sense. Also consider lighting — direct sunlight speeds up fading, so think about where you'd actually display a piece.
One big piece or several small keepsakes? A large frame makes a statement. Multiple small pieces let you spread them around your home or share with family and wedding party members.
In my flower preservation practice, Bloom & Make, most of my clients prefer pressed-flower frames and functional resin decor, such as coasters and trays. High-quality jewelry is also a favorite — imagine carrying a small piece of your wedding day with you!
Option 2: Donate Your Flowers
This is one of the simplest, most generous things you can do. Your centerpieces and arrangements can brighten hospital rooms, senior communities, veterans' facilities, and shelters, often by the next morning.
Around Chicago, you've got great options:
Inspire Through Flowers restyles event florals into small bouquets and delivers them where they're needed most.
If you want help coordinating pickup after your reception, Green Petal Project can handle that.
The Wellness Cultivator, a new Chicago-area horticultural therapy business, uses donated flowers for a variety of activities that help people build cognitive, physical, and emotional strength.
The beauty of donation is that it pairs perfectly with your other plans. Want to keep your bouquet for preservation? Absolutely do that, and send everything else out into the city.
Option 3: Host a Craft Night with Dried Flowers
Air-dried flowers are an invitation to stretch the celebration a little longer. Select the flowers you want to keep, tie them into bunches of several stems, and hang them upside down in a dark, well-ventilated space for at least four weeks. When you're ready for something low-key and fun, gather your favorite people for a night of making mini arrangements, shadow boxes, or wreaths.
You can keep it at home: put out some snacks, pour the wine, and let everyone get creative! Or take it out: Indigo & Violet Studio in Lakeview does relaxed, BYOB craft nights with plenty of space to spread out. Lillstreet Art Center in Ravenswood is another great option if you like the energy of a working art space.
Take a group photo at the end, and your flowers have one more story to tell!
Mix and Match What Works for You
You don't have to pick just one path. A lot of couples find a rhythm that feels balanced: donate most of the arrangements so they're out brightening the city by morning, preserve a meaningful selection as a keepsake, and schedule a craft night with air-dried stems when life slows down a bit.