How to Reuse Your Ceremony Flowers for Reception

Flowers play a huge part in making your wedding day unforgettable. A thoughtfully chosen flower selection and intentional floral design truly have the power to transform your space, creating a beautiful atmosphere that leaves your guests in awe.

Whether you love a minimalist design or dream of floral abundance, you’ll want to make the most of your gorgeous florals (and your investment) by allowing them to shine all day long. The good news? With a bit of planning, you can repurpose your ceremony flowers for your reception seamlessly.

Here’s how to make it happen!

Best Ways to Reuse Ceremony Flowers at Your Reception

Certain ceremony flower designs are perfect for repurposing after you say “I do.”

Flower columns, plinths, and floral pillars can easily be moved to your reception space. These “open” designs will look beautiful at the ends of your top table or sweetheart table. If there’s space, you can also place them directly behind you, framing you beautifully for your speeches and photos.

All eyes will be on you, so why not surround yourselves with stunning blooms throughout your celebration?

Create a Photo Opportunity for Your Guests

Want to encourage your guests to capture memories? Your ceremony flowers can double as a beautiful photo backdrop that guests will enjoy all evening. It’s also a fun way to relive these moments the next morning when everyone starts sharing their photos on social media.

The Most Versatile Floral Pieces You Can Repurpose

One of the most versatile floral elements to invest in is aisle décor.

Beautiful, free-standing aisle meadows:

• Tie your ceremony space together

• Create a sense of abundance

• Adorn your walk down the aisle beautifully

They are also incredibly easy to repurpose at your reception.

You can reuse aisle flowers to decorate:

• The ends of long guest tables

• Your guest book table

• Cake table

• Welcome signage

• Bar area

• Other focal points within your venue

  
  

The most impactful way to reuse aisle pieces is to place them in front of your top table or sweetheart table. You can spread them along the table length or cluster them at the centre to beautifully frame the two of you.

What Floral Installations Can't Be Repurposed?

While many ceremony florals can be reused, not everything is practical to move.

Closed arches (straight, arched, or moongates) are typically constructed on-site and are heavy, making them difficult to relocate. If repurposing is important to you, open designs like columns and plinths are a much better choice.

What about bridesmaids’ bouquets? I get asked whether they could be reused as centrepieces quite often. Technically, you could place them in vases, but I wouldn't suggest doing that. Bouquets aren’t designed to be centrepieces and can look out of place, giving your tables a DIY feel, and essentially, taking away from the beauty and quality of your overall floral design.

Instead, keep bridesmaids’ bouquets in water on the side for your bridal party to take home and enjoy, or place them in lower-profile areas, like the guest book or sweets table, if you wish to display them.

Things to Be Aware of

If you plan to repurpose your ceremony flowers during your reception, consider:

• Weather conditions: Heat can cause delicate blooms to wilt, and wind can shift your arrangements, altering their appearance.

• Design cohesion: Florals are designed for a specific purpose and place. Only repurpose them if it aligns with your overall design, enhancing rather than compromising your reception aesthetic.

Think of repurposed florals as a bonus, not something to rely on entirely.

Work With Your Florist to Maximise Your Florals

These ideas are just a starting point for how you can reuse your ceremony flowers, but the possibilities are endless!

You don’t have to figure it out alone. Have a chat with your wedding florist about your priorities, and they can guide you through what will and won’t work while contributing creative ideas tailored to your venue and vision.

Ready to Make the Most of Your Wedding Flowers?

Would you like me to help you elevate your wedding day with impactful, stunning floral design that will wow your guests while making the most of your investment?

Get in touch here to chat about your wedding florals.

Follow along on Instagram for behind-the-scenes and daily inspiration.

I’m a Buckinghamshire-based wedding floral designer and regularly work across Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Surrey, and London. I would love to get to know you and hear all about your plans for your beautiful day!

If you’d like to see how we have helped bring other couples’ floral visions to life, click here to explore our portfolio.

See you in the next post!

Photography by: Jade Marie Photography, Kit Myers Photography, Nataly J Photography, Joanna Ranson Photography, Catherine Carter Photography, Claire Wakefield Photography, Alisa Roberts Photography, Noble Ossai Photography

Venues: Millbridge Court, Devonshire Terrace, Kimpton Fitzroy London, Hinwick House