Your big day has finally come and gone. All the planning, all the time, all the money and energy you spent getting things ready have paid off and it's time to enjoy married life! But as you're walking out of your wedding venue you look around at all your gorgeous flower and wonder what to do with all that beauty - just let them die?!

The unfortunate truth is that your florist provides you with flowers at their peak bloom, so they will begin to look really sad within a day or two. That being said, there are a few options for ways to spread a little extra joy with your floral arrangements.

Send Them Home With Guests
Often times, guests are just as sad to see flowers go to the trash can as you are. Our dear friend, Patricia Clark suggests that if you'd like to give guests the option to take centerpieces or bouquets home after your wedding, stash some ziploc bags under the table cloths at each table. At the end of the night, have your DJ announce that guests are welcome to take arrangements home and where they can find the ziplocs. The flowers will only last them another day or two, but they will be able relive the joy and memories from your wedding while they take the flowers home - plus, less flowers equal a little less clean up for your wedding planner or your venue.

Donate Them
Even though your flowers may not have much life left in them, there may still be enough to bring some light to someone else's day. If you know of a nearby hospital or senior living home, they are great places to take your remaining flowers. You'll feel better about them going to a good cause and hopefully they can bring a smile to a few other faces. If you're going this route, plan ahead of time where you'd like to take the flowers and contact the facility to make sure it's ok and arrange a drop off time. Designate someone from your wedding party or a friend or family member to be in charge of collecting the arrangements after the wedding and keeping them in water so they can stay alive as long as possible after drop off. 

Create Your Own Keepsake
If you loved your bouquet and want to keep it as a memento of your big day, consider drying your flowers after your wedding is over. There are many tutorials out there for how to preserve your bouquet, this one from The Knot offers a quick overview of a few different options. If your bouquet consists of mostly hearty flowers that won't lose their petals easily, you can always opt to hang your bouquet upside down in a cool, dry place for at least a week to dry them yourself. 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
If none of the above ideas sound appealing to you and you're planning to just toss your flowers at the end of the night, consider asking your venue if they have a compost area that the flowers could be tossed into. This way, you know your flowers are being used to create compost that will eventually be used to help something beautiful (or nutritional) grow again. It can give you just a little peace of mind that your special day is helping to better the environment instead of ending up in the trash.

No matter what you decide to do with your flowers after your wedding day, don't let yourself feel sad about losing your flowers at the end of the night. They served their purpose and their beauty will live on in your photos and memories of the day. How did you use your flowers after your wedding day? Share with us in the comments!

xoxo

We couldn't think of a more fabulous way to kick off Wedding Season 2016 than with this gorgeous celebration of Starr + Matt. 

Held at a private ranch outside of Helena, their nuptials were an incredible combination of Montana charm, lush garden flowers and handpicked Americana antiques that came together to create a setting that left all the guests feeling wow-ed, and yet right at home.

Almost a full year previously, Starr contacted us (not yet The Flower Hat) about her Memorial Day wedding. She showed up to the studio toting a massive binder overflowing with wedding plans and ideas and we knew right away this was going to be a fun bride! She pulled out one specific page out of a magazine that she had been holding on to for exactly that moment and, voila! The entire floral theme of her wedding was born. 

Starr wanted a vintage English garden feel for her flowers, with lots of rich blue, purple and pink tones. In staying with the garden theme, we went heavy on the flowers using garden roses, dutch hydrangeas, lilacs and some beautiful pink peonies with a little less foliage - and the results were oh, so amazing! Equally gorgeous were the bridal bouquets: simple, elegant and timeless white arrangements.  

 Not only did Starr know exactly what flowers and colors she wanted, she  even handpicked every single container for every single table from antique shops around the country. Each guest table was adorned with individual pieces, from a birdcage to a typewriter to glass, antique pewter and vintage china, each with a special connection to the bride and groom. 

After a mock set-up of each table design and a few tweaks to the floral order, we were able to collaborate with Starr to create one of the most unique and personalized wedding designs to date. We are so proud of the finished product! It's pretty much impossible not to feel the time, effort and love that the couple poured into making their day a special experience for themselves and their guests. We are so honored to have been trusted to help Starr + Matt's dreams become a reality!

xoxo

P.S. If you are loving the photos from Starr + Matt's wedding venue, it's now available for future weddings! Click here for more information!

Photos courtesy of David Clumpner

You found the one​, got the ring and set the date. ​T​he excitement of the proposal​l is just beginning, but​ it’s​ already​ time to start planning your wedding! 

For those brides looking to maximize their budget in every category, we have put together a list of ways to help stretch your flower dollars to get the most bang for your buck on your big day.  

Be Flexible! 
It's safe to say this is probably a good tip for all aspects of your wedding day, but it's always a great idea when it comes to your flowers. Unless you are dead set on using a certain type of flower for some special reason, understand that some flowers are more expensive than others. It will be beneficial to your wallet if you're willing to to allow substitutions. Trust your florist, this is not their first rodeo. Ask for recommendations on flowers that are more affordable so you can get more bang for your buck! As long as they match the color scheme and feel of your wedding, why not save a few bucks by going with the flower flow?? 

Understand the Reason for the Season 
Just like fruit and vegetables have certain seasons they are more easily found in the grocery store, flowers have seasons and times they will be more easily accessible for your wedding. For example,​ i​f you​ are ​getting married in August and peonies bloom in spring, guess who's going to have to get really expensive peonies shipped in from another location? YOU! If you aren't sure what flowers will be in season on your wedding date, check with your florist. If you can work in-season (or locally grown!) flowers into your floral scheme, your wallet will thank you.

Utilize Your Florist! 
The first two tips are much easier to follow if you have an expert on your side to help guide you. A florist works with flowers all day, every day. They know which flowers look best in which colors and which flowers complement one another.​ Florists also order flowers from vendors (some even grow them, themselves) so they understand which time of year certain blooms are the cheapest. If you're only using your florist to deliver flowers to your wedding, you're not using them to their full potential! You're paying for their service you may as well get the most bang for your buck and use them as a sounding board for ​ways to get the most beautiful arrangements your budget allows. It’s always beneficial to give ​your florist a price​ range, so they can​ do the work to​
maximize your budget for you. When you don’t give them a budget and your florist has to rework your quote, it is not uncommon for them to charge an hourly fee to do so. ​T​here are many extremely talented florists out there​ - ​make sure to research the ones that have a style that match what you’re looking for​ to eliminate any issues with a florist not feeling comfortable creating an arrangement you love.​

Watch Out for DIY
We know what you're thinking, we are a floral shop so why wouldn't we try to steer you away from doing flowers yourself?! Our business aside, the truth is, DIYing flowers at your wedding can end up costing you more than if you'd hired a florist and here's why: florists know what they are doing! Your florist will know exactly how many flowers to order, when to order them, where to order them from, how to make them last AND how to get them at their best stage for your wedding day. If you (or a friend or family member) order too many flowers, your budget was wasted on extra blooms. If they order too few flowers, you'll spend extra time and money scrambling to get more. Not to mention, the care and attention that is needed to keep flowers looking their best is not something you want to be spending your energy on in the final hours before you say 'I do'. Leave the stressing to the professionals... you have enough to worry about (like when your Great Uncle Larry heads out on to the dance floor to show everyone his impressive chicken dance). This tip will not only help you save money, but it will help save you stress, which should be even more valuable!

Pick a Focal Point 
Whether you decide to utilize a florist or DIY, this tip is super important to understand and accept early on in your planning process. When you're trying to stretch your budget you need to prioritize your floral focal points. If bouquets that look amazing for your photos is important to you, then maybe it's time to find a different type of decor for your aisle. Or, maybe you fell in love with a gorgeous floral archway for your ceremony (thanks a lot, Pinterest), so you choose to keep your centerpieces more simple. Most brides ​choose to have​ their bouquet be the center of the attention​, but no matter where you want your flowers to go, decide on one or two focal points and decide on them early! Wouldn't you rather be THRILLED with the outcome of a floral focal point than be disappointed that all your flowers are underwhelming? We'd rather have that, too. 

Now, stop stressing over your wedding plans and go enjoy your love​, your ring and your sanity​ ... ​Take a deep breath and have fun planning your special day!​​

xoxo