Now that the wedding is over, you’re left with a million keepsakes from it and you’re unsure about how best to preserve them, as the only other option left would be to throw them all away. The best news is that you don’t have to throw away any of your stuff. You can recycle all your wedding items and give it a new lease of life instead. Here are 5 ideas on how to recycle your wedding day stuff:
Transform your Lehenga
Image courtesy Octopus Film
So, everybody who mattered saw you in your wedding lehenga and now you simply cannot be seen in it again. How about altering the style and making it an entirely new fashion statement instead? Get the sleeves and collar of the choli altered and ask your designer to add new embellishments to the lehenga. Or you could choose a complementing shade in the same fabric and get that stitched to your liking. Wedding gowns can be altered and made into party dresses and gowns as well. By altering the sleeves, you can change the look entirely.
Save the Blossoms
Image courtesy Shine Studio
You loved all the wedding bouquets but since fresh flowers were used, you can’t hold on to them forever. No problem really. Take home the blooms you like best and dry them properly. Once they are properly dried with zero moisture residue, you can use them in many ways. For example, you could make a DIY flower wreath which can be hung up in your bedroom, use the dried flowers as pot pourri in the bathroom, use the leaves individually in photo albums or even use them as bookmarks.
Gift Centrepieces
Image courtesy Memory Crafters
If you have an exact count of the number of centrepieces that you ordered for each guest table, then it makes recycling them that much easier. We suggest gifting a centrepiece or a candle stand to your bridesmaids and close friends because not only will it be a beautiful keepsake of your wedding but it will make their home look nice too. Even table runners can be turned into pillows, smaller table mats or other even cloths for lining in shelves.
Reuse Guest Table Décor Items
Image courtesy Pixelena Studio
Assuming you used name cards to help guests find their seats at the tables, you could actually reuse these cards for the next party that you plan. Don’t throw away the paper napkins or the plastic cutlery if there are any because they come in very handy for picnics and the like. We suggest bringing out embroidered napkins for special occasions with friend and family. They will last you for years.
Donate the Food
Image courtesy Go Candid Studios
There’s always plenty of leftover food from the wedding party and nobody really knows what to do with it. However, if you plan well in advance, you can actually donate this food to a charity home or an orphanage by ensuring that your caterer has arranged for takeaway containers or Styrofoam cutlery. Recycling wedding food is a great way to share your happiness with less fortunate members of society.
Main image courtesy Clicksunlimited Photography