Once your big day has passed, you’re going to be left with a few things: a spouse, newlywed bliss, a ring on your finger and a whole lot of leftover wedding materials. While it may all seem like junk now that you’ve already said “I do,” we got our creative juices flowing to think of ways that you can use those invitations, reception decor and other leftover wedding items for more than just a way to fill up your garbage can.
Wedding invitations
If you ordered one too many wedding invitations for your big day, no worries! There are plenty of ways you can put those invitations to use. First and foremost, you could frame one! Put one in a shadow box with other mementos from the big day like fabric swatches and dried colors to display in your home as a constant reminder of the happy day. If you don’t want it on display, reuse the ribbons and embellishments for gift wrapping or scrapbooking. But these invitations can also come in handy when your first wedding anniversary rolls around. If you can stomach shredding them up, they can be used as confetti for a romantic candlelit dinner.
Photos
As for your wedding photos, you could choose to put them all into a special album to place on the coffee table in your new home. If you’re a scrapbooker, you could opt to take that creative route. One of the ideas I loved, however, was turning a photo into a coaster. This is an everyday item that both you and future guests would use.
Decor
Those gorgeous tablecloths you bought for your reception and candlestick set to match can come in very handy even years after your wedding. Use these if you plan on hosting an elegant dinner party with friends. And even better, bring them out of storage to use for a romantic anniversary dinner with your sweetie.
Dress
If you’re dying to wear your wedding dress again, there’s one way you can get away with it: Transform your gown into a cocktail dress! If you’re not exactly a seamstress, we recommend hiring one to make a little dress you’ll be proud to wear on a date or out for drinks with your friends. Basic A-line silk-chiffon or satin dresses are the ones that are often easiest to flip.
Flowers
If you’re not planning on preserving your centerpiece flowers and bouquets, why not give them away? They’ve already served a great purpose for you, so let your guests take them home. It’s a super easy way to clean up the reception area fast and they can double as a favor! Just make sure there’s enough for everyone. If you’re really in the giving mood, you could even donate them to hospitals or local nursing homes.
How are you planning on using your leftover wedding materials? Share your thoughts with us!
