Episode 35: Wedding Clean-Ups: What are our stories?

Title Image for The Flower Files Podcast Episode 35: Wedding Cleanups: What are our stories?

In this week’s podcast episode, we cover the process of our evening wedding clean-ups!

Wedding cleanups are a unique part of the floral business. They aren’t glamorous, and they’re definitely not for early risers! After the couple has celebrated, vendors like us swoop in to clear out everything, often late at night. It’s physically demanding and requires careful coordination since many venues have strict timelines for when everything has to be cleared out—sometimes by the early hours to make way for a new event the next morning.

This kind of quick turnover is common, especially at popular venues. Just recently, we had a wedding at a venue in Philadelphia where the next morning, the space was booked for a large corporate event. The bride initially thought she could handle cleanup the following day, but unfortunately, that wasn’t possible due to the venue’s schedule.

Cleaning Up: A Team Effort

One aspect of wedding cleanups that often surprises people is how much coordination is involved. Guests may leave behind their own items, and tables are loaded with everything from votives to champagne glasses. We’re often sorting through a mix of décor, dinnerware, and flowers.

Our setup team typically uses sturdy crates to pack up floral arrangements, vases, and other items safely. If the couple brought their own decorations, they’re responsible for gathering those items, which can be a huge task on top of everything else. For our part, we always outline cleanup responsibilities clearly in our contracts so there are no surprises.

Waste Not, Want Not: Reducing Wedding Waste

Weddings can be wasteful, and we’re always brainstorming ways to reduce this. From the flowers to the candles, much of what’s left over can be reused or repurposed. We love when guests or other vendors like caterers happily take home flowers. Sometimes, we even create arrangements that allow guests to easily pick them up and take them as mementos.

Candles, however, have been a particular challenge. We realized that a lot of candle wax was going to waste—more than we felt comfortable with. So, we decided to get creative and reuse it by making our own candles. Inspired by the natural scents of flowers, herbs, and plants from our farm, we started crafting unique candles that carry a piece of each event’s love, laughter, and celebration.

Creating these candles has been a learning process. We’ve had to figure out the right temperatures and fragrances to ensure they burn safely and smell great. While they’re not the most beautiful candles by commercial standards, they carry a charm that’s uniquely ours, and each one holds a little piece of the weddings we’ve worked on.

A Message to Candle Lovers: Sharing the Love

If you’re curious to try one of these special candles, we’ve made them available on Etsy. Each candle holds the story and energy of a joyful event. We hope these candles can bring a little of that celebration into your own home, adding a warm glow and a hint of nature’s beauty.

Final Thoughts

Wedding cleanups aren’t for the faint of heart, but we wouldn’t trade them for anything. Every wedding we work on becomes a part of us—from the setup to the final cleanup, we’re there through every magical (and sometimes chaotic) moment. And we’re so grateful to share a bit of that magic with you.

Until next time, keep blooming and shining bright!

You Might Also Like...

Episode 67: Wet Your Plants: A Florist’s Comedy of Irrigation Errors

Irrigation may not be glamorous, but it’s the backbone of every successful garden or flower farm. In this episode of The Flower Files, Liza breaks down the real-world challenges of watering everything from backyard beds to full production fields—and shares flower garden irrigation tips that actually work. From choosing the right hose or drip tape to setting up smart watering schedules and avoiding mildew and root rot, this guide will help you water with confidence. Whether you’re hand-watering seedlings or managing zones with timers and drip systems, learn how to keep your flowers healthy, your workflow efficient, and your plants—well—wet (in the good way).

Episode 66: Hot Plants, Cool Tips: A Florist’s Guide to Summer Gardening

Episode 66: Hot Plants, Cool Tips: A Florist’s Guide to Summer Gardening

If your summer garden looks a little crispy, don’t worry—you’re not alone. In this episode of The Flower Files, we’re diving into practical, florist-approved summer gardening tips to help your blooms survive and thrive. From watering best practices and mulch dos and don’ts to managing heat-loving pests and choosing the right flowers for hot weather, this guide is packed with real-life fixes to keep your flowers healthy and vibrant. Whether you’re a backyard gardener or professional grower, these insights will help you beat the summer stress and enjoy lush, colorful blooms all season long.

Episode 65: A Deep Dive Into Peonies

Episode 65: A Deep Dive Into Peonies

Thinking about growing peonies? This in-depth guide walks you through everything you need to know—from choosing the right type of peony to planting, supporting heavy blooms, preventing disease, and designing breathtaking floral arrangements. Whether you’re a backyard gardener or a budding flower farmer, discover expert insights on how to grow healthy, vibrant peonies that can last for decades and become one of your most profitable crops. We also bust common myths, share storage and harvesting tips, and even dive into the fun of edible peonies and floral mishaps. If peonies are on your radar, this is the guide you need.

Liza, Lizzy and Amber of the Flower Files Podcast sitting on the front porch

About The Flower Files

Join our team of flower lovers while they take you along their journey as flower farmer florists pursuing business, family, strategy, mother nature, wedding installs, and everything inbetween including fieldwork, floral design, all the way to the day of event execution.

This is a weekly show that talks about all things flowers including the reality of flower farming, using locally grown flowers in wedding design, and other flower use with an environmentaly focused perspective. It includes a variety of guests who are fower lovers, users, sniffers, and ethusiasts that will talk on a range of topics… depending on where the seasont takes us!

You know Your Horoscope...

…but do you know your Flower Season? Take our fun interactive quiz to find out!

Shop Favorites