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!
