Wedding decorators increasingly and more often do not support giving flowers at weddings that are already decorated with flowers. Abroad, the tradition of giving flowers to the young couple is not as common as it is in Latvia, but wedding decorator Iluta Piternika / MintDeco points out that this is changing, because now in Latvia it is becoming more and more important to present other alternatives instead of flowers - bottles of wine, books or donations to a noble cause.

Not giving flowers – more pros than cons

"Not giving cut flowers to the new couple is becoming more and more relevant - it no longer surprises either the couples themselves or their wedding guests.

When meeting with couples, I always try to explain to couples why not giving cut flowers at a wedding has more pros than cons. Many of the couples have not even thought about such an option, but when they hear about the advantages, they reconsider their choice," says wedding decorator Iluta Piternika.

She points out that there are usually two people who give cut flowers the biggest headache.

1. First of all, the decorators, because the gifted flowers tend to be so different (and let's be honest – sometimes they don't fit into the overall feeling of the decorations) that the decorators sometimes don't even understand where to place them.
2. Secondly, cut flowers tend to cause headaches for the mothers of the bride and groom, because they are often the ones entrusted with taking care of them. In addition, the decorators will often kindly offer the table compositions with them when cleaning the party hall.

"I have noticed that mothers are often assigned to the given flowers, especially on the day after the wedding, when they try to put them in the already overflowing trunks or give them to the guests or, in the worst case, leave them there at the place of celebration. That is why I am against cut flowers at weddings - they should not be pushed into the trunks.

Also, there are celebration venues that require additional payment for the use of vases, so gifting flowers may also require additional costs from the new couple.

In the summer, when weddings take place one after the other in the popular guest houses, the celebration venues also do not shy away from keeping these flowers. And for us decorators, it breaks our hearts to see flowers flying towards the waste containers. We have witnessed that the next day mothers ask the same guests who gave them flowers to take them home with them," says Iluta Piternika.

In lieu of flowers, books, wine and donations

"In our practice, there are many weddings where the invitations state - please do not give flowers.

They have been asked to replace them with books for the new family's budding library, wines to be opened on the wedding date of each month, homemade jars of jams and pickles for the new family's pantry. It is often requested that the intended flower money be directed to animal shelters for the purchase of food or for some other noble charitable purpose.

I have also seen with what joy guests put these "flower" books in specially placed bookcases. And I have also seen the joy with which the young couple flips through these gifted books the next morning and reads the notes made by the guests," recalls Iluta Piternika.

Alternatives to cut flowers can be various. If the couple still wants to keep the tradition of flowers, then the solution could be to abandon the cut flowers, but ask the guests to give different plants in pots. "Discussing these alternative options with young couples, they admit that most of the guests perceive such innovations with excitement and really think about what book to give as a gift or how to specially design a homemade jam jar.

Let's be honest - after the ceremony, at the height of their emotions, the young couple often does not see what flowers and who is giving them to them. They end up in the hands of the carriers and then at the place of celebration," says Iluta.

If you still want cut flowers at the wedding, we offer some ideas on how to use them after the wedding:

• Flowers make you happy - it cannot be denied. Why not make someone else happy with them? For example, take them to a nursing home or hospital for the elderly, where they will please those who really need it.
• Flowers help to remember - even what is lost. Another way recommended by the brides themselves is to take part of their wedding flowers to the graves, remembering those loved ones who have already been lost, but will always be very close. Not to be sad, but to share love and be thankful for the time that was possible with them.
• For those who like dried flowers, the suggestion is to dry at least some of them and maybe even turn them into a work of art afterwards.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS: ANDRIS SPROGIS, LINDA LAUVA , MIKS ŠELS .