If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve already heard me say this before, but I’ll say it again for my newbies (and those that need a reminder!). One of the best wedding budget hacks is to repurpose, repurpose, repurpose. When an element of your wedding (in this case, bud vase centerpieces) can serve multiple purposes, that means you’ve just saved time and money. BOOM.
When I saw this genius idea, of how bud case centerpieces could be repurposed in two other ways, I knew I had to share. It’s genius.
3 Ways to Use Bud Vases at Your Wedding
My friend (another Kelsey – of Kelsey Travis Photography), shared this clever idea for repurposing bud vase centerpieces at a wedding she photographed, and I absolutely fell in love with it.
Here’s how it works:
Bud Vase Wedding Seating Chart
Instead of placing the bud vases at the tables at the beginning of the reception, this couple displayed them all on a beautiful shelf.
Each arrangement, created by her florist Flora Good Times, held an escort card indicating the guest’s name and table number. A simple wedding sign provided instructions.
When the guests arrived, they found their name card and then carried their arrangement to their table. As each guest added their arrangement to the table, the bud vase centerpieces came to life.
OK. I’ll pause there. HOW COOL, right?! I love this idea because it’s a super creative way to involve your guests in your wedding décor. Sure, you could pre-arrange your bud vase centerpieces at your tables, but letting your guests be part of the experience makes them feel a part of your day and creates a fun, memorable moment.
But wait! It gets better.
Bud Vase Centerpieces as Your Wedding Favors
Whether or not to have wedding favors is a hotly debated topic these days. Because, let’s face it, most of the wedding favors get left behind or tossed… unless they can serve a purpose in your guests’ lives after your wedding day.
This bride solved that dilemma by not wasting time or money on additional wedding favors. Instead, she let her bud vase centerpieces BE the favors.
On the sign, she provided these simple instructions:
OUR BEST BUDS
PLEASE TAKE YOUR VASE
TO FIND YOUR SEAT
THEN TAKE IT HOME
FOR YOU TO KEEP
So… not only did their guests get to take home a sweet reminder of their wedding day, they gave their wedding flowers longer life, and the vases new homes.
3 Ways to Use Bud Vases at Your Wedding
To recap, here are three ways to incorporate bud vases into your wedding to save big.
- Inexpensive Wedding Centerpieces– Bud vases are much less expensive than large, elaborate floral centerpieces.
- Wedding Seating Chart – Create a unique seating chart display for just the extra cost of the name cards (and a shelf if your venue doesn’t have one).
- Free Wedding Favors – For literally nothing extra (except the cost to print the sign) your guests can leave with gorgeous, purposeful, and meaningful wedding favors.
Now, here’s a few tips for recreating this idea for EVEN LESS!
How to Save Even More on Your Bud Vase Centerpieces
With bud vase centerpieces you’re already saving a ton by opting for less extravagant floral arrangements, but there’s even more ways you can save. Here are three options for budget-friendly bud vase centerpieces.
Go thrifting!
My friend created bud vase centerpieces for her boho wedding and her secret to saving was thrifting! Instead of buying new, or renting through her florist, she took her time hunting for the perfect, budget-friendly vases in her local thrift stores. She set a price limit on what she was willing to spend on each one (half of what they would have cost to rent).
Learn the tips and tricks to shopping used wedding decor.
Shop online marketplaces
There are tons of couples looking to offload their preloved wedding décor on wedding resale websites like Facebook Marketplace, or apps like The Wedding Swap. If you’re not into the “hunt” of thrifting, or it feels like too much time, then keep your eyes peeled on these online marketplaces. You might get lucky!
Wait for a sale
Finally, if you time it right, you can score a deal on new bud vases by shopping these major wedding sales.
Repurpose at all your wedding events
This last tip requires a little pre-planning, but if you buy early, you can use your bud vases at all your wedding events. Use them as budget-friendly bridal shower decorations, or rehearsal dinner centerpieces. By repurposing at more than one event, you’re making your budget stretch further!
OK friends, I hope you’ve found this inspiring and helpful as you plan your dream wedding day. Big thanks to Kelsey Travis Photography for the idea!
If you have questions I didn’t cover, don’t hesitate to reach out at hello@savvyswarey.com. And, be sure to subscribe below for more savvy wedding ideas, tricks, and free resources delivered to your inbox every week!
Happy planning!
Kels
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