Bright and beautiful bouquets are an integral part of any celebration. We give them on the occasion of the birth of a child, administrative holidays, birthdays, wanting to thank someone for a service and as an apology for the inconvenience caused. And of course, flowers are certainly present at a wedding as a congratulation to the newlyweds. They are given after the bride and groom leave the church or registry office after the wedding ceremony and the guests say good wishes to the young spouses. This is a good habit and an old tradition. After all, the vast majority of us experience true pleasure when receiving a bouquet as a gift.
Wedding gift
However, cut flowers, despite all their beauty and charm, unfortunately have a very big drawback - they are extremely short-lived. At best, they can stand for seven days, which happens extremely rarely. Especially if the wedding falls on a hot summer day. In such a situation, bouquets given to newlyweds may fade within a few hours. Considering that prices for wedding bouquets purchased by guests usually cost from 500 to 1,500 rubles, you can offer to bring something else instead of flowers as a congratulation. Below is a list of gifts that guests can give to the couple instead of flowers.
Toys as a gift
Toys and school supplies
Newlyweds often want to share their happiness with the whole world, and not just with their guests. Therefore, in recent years, the idea of refusing to receive flowers in “exchange” for basic necessities for the needy and low-income has become popular. In the wedding invitation, newlyweds ask to bring toys, teddy bears, children's books and even school supplies instead of flowers. After the wedding, all the things that were donated instead of flowers will be taken by the newlyweds to an orphanage, hospital, or community center to help orphans, needy or sick children.
Toys are a great joy for a child
It must be said that if you decide to receive toys and school supplies instead of flowers, then you should visit the chosen institution before the wedding. Why? There are two reasons for this. Firstly, the fact that, unfortunately, accepting donations from individuals can be a problem for some institutions due to certain legal reasons. Therefore, make sure that the orphanage or hospital is ready to accept your donations. Secondly, it sometimes happens that one hospital or orphanage receives a lot of toys and other gifts from sponsors and does not really need them. So in this situation, it makes sense to choose a less affluent institution and its patients, for whom your gifts will be a joy.
Indoor flowers as a gift
Teenage girls and young women.
There are many options here, but there are basic ones that any girl will definitely be happy with:
- Bouquets of toys
. Almost all girls love soft toys; such bouquets not only look cute and unusual, but will also delight their owner for a long time.
Bouquet of toys and sweets - cute and romantic
- Bouquet of balloons
. A huge air cloud of multi-colored balloons will delight not only very young female representatives, but also adult girls. - 3D puzzle
. This kind of thing is interesting for both small children and older girls. Assembling it, you can have a great time with the whole family and end up with an interesting model. - Diaries
and
notebooks
. Young girls love to keep a diary, recording events and their thoughts. This is suitable for creative people and girls who are used to planning their time and activities.
Indoor flowers
If you really love flowers and don't want to watch them wilt, you can skip the cut bouquets and ask your guests to give you indoor potted flowers. They can be just as beautiful as bouquets, but they certainly outshine them in durability as they can last for many years.
This option, however, has its drawbacks. Firstly, indoor flowers need constant care and attention so that they grow well and do not dry out. Secondly, if you receive a large number of flowers, it is not necessary that all of them will fit into the interior of your home.
Popular flowers in pots that can be given to newlyweds instead of cut flowers: orchid, dracaena, alocasia, gardenia, vriesia, hyacinth, hibiscus, camellia, monstera, violet and many others.
Luxurious flowers in a ceramic pot
What replacements exist?
What to replace a wedding bouquet with? The alternatives depend only on your imagination. But most of them can be divided into several types.
- Accessory made of flowers in the form of handbags and clutches. This variation is made from both live and artificial buds. A mandatory part is a handle. It is made from ribbons or pearls, and the form itself often uses light fabric.
- Flower umbrellas. The compositions are made in the form of a folded umbrella-cane. If the master can make the design, then the accessory is also opened. This alternative looks very beautiful at a photo shoot.
- Huge flower. Why do you need several plants, maybe you can get by with one? Many florists offer this variation. The technique is called lilymelia, glamelia or rosamelia. A large flower is made up of petals from living buds, like roses or peonies, on a prepared base. The accessory is also made from ribbons and other materials.
- Sweet bouquet. For the composition, the form of a known sweet is chosen, for example, candy or ice cream. Use any available materials, including fresh flowers.
- Edible composition. An interesting idea is to add berries, vegetables and fruits to fresh plants. For an early summer wedding, you can add strawberries to the roses and greenery. During the autumn celebrations, pears and apples will be in place.
- Living compositions from plants. They are made up of cones, ears, twigs with leaves and other plants, but without flowers. This option is suitable for eco-style.
- Hand-made bouquets from all kinds of creative materials. This includes buttons, rhinestones, ribbons, beads, fabrics, brooches, knitted flowers and other things. Usually they imitate classical forms of compositions. Read more about unusual bridal bouquets.
- Other original solutions. For example, the bride can take a soft teddy bear with her or order a beautiful fan.
Interesting! We have collected the most unusual wedding bouquets in this article. By the way, a composition of candies is one of the most beautiful things that can be made without using flowers.
Money
Many newlyweds hesitate to ask guests to give them money instead of flowers. They fear it will be too inappropriate. In fact, this is not true at all. Guests will still have to part with cash when purchasing bouquets. So why don't they, instead of spending money in a flower shop, give it to a young couple. And if you convey your request to the guests in the appropriate way, for example, as a witty poem included in the wedding invitation , everyone will react to this request with understanding.
By the way, you can make a very nice bouquet from banknotes and present it to the bride and groom.
Sports lotto tickets
Who among us does not dream of guessing the coveted number in the lottery and winning the main prize? Obviously, the more tickets purchased, the greater the chances of winning. Therefore, gambling newlyweds can ask wedding guests to buy tickets for an amount equivalent to what they planned to spend on buying a bouquet. Such a request is always fulfilled with favor, because everyone wants to help the newlyweds increase their chances of getting start-up capital and thereby make their common future more prosperous.
Books as a gift
Flowers in pots
This is another option for what you can give for a wedding instead of traditional cut flowers. Indoor plants are more durable than cut flowers. They will really decorate the newlyweds' home, turning it into a real paradise. You should give only indoor plants that have flowering inflorescences and decorative greenery. Then the pot can be impressively decorated, and such a gift will not differ much from a traditional wedding bouquet.
As an alternative to a wedding bouquet, you can choose the following varieties of indoor plants:
- Usambara violets;
- gardenia;
- orchid;
- alocasia;
- dracaena;
- camellia;
- hibiscus;
- frisee;
- monstera.
Advice!
If there are too many indoor plants, the newlyweds can donate them as a charitable gift to the nearest school, kindergarten, hospital, orphanage or nursing home. All social institutions will gladly accept such gifts with which they will decorate their interiors.
Books
Books are always a welcome gift for literature lovers. In addition, for a young couple who would like to receive something else instead of flowers, books will become an original and unique surprise. If the bride and groom would like to avoid receiving a standard bouquet of flowers, then they may well consider this option. You can ask guests to give books by their favorite authors that are not in the home library.
After your wedding, you may have your own wine collection.
What can guests give instead of flowers?
Recently, young people are increasingly asking their guests not to buy flowers, but to give them instead... Below are seven alternative options (based on wedding reports from Voronezh couples).
Books
Of course, it makes sense to ask for books if you really love to read and the impressive library that you will bring with you after the wedding will not turn into an unnecessary “dust collector”. From the report of Alexey and Anna: “The guests, as we asked, gave us books. What is now missing from our family library: science fiction, culinary recipes, motivating manuals on personal growth, and even a textbook on the Belarusian language!”
Kids' things
This is perhaps the most touching and truly useful solution that is possible. Artem and Olga: “Artem is a volunteer in the charity organization “Common Children” and we decided that we will ask guests to give us children’s things instead of flowers: toys, books, diapers...”
Lottery tickets
If you are not lacking in excitement and fortune favors you, why not? Denis and Victoria: “We asked all guests to buy regular lottery tickets and hand them over at the entrance to the restaurant! Two lottery tickets are good, but 20 are better!”
Animal food
A lovely tradition that came to us from Belarus. There are many shelters for homeless animals in Voronezh, which will gratefully accept treats from you for their pets.
Potted plants
Do you like caring for flowers? A wedding is a great occasion to add to your collection of house plants. So, after the wedding, Sergei and Ekaterina’s apartment turned into a real blooming garden!
Useful souvenirs
If you have just moved in or are planning to move into a new apartment, then you will need a lot of small things, and your wedding guests can help with purchasing them. Ask them to give you “useful souvenirs.” Stores offer a huge selection of such little things: funny paired mugs, blankets, creative corkscrews, beautiful candles and so on.
Money
A decent bouquet of flowers costs about a thousand, multiplying this amount by the number of guests, it is not difficult to calculate how much money a young family will receive if all those invited instead of flowers put an additional bill in the envelope. All that remains is to subtly hint at this to the guests. Here are some options. “Dear guests, the florists promised to do their best at our wedding and after the celebration we will have a large number of flowers left, so there is no need to give them.” “Please do not give fresh flowers, immediately after the wedding we are going on a trip, and we will be very sorry to leave them” “Please do not give us flowers as due to the nature of our wedding we will not be able to take proper care of them.”
Based on materials from wedding reports https://www.svadba-inform.ru/reports.asp
Alena Ch specially for https://www.svadba-inform.ru
Guilt
A glass of wine drunk during dinner in good company can significantly improve your mood even after the hardest day. So if you want a more practical gift on your wedding day instead of flowers, and if you love wine, ask your guests to give you a bottle of liquor. But remember that, most likely, among your loved ones there are hardly any clairvoyants, and not everyone knows your taste preferences. So when you write on invitations that you prefer to receive wine instead of flowers, specify what kind of wine you like. White, red, or maybe pink? Sweet or dry? Russian, French or Georgian?
This way you can create your own small collection of wines. And every time you open another bottle, you will remember your special day and the person who gave this wine.
Gift packaging for CDs
Stuffed Toys
Photo: vladim / flickr Maybe this is again biased, but many people love teddy bears and cats. I feel especially strongly about them when I am sick. I feel so lonely and sad on days like this, but gentle friends will always support me in difficult times. One day I was visiting my parents at home and it so happened that I got sick. So someone came and gave me a dog that says “I love you”! I just melt from such gifts!
Music CDs and DVD movies
CDs and DVDs are another alternative for newlyweds who, instead of flowers, would like to receive something else that directly relates to their tastes and preferences. This is a very practical and durable gift that can bring a lot of pleasure. Therefore, if the bride and groom do not want to receive dozens of bouquets of flowers, they can ask for CDs with good music or interesting films. You can note what kind of music you prefer and what films of what decade, country, specific directors or actors would like to see.
Gift Certificate
How to choose the best option
You cannot allow a replacement wedding bouquet to not match the style and dress. For example:
- eco-style, rustic and rustic suggest an edible composition or accessory made from plants;
- A huge flower and a sweet alternative are suitable for a European or American holiday;
- Exquisite hand-made compositions are combined with vintage and retro themes;
- For a wedding in a nautical style, compositions made of shells are suitable.
The same can be said about the image of the bride, with whom this or that bouquet will look good. For princess-style dresses, you should choose neat hand-made compositions and clutches with umbrellas. And with light summer outfits they combine edible accessories and living plants.
Vouchers
Today, many stores offer gift vouchers, which have become very popular recently. Mainly because for half the price (sometimes even less) you can buy interesting products and services that you would never be able to afford at the standard price. Likewise, newlyweds can ask their guests to buy such vouchers instead of flowers. It's best if it's a gift certificate so they can make their first purchases together.
Thus, as a gift you can receive a voucher for a massage for two, a voucher for a parachute jump, a visit to a rope park, bungee jumping, hot air balloon flights, theater tickets, an invitation to a restaurant, a dance class. Some couples can thus compensate for the lack of a honeymoon.
Animal lovers may want to take care of the “little brothers”
Mom and grandma
It will always be appropriate:
- Set of textiles for the bathroom or kitchen
. Towels and cloth napkins are never superfluous; they will always find a worthy use. - Casket
. Suitable for storing sewing accessories, jewelry and various small items. - Body care set
. The pleasant aromas of shower gels and skin care milk are unlikely to leave anyone indifferent and will be at home in any bathroom.
Jewelry box - useful and practical
Pet food
Many people are very concerned about the fate of homeless animals. They may not be able to help all the dogs and cats in need every day, but they are not at all opposed to providing all possible assistance on the occasion of their own wedding day. Therefore, they happily refuse short-lived flowers in bouquets in favor of food and medicine for homeless animals.
For this reason, fans of the “little brothers” ask in their wedding invitations, instead of flowers, to bring food for dogs and cats, bowls, warm blankets and other necessary things, which will then be donated to an animal shelter.
Delicious sweets
Love letters
Photo: emiloy If postcards aren't quite what you need, you can always write a love letter. And don't be upset if you don't have “talent.” All the most beautiful and sensual words come straight from the soul. In addition, you can write it not only to your loved one, but also, for example, to your mother or friend! After all, the main thing is that you feel for them, that you value them very much and want to do something nice.
Sweets
If a young couple has a sweet tooth, gift baskets with all kinds of sweets will delight them much more than a short-lived bouquet of flowers. If you know the tastes of the bride and groom well enough, you can buy or prepare yourself exactly those confectionery products that they like the most. If not, just buy quality sweets from a good confectionery shop. Believe me, for lovers of sweets such a gift is always welcome.
The candies have a fairly long shelf life, so there is no risk that they will spoil quickly.
Lottery tickets
Here is another alternative to a wedding bouquet. Usually, in order to buy a winning ticket, you need to purchase a large number of numbers. The money spent on wedding bouquets can be spent on buying lottery tickets. They need to be beautifully packaged and presented to the bride and groom.
In this case, the probability of winning increases several times, and the newlyweds themselves receive, along with such a gift, an unforgettable experience when they check ticket numbers together, studying the lottery drawing.
Rosemary in pot format
Thanks to its woody shoots and beautiful bush shape, rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) looks stunning in decorative containers. Its pubescent, silvery, flat-needle-shaped leaves, sitting tightly on the branches, and colorful spikelets of inflorescences are equally fragrant. Rosemary can be placed in the kitchen and used in culinary experiments. This natural aromatherapist easily forgives mistakes in care and only needs warmth and bright lighting.
If the idea of rosemary seems interesting, you can take a closer look at other herbs - from marjoram and tarragon to mint, lemon balm and even lavender and santolina.
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
Who gives what flowers for a wedding?
According to our observations, there are standard celebrations where the main flora is roses of different varieties and shades. And there are non-standard ones, when the newlyweds’ apartment is strewn with a variety of interesting compositions. To make the newlyweds' eyes run wild from the variety of floral ensembles, guests should approach the choice of a surprise creatively.
- Parents
can present their daughter with delicate wildflowers. Florists turn daisies, sunflowers, and forget-me-nots into real masterpieces. The gift characterizes the time when the girl lived in her parents' house. You can give spray roses: even if your daughter is married, she will forever remain a little girl for her mom and dad.
- Groom's parents and relatives
Usually the bride is presented with an exquisite lush arrangement of peony or Ecuadorian roses.
- Grandmother
let him please his granddaughter with a bouquet of peonies
- . The abundance of terry petals in the hands of a beloved elderly woman is associated with home comfort and warmth.
- We advise our friends to experiment. Don't be afraid to combine several shades of roses: the combination of red and white buds symbolizes the unity of opposites and is considered an excellent wedding present. Coral and peach, lilac and orange tones harmonize.
Yellow mono-bouquets are not given as gifts for weddings. They mean joy and positivity, but many still perceive them in a stereotypical way - as a sign of separation.
