More than 2 million Americans got married last year, the Centers for Disease Control reports, which begs the question: What happens to the 2 million piles of leftover wedding supplies and photos? If you recently got married or if you’re planning your wedding, you know it’s nearly impossible to buy the exact amount of decorations and favors. Some supplies can only be purchased in specific increments and in some cases you need extras “just in case.”
While there’s no way to avoid having a few unused or leftover wedding items, there are some creative ways to reuse them without tossing your wedding memories and hard work into the landfill. Repurposing is the answer to post-wedding leftovers, and you don’t have to be an amazing artist to create some truly amazing keepsakes.
Photos
You want to show off every beautiful photo taken on your wedding day, but you don’t want to end up with an album the size of your love seat, either.
- Select a favorite photo or two and design your own holiday or thank you cards at minted.com. Experiment with many styles, including minibooks, and send your friends and family a heartfelt greeting.
- Your first anniversary is only a year away. Make a party banner by printing photos on regular paper, cutting them into pennant shapes and stringing them together on twine.
Paper Mementos
From the save-the-date card to the reception menu, you don’t want to just throw all these mementos away.
- Commemorate your wedding with a collage made from the extra printed goods. Use a pre-made frame to arrange the items in collage style, or paste them on a board with decoupage glue. This makes a wonderful piece of wall art for your new home together.
- Even the magazines that provided inspiration for your wedding can have sentimental value. If you’re not ready to throw them away, make a table or pedastal out of them. Stack the magazines on top of each other, securing each layer with a few drops of white glue. With just a few ‘zines you can create a pedestal for displaying a wedding photo; with a lot you can make an end table. To keep a tall tower of magazines secure you’ll need to drill a hole through the center of each zine and slide it over an upright length of PVC pipe.
Decorative Items
What can you do with vases, lamps and figurines left over from the wedding? You can display them in your home—you chose them for your wedding because they fit your style, so it’s a good chance some of these items will fit your home’s style, too.
- Fill vases with beach pebbles and use them for bookends, or line up an odd-number of vases on the dining room table to fill with candy, ornaments and other seasonal items.
- Use lidded containers in the kitchen for canisters or storing dry goods in the pantry.
- Tuck decorative items into tablescapes, use them to spruce up an empty book case or add a splash of color in the guest room.
Alexandra Turner
Alex is an interior designer and space planning expert who enjoys blogging about her profession.
