What did you do with the left-overs?

After your wedding, did you trash the extra favors, cards, flowers, and dress? I don't know if I have very much room in my condo to fit all this 'left-over' stuff, I don't know if I want to throw away these 'memories'. But I don't want it to sit around and just take up room...besides, isn't that what a photographer was for?

Heh, here's what we did:

Decorations: we had a holiday wedding, so we incorporated the decor into our Christmas decorating - we had a lot of metallic balls and tinsel and that sort of thing, so we just had a very coordinated tree for the next few years.

Cards and paper goods: We used the monogrammed cocktail napkins for years - that was one expense I wish we hadn't made - and the extra invites and such I turned over and used for grocery lists and whatnot. I believe in reusing, then recycling.

The flowers: We used a lot of potted poinsettias in the church which we took to a local nursing home the next day for distribution among the residents, after the few people who wanted one took one home from the reception. Most of the other flowers (mine, the maids) were silk, so they took them home and I kept my bouquet.

The dress: I had it preserved, and kept it. I recently gave it away.

Favors: We had candy, which eventually all got eaten.

Food: We had a bunch that we dropped off at a homeless shelter/soup kitchen, and the cake we served the next day at our "gift opening" brunch for the close family. The little bit that was left over after that we sent home with family members or took home and ate.

Our favors were candy... eventually some were eaten, but after being married six years, we tossed what was left in the freezer.

Keep one card as a momento

Flowers - you probably have a boatload of photos

The dress - I'm hoping my daughter will wear it. If not, it gets
turned into pillows.

Well if i was you, i would keep the favors for memories and the same with the cards and they flowers, and just keep the dress, you wouldn't want to give it away, because it's your big day

Good luck

the only thing i kept was my dress and one of the centerpieces. everything else got given to family or tossed out. like you said - you'll have pictures to remember your wedding by.

Put them in a consignment shop and get money back out of them, or you could donate them. A great consignment shop that I know is www.shellyleppertdesigns.com. Let them know what you have and see if they will put them in their shop.

keep the dress and get it cleaned and keep he cake in the freezer.

Toss all but the dress, you have pictures for memories.