Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship
After the bouquets, centerpieces and aisle markers have been arranged, the average wedding uses anywhere between 800 and 2,500 flower stems, according to wholesale flower distributor Whole Blossoms.
Despite being a quintessential element of most ceremonies, all that greenery can cost the couple roughly $2,800, yet many of the arrangements will only be used for a single celebration.
Now, Nora Rogers, a 12-year-old girl from Stowe, is finding a charitable solution to this waste. With help from her mom, Julia, Nora collects wedding flowers and gives them back to the local community as part of a repurposing initiative she calls The Stowe Petal Project.
Nora, who started the project last year, says that so far this summer, she has repurposed flowers from five different weddings across the Stowe area. She says the motivation for the project stemmed from wanting to find a way to brighten up her hometown.
“We brainstormed a project that would spread kindness, and we both really liked flowers and the idea of repurposing them,” Nora said.
Nora’s mom, Julia Rogers, said that Stowe being a popular wedding destination helped drive the creation of the project, as she and Nora recognized a unique need within the community.
“Most of the weddings are out-of-towners, and so that’s what gave us the idea,” Rogers said. “We know from friends who work weddings that many of these flowers just go to waste after the event.”
The Rogerses began reaching out to florists via wedding vendor Facebook groups and email to devise a system for collection and donation. This past fall, the duo worked with Nora King, the owner of South Burlington-based Kingsley Floral Co., to repurpose flowers from a wedding she worked on.
King said each couple can decide whether to donate the flowers but that blooms are often left behind. If they’re willing, King contacts the Rogerses to coordinate the pickup timing and determine which pieces can be donated.
King said partnering with the project allows her to continue to bring joy, even after her clients’ wedding day is over.
“Wedding guests get to enjoy them throughout the celebration, and instead of being composted or thrown away afterward, they can brighten someone else’s day,” she said.
After collection, the Rogerses bring the flowers home and rearrange them into smaller bouquets when necessary. They use vases donated by community members, who they say are always willing to lend a helping hand.
“The community is more than happy to provide us with Mason jars and whatever they have lying around. We’re never short on vases, that’s for sure,” Rogers said. “The people who know about it are super enthusiastic about it.”
Once the arrangements are ready to go, the Rogerses distribute them to community centers, mainly nursing homes like The Manor in Morrisville. Other recipients include local libraries and post offices.
The Rogerses say they plan to keep the project local for now, focusing on weddings in Waterbury, Morrisville and Stowe during the busy summer season. But they also encouraged others to adopt their idea and suggested eventually creating petal project chapters across the state.
“Right now it’s just us, but definitely we would support anybody who would want it in their town, because I feel like it’s definitely a thing that kind of could grow throughout Vermont,” Rogers said.
Nora, who’s entering seventh grade this fall, said repurposing flowers is important but that delivering them to members of her community is her favorite part of the process.
“Sometimes in nursing homes, it can get a little lonely. I think they definitely appreciate younger citizens coming in, and just their smiles and their joy,” Nora said. “It just kind of makes it worth it doing all the work.”