Royal Wedding Flowers Worth Thousands Turned into Bouquets for Hospice Patients
After a wedding is over and the guests have left, there is often an audible sigh of relief from those who have helped plan the event.
It’s exhausting, planning a wedding. That’s why some people make a profession out of it: There are so many expectations to meet, a myriad of potential disasters to curtail and the cleanup afterward … monumental.
But if the bride and groom made it down the aisle and the majority of the guests went away happy, the ordeal can be considered a success.
The royal wedding was definitely one of the highest profile weddings in the history of weddings. Royal weddings have always been lavish affairs, but with people able to tune in live from around the world, there were millions of eyes upon the festivities.
While there are very different opinions about specific aspects of the wedding (one of the most controversial so far seems to be people’s assessment of Markle’s dress choice), no one could deny that the couple did a lot to include both past and present guests.
Markle’s veil was embroidered with flowers representing each commonwealth country along the edge.
The tiara Markle chose was her “something borrowed” and showed her solidarity with the royal family, as the piece was a loaner from the Queen.
They even invited a lot of commoners to the celebration and made sure their route to the chapel was extended so that even more people could participate by lining the streets and catching a glimpse of the bride.
But the end of the wedding wasn’t the end of the newly wedded couple’s generosity. It’s arguably the beginning, as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have many philanthropic goals for their future.
It started with flowers. One of the things that really marks a wedding as upper echelon is real flowers. Oftentimes fake flowers are cheaper and less likely to wilt at just the wrong time, but real flowers just pack an extra punch.
They are momentary, though: incredibly beautiful, but short-lived. It’s a pity that they only have a few days’ use.
Therefore, many kind and thoughtful people have started donating their wedding flowers to charitable causes. They can be reused for a short period of time to brighten up otherwise dismal spaces or bring cheer to people who could really use a boost.
The bouquets from the royal wedding could have fetched a pretty penny, but they were earmarked for donation, according to Kensington Palace.
Markle’s own bouquet, in following with tradition, was set on the grave of the Unknown Warrior at the Westminster Abby.
St. Joseph’s Hospice in London was the recipient of the flowers used to decorate the chapel.
The hospice posted on Facebook to let the world know of the kindness, and it has spread to the far corners of the world, warming hearts as it goes.
“A big thank you to Harry and Meghan and florist Philippa Craddock,” the hospice wrote. “Our hospice smells and looks gorgeous. Such a lovely gesture.”
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