Flowers are an integral part of the wedding décor, but they often become a burdensome problem as many couples don't know what to do with the floral arrangements after the big day is over. Instead of throwing the flowers away, here are two ideas for reusing wedding flowers that are Earth-friendly and may actually save you some money.

Resell the Flowers

It may be possible to recoup some of the money you spent on the flowers by selling them to another bride or other people in your community. There are a couple of ways you can accomplish this. The first way is to purchase potted plants rather than cut blooms for centerpieces or aisle runners and then sell them online through digital classified ad sites. This is a good way to help another bride who may be working with a budget get the flowers she needs for her big day while making a few dollars you can spend on the honeymoon or furnishing your new home. Local gardeners are another potential market for the flowers, and you can sell them to people in your neighborhood during a garage sale.

Another option is to dry the flowers and make potpourri from them. You can then use the finished product in your home, sell online at internet auction or crafting websites, or offer at a local consignment store, flea market, or garage sale.

Have Them Made Into Thank You Cards

Another unique and Earth-friendly option is to recycle the flowers into "Thank You" cards. If you're feeling crafty, you can do this yourself by making your own paper using old newspaper, scrap paper, and used wrapping paper and adding the dried petals of the your wedding flowers during the pulping process. Once the paper is completed, you can cut it into cards or use it as scrapbooking paper. Alternatively, there are companies that will turn your wedding flowers into paper for you.

If you don't want to make the paper yourself or pay to have a company do it, you can take a shortcut and use the flowers petals to decorate plain recycled cards. This is a good way to create unique "Thank You" cards for your guests while extending the life of your wedding flowers.

There are quite a few things you can do with the flowers once the wedding and reception is over and done with. For more ideas or to order flowers for your event, contact a knowledgeable florist in your area.