Wedding Flowers Get New Life as Gifts for Senior Living Centers.
Hundreds of flowers used during the wedding of Amanda Mason and Kevin Moe at Terra Blanca Winery & Estate Vineyard in Benton City were given a new purpose after the event.
Alexandra RoseLee, the owner of White Glove Weddings in Kennewick, is behind the initiative. Her business blends event planning with floral therapy, which she believes plays a key role in healing and fostering connection.
RoseLee, who organizes up to a dozen weddings annually, also rents out event supplies and a venue in Kennewick. Through her nonprofit, WGW Floral Donations, she repurposes flowers from weddings and events, delivering them to local nursing homes, hospices, hospitals, and assisted living centers.
Recently, RoseLee delivered several floral arrangements from Mason and Moe’s wedding to the Ciel Senior Living facility in Kennewick.
“It’s always such a joy to see the beautiful flowers enter the building,” said Megan Montoya, the activity director at Parkview Estates. “Residents often point at the flowers and touch them, confirming that they’re real. It brings them so much happiness.”
In addition to delivering flowers, RoseLee partners with activities staff at these centers to teach basic floral design. Using large deconstructed arrangements like flower arches and centerpieces, participants create their own small floral pieces to take home.
“Floral design is a form of therapy,” RoseLee explained. “It aids cognitive function, memory, and improves dexterity through the hands-on activity of arranging flowers.”
One thing that consistently surprises her is how much men enjoy the floral design classes.
“People in elderly care or memory care are often a forgotten group,” she said. “They don’t experience much change in their routine or lifestyle. I’ve seen how family members in care facilities, who didn’t receive regular visits, declined quickly.”
Nearly every weekend, RoseLee collects leftover flowers from weddings, nonprofit events, and venues around Tri-Cities.
“Flowers can last for a couple of weeks depending on how they’re cared for,” she noted. “With the amount of flowers left after events, it’s strange to think of them going to waste when they could bring so much joy.”
RoseLee’s dedication to community service is rooted in her background. A former U.S. Coast Guard member, she launched her business in San Diego, where she organized military weddings, parades, and other events.
“We were always discarding flowers,” she said. “When I started attracting affluent clients who would spend up to $20,000 on flowers, I began asking if I could take them and deliver them to senior centers on my way home.”
Her belief is simple: “We all know how much joy real flowers can bring.”
For those interested in donating to WGW Floral Donations, RoseLee requests larger arrangements with many stems and advance notice so she can use them in her classes.
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