A wedding guest recently sparked controversy by helping herself to floral arrangements from a wedding, without asking the bride for permission.
In a Reddit post on the “Wedding Shaming” forum, a user shared the details of the incident. The post began with the user recalling their experience at a winter wedding, where the venue was beautifully decorated with dried flowers and Christmas trees.
The setting appeared picturesque, but things took an unexpected turn when the origin of the flowers was revealed. The bride, referred to as “Winter Bride” (WB), had attended a wedding in the fall where the “Fall Bride” (FB) requested that her flowers be donated to a local nursing home after the event.
However, Winter Bride had different plans. After the ceremony, she gathered up the flowers, loaded them into a car, and took them home to dry out for herself—without asking for permission.
The post, titled “Stolen or repurposed—depends on your perspective,” sparked heated debate in the comment section. Some users found the gesture beautiful, had it been done with consent, while others were outraged by the lack of respect for boundaries.
One user said, “Even in cultures where taking the centerpiece is common, taking everything is not.” Meanwhile, another offered a different take, suggesting that wedding flowers often end up in dumpsters, and donating them could be a nice gesture—though not at the expense of asking for permission.
The discussion also touched on the idea of flowers being potentially unwanted in nursing homes, with one commenter noting that flowers often remind residents of funerals.
The incident has left many questioning the etiquette of flower repurposing and the importance of respecting a bride’s wishes.
