After Emily Pham-Shirdon and her husband Lorin James Shirdon II’s recent wedding in Houston, their wedding coordinator, Laura Ellis, suggested they donate their floral arrangements to a local nursing home, Villa Toscana, instead of tossing them out. The newlyweds thought it was a great idea and packed up the flowers themselves the next day to deliver them to the facility, where staff welcomed the thoughtful gesture.
Although safety protocols meant the couple couldn’t hand the flowers directly to residents, they were assured that the arrangements would be used to decorate community spaces. Emily later called to check in and was told that the residents were talking about the flowers all morning and appreciated the effort. She says they were both nervous and excited to share something beautiful from their special day, and calls the experience an honor.
Emily posted a video of the delivery on social media, where it unexpectedly went viral, racking up over 350-thousand views. Comments of similar stories poured in and Emily responded to each one. Inspired by the feedback, she and Lorin have committed to continuing this practice for all their future celebrations, setting aside leftover food, drinks, or decorations to donate to those in need.