How to Preserve Your Bridal Bouquet for a Long Lasting Family Keepsake

Have you considered turning your bridal bouquet into a family keepsake? Add it into your Wedding Planning List!

Actually you have two options. You can preserve your bridal bouquet at home or you can send your bridal bouquet to a professional preservationist.

Preserve your floral bouquet at home

I found that the easiest way is to follow the steps listed below:

If there are extra leaves, trim them,
Leave the stems about 6 inches long so that you will have room to
Tie the bouquet with a string or a ribbon, and hang it upside down in a dark cool place where no sunshine or light can affect the flowers. A dark closet that is not used often, is ideal.
Let the flowers dry for about 3 weeks.
Once the flowers are completely dry, spray them with unscented, strong hair spray. Do not hold the sprayer too close to the flowers.
let the hair spray dry for a day. The following day, spray again and spray again on the third day.

Have a professional preservationist preserve your floral bouquet

Before you hire professional preservationists, you should know how this works and what to expect.

There are two main methods or techniques used by professional preservationists: one method is freeze drying the flowers. The second method is actually a preserving them with silica gel. Each of these techniques will affect a flower’s color, crispness, and form differently.

Some flowers preserve better than others. For example, if you are planning to include white roses in your bouquet, consult with your florist which variety of which flower will preserve best and the blooms will not tend to turn a little brown in the center.

If you want red roses, they preserve beautifully in silica gel. However, some varieties do better than others so, consult with your florist as to which roses to choose. If you select the right variety, the roses will maintain the red color exactly as it is when fresh, will not drop any petals and remain totally crisp and “fresh” looking. Many red flowers will turn darker when preserved.

Other flowers that are popular for bridal bouquet are Stargazer lilies, Iris, and Bright Fuchsia.

When it comes to lilies, be careful of the stamens. Their pollen pods should be removed immediately by the florist, to avoid staining the flower itself and more importantly, your wedding dress!

If your preservationists plan to use the silica gel method, be sure to instruct them not to apply an anti-desiccant spray. Anti-desiccant spray will affect the quality of the preservation, adversely.

Domething you may want to consider if you have your flowers preserved by a professional.

Since high quality wedding floral preservation leaves your flowers looking as fresh as they would when the florist delivers them, rather than as an afterthought, you may preserve your bridal bouquet before the wedding.

If you decide to preserve your flowers after the wedding, your bouquet will be preserved when it’s passed its peak of freshness, This may affect the quality of the keepsake.

QUESTIONS TO ASK A FLORAL PRESERVATIONIST;

1. What preservation method do you use?

2. Can you demonstrate your technique?

3. Can I see actual samples of your work?

4. Do you offer any keepsake design styles?

5. Do you have any references I may contact?

6. Can you create a custom design for me and will there be any additional cost for this?

7. If I choose a shadowbox type designs, can I choose the background materials?

8. What is your fee schedule?

9. Do you require a deposit? how much? I expect that it will be applied to the design fee, will it?

10. I plan a destination wedding. How can you help me?

11. Can you accommodate me if I call you after my wedding to preserve my bouquet?

12, Will you charge me an additional fee for treating flowers that are beyond their peak?

13. Do you guarantee your work?

14. If I’m not happy with how my flowers look after you dry them, what happens?

15. How will you compensate me if the flowers turn out not to look totally fresh?

11. Will you pick my bouquet directly from my reception when the flowers are still fresh?

12. Will you consult with me at no charge before I meet with my florist to pick my flowers?

If you are looking for quality preservationists you have a few options:

Look for them in bridal shows where you can also see their work
Look for them on the Internet (Google)
Consult Wedding websites, magazines and publications,
Contact: “The Perfect Wedding Guide”,
Ask for referrals from your friends, coworkers, florist, bridal consultant, bridal shops, or other wedding professionals.