Apart from your photos, your bouquet is one of the most iconic pieces of memorabilia from your wedding day. Unfortunately, your bridal flowers won’t stay beautiful forever, and many end up in the compost bin.
It’s possible to preserve those precious memories forever if you act right away. There are several unique ways that you can save some or part of your flowers to cherish for years to come. The key is to act right away. Waiting too long to take action can result in your flowers wilting or browning.
If you are heading out on your honeymoon right after your wedding, you can entrust your maid of honor to take charge. You can have your Juniper Flowers florist dry your bouquet or try one of these innovative ways to preserve your flowers to enjoy through all the days of your marriage.
Hang Them To Dry
Drying is the most traditional way to preserve your wedding flowers. It’s easy enough for anyone to do without much fuss. Start by tying the stems tightly together with a natural fiber string. Using a synthetic cord could bruise the stalks and stretch over time.
Choose a dry, warm place to hang your flowers upside down. A space directly over a radiator or heat vent is perfect. If you can find a dark place, like inside a cupboard, your flowers will maintain their color and scent. Leave your flowers for several weeks.
Pressing
If you are interested in creating a frame with some of your flowers, pressing flowers from your bouquet is perfect. Remove some samples of different flowers from your bouquet so that you have a good variety. Begin by placing your flowers in between two pieces of parchment and place them inside a heavy book. The weight of the pages will help to flatten them down. Leave them for 7-10 days for the best result.
Paperweight
If you want to create a lovely keepsake that you can put up on a shelf, you can send your wedding flowers away to turn them into a paperweight. Talk to your florist about who they would recommend to help you create this unique keepsake. The process involves freeze-drying some of your blooms to perfectly preserve the color and freshness of each flower. Then the pieces are inserted in a special glazed resin and formed into a globe. These are a great way to create a functional piece of memorabilia that you can enjoy for years.
Shadow Box
Creating a shadow box is a great way to display your dried or preserved bouquet. You can dry the full bouquet yourself or send it out to a preservation specialist. These professionals use a delicate mixture of chemical preservatives to dry out your flowers without losing any shape or color. You can then mount your bouquet in a 3D shadow box that will show off your bouquet in a creative and beautiful display.
Wax Dipping
This process won’t preserve your flowers forever but it will let you enjoy them for a few months looking the same as they did on your wedding day. This is a tricky process that you should practice before you try it on your precious wedding flowers. Melt some high-quality paraffin wax in a saucepan and dip the flowers’ heads in quickly to cover the full bloom. Hang upside down for several hours to dry. Handle the blooms as little as possible to avoid cracking the wax.
There are so many things about your wedding day that you will want to remember for the rest of your life. You can try one of these unique methods to preserve your wedding bouquet to enjoy for years to come.
