How to preserve a wedding bouquet? 5 tips
Wedding bouquets are an integral part of every wedding ceremony, and brides often take special care in selecting the perfect composition of blooms, paying attention not only to their look but their meaning as well. So, it would be such a shame to throw it all away after just a couple of days, right? Luckily, there are many ways to conserve your floral arrangement and keep the memories of your special day for years to come. Read on and learn five tips on how to preserve your wedding bouquet, ensuring its long-lasting beauty.
Pressing
The first method of bridal bouquet preservation is pressing. Lay your flowers between the two pieces of wax paper and place everything between the pages of a heavy book. Add some weight on top and leave the blooms to dry for at least a week. Remember to carefully arrange the flowers before you press them, as you won’t be able to change anything once you start drying them out. Once fully dry, carefully remove the blooms and place them in a shadow box or frame.
Air-drying
How to dry a wedding bouquet? Just let it air-dry! Start by unwrapping the flowers and getting rid of tape, ties, or ribbon. Then secure each stem and hang them upside down in a dark, dry, and well-ventilated area. Avoid places with high humidity or direct sunlight, as these can affect the drying process and influence colour retention. Be patient, as the drying can take a couple of weeks. When the flowers are ready, you may arrange them in a vase or even make a decorative wreath.
Making a resin decoration
Are you looking for another way to preserve your wedding bouquet? Try putting them in a clear epoxy resin and creating some decorative pieces. Dry the flowers, fill the mould halfway, place the blooms in a chosen combination, add the rest of the epoxy resin and leave to dry. Then just take it out and enjoy! The best part is that you can select various sizes and shapes of the moulds you’re going to use. Some flowers may be conserved as paperweights or coasters, and others as pieces of jewellery you’ll wear for many years to come.
Drying with silica gel
You may also try preserving your bridal bouquet with silica gel that absorbs moisture. Place the flowers inside an airtight container and fill the area around them with silica gel crystals. The blooms should dry in about a week. Afterwards, you may take them out and spray them with hairspray to help set everything better.
Freeze-drying
Freeze-drying is a professional wedding bouquet preservation technique that maintains the arrangement’s shape, colour, and texture exceptionally well. It requires special equipment and can be more expensive than other options we mentioned, but at the same time, it conserves the flowers in a state that’s very close to their original appearance. Before you go to a specialist, make sure the blooms are adequately prepared: remove the leaves, cut stems, and keep flowers in water for at least 12 hours.
