Preserving Florals
Article By | Conley Koberg
The last thing anyone wants to do after their wedding is throw away the floral arrangements they hand-picked and budgeted for. It’s no surprise that many brides explore preserving their florals to help hold on to the memories of the best day of their life. Unfortunately, getting your flowers preserved professionally can be a costly process, especially after just having the most expensive party you will ever throw! Luckily, there are many ways to preserve your flowers at home, reducing the extra dents to your wallet.
The first step to preserving your florals is to plan ahead. Before your wedding, decide which method you will be using for preservation and gather all the materials you will need. The flowers need to be as fresh as possible when preserving, so prepping early will guarantee the best results. Using fresh flowers will prevent them from loosing too much color, and in turn, keep them looking as beautiful as they did during your wedding.
1. Pressed Flowers:
Take as many flowers as you like, plus some for backup, and lay them out on a piece of parchment paper. Manipulate the petals how you want them to look in the final stage…when they dry they can no longer be changed. Find the heaviest book you have and place the parchment paper with flowers inside of it. Add another piece of parchment on top of the flowers and close the book. Placing heavy objects on top of the book can help with the preservation process. Wait seven days, or until the flowers are fully dry. They can now be removed from the book to be displayed.
Pressed flowers can be placed inside a shadow frame to display in your home. Using a photo of your bouquet for reference can help you recreate it within the frame. If you still have the ribbon from your bouquet, it can also be placed inside the frame to finish the look.
Pressed flowers can also be placed inside of epoxy resin to turn into a variety of different keepsakes. Simply buy the mold that you want (coaster, pendant, keychain, etc..) and fill it halfway with resin. Add your fully dried and pressed flowers on the resin, and then fill the rest of the way with more resin. Allow it to dry completely before removing from the mold. Always ensure that you are in a well-ventilated room with proper protection when working with resin.
Another way pressed flowers can be used is by incorporating them into a photo or painting to create a 3D effect. Simply paint a background color or find a photo you love, and use mod podge to stick the flowers onto the canvas. Add another layer of mod podge on top to seal your dried flowers down. This is a unique way to incorporate your special day into a work of art!
2. Silica Gel Dried Flowers:
The best way to preserve your wedding flowers to look as much like the day you got them is to use silica gel. Silica gel keeps the color and shape of your flowers better than any other at-home method. Buy a large batch of silica gel flower drying crystals and a sealable container that all your flowers can fit into. Fill the container bin halfway with silica gel, add in your whole flowers slightly nestling them down, then carefully cover the flowers fully with more of the gel. Be careful not to change the shape of the flowers too much during this process. Wait seven days, or until the flowers are dry to remove them from the air-tight bin. Spray with a light coat of hairspray to finish the process.
Silica gel dried flowers can be arranged in a vase with the stems on to give the same look as your wedding day florals. They can also be arranged in a shadow box to ensure the flowers remain protected and secure. Add in your wedding vows and bouquet ribbon to the shadow box with the preserved flowers to keep the memories of your special day all in one place.
3. Painted Flowers
Although painting your bouquet doesn’t keep your physical flowers in hand, it’s the most promising way to mimic the exact look of your wedding day florals. You can capture the colors of the original flowers without worry of them browning, and it will last a lifetime. Do it yourself, or have an artistic person you know make it as a wedding gift. For some fun, get together with your bridesmaids and have a sip and paint girls’ day out of it!
So, forget the high costs of professional preservation and the thoughts of tossing your bouquets away. With just a bit of preparation and fresh flowers you can do it at home with great results. Pressing them in a book, drying them in silica gel, or painting them with the girls…no matter how you decide to preserve your flowers, the memories of your wedding day are sure to last.