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If flowers are one of the most important details for your wedding day, bouquet preservation may be something you want to consider during your wedding planning. Because the bouquet is usually the most sentimental floral arrangement of the wedding day, that is usually what gets preserved, but you can also preserve flowers out of other arrangements from your wedding day. Bouquet preservation is creating an art piece with your bouquet that you can cherish for years to come. There are several options for preserving your bouquet to consider before deciding how you would like to turn your bouquet into a keepsake. You can also do it yourself or hire a professional bouquet preservation artist. We will give our top Utah Wedding Flower Preservation artist recommendations throughout the article.
Pressed Flowers
Resin Casting
Dried Flowers
Artistic rendering of bouquet
Freeze Drying Flowers
Floral Bouquet Recipe
Silica Gel
Photography
Pressing your flowers from your bouquet and framing them is a popular way to turn your bouquet into a piece of art for your home. You can press flowers by laying them flat between two pieces of baking paper, sandwiching that between two pieces of cardboard, and then laying something heavy and flat on it. This can take a couple of days or up to a month, depending on the flowers' thickness. It's best to check in on it and keep it pressing until the flowers are dry. From there, you'll want to carefully glue them on a paper and then frame them. Small, delicate flowers press best, but thicker flowers can still be done.
If you hire a professional to press your bouquet flowers, you'll typically ship your bouquet to them after the wedding, and they will ship you back a framed piece of art a few months later. You can pick out the size and style of the pressed flowers, and they will usually send you a picture to approve before the final framing of the art to make sure you like the layout. You can have them pressed into a frame or something more usable, like a necklace pendant or a candle. Some pressed floral artists can work with you even if your wedding is long gone and you no longer have the flowers. They can "recreate" your bouquet by purchasing the same flower varieties you had in your bouquet and pressing those.
My favorite Utah Pressed Flower Bouquet Preservation Artists are:
Pressed Floral Bouquet from Blush and Pink wedding at Sleepy Ridge Utah.
Flowers of the Press framed pressed flowers around wedding vows.
Pressed Floral dried flower necklaces.
Drying is one of the oldest and most traditional methods of preserving flowers. Bouquets can be air-dried by hanging them upside down in a warm, dark space for several weeks. While drying maintains the natural color of the flowers, it can result in some shrinkage and loss of vibrancy. Hang-drying flowers is the easiest diy wedding bouquet preservation method.
You can also dry flowers with silica gel. This is a granular substance that absorbs moisture and helps preserve the shape and color of flowers. Flowers are buried in silica gel or gently covered with it in a container. This method effectively retains the flowers' original appearance but requires careful handling to prevent damage. While this can be done at home, it's often the method used by professionals after you send them your fresh bouquet.
Freezing is a modern preservation technique that involves placing the bouquet in a special freeze-drying machine. This process removes moisture from the flowers while maintaining their shape and color.
After drying, you can put flowers in a vase somewhere in your home or frame them to hang on the wall in a shadow box.
Pressed Floral is a Utah bouquet preservation artist who also offers a service to frame dried flowers.
Pressed Floral's shadow box wedding bouquet preservation.
Artistic rendering is the best option for those who don't like the look of dried flowers or, who forgot to preserve the bouquet after the wedding or regret not preserving their bouquet down the road. Because a bouquet artist usually only needs a photograph in order to recreate a bouquet, it can be done even years after the wedding. Artists can recreate the bouquet in various mediums like watercolor, oil painting, or even digital art, allowing for personalization and creativity. You can get a painting or drawing of your bouquet in any size, or you can have a specific spot or flower in your bouquet drawn or a painting of you holding your bouquet. You can also hire a live artist for your wedding to capture your day, which is another fun way to preserve the bouquet.
My favorite Hand-Drawn Art Bouquet Preservation Artists are:
Emma Bennett Art for colored pencil drawings.
Painted by Kelsey Jane for live wedding paintings.
Hand drawn bouquet by Emma Bennet Art from this jewel toned fall wedding.
Painted by Kelsey Jane live painting a pastel wedding ceremony at Chase Mill.
Resin castings of dried flowers are a less fragile option than having them framed. If you're worried about petals shattering during moves, or if you want something useful, resin is the choice for you. Flowers can be preserved in resin in blocks to be used as art, bookends, ring or jewelry holders, coffee tables, and anything you can think of. You'll send your fresh bouquet to the bouquet preservation artist for them to professionally dry and cast in resin.
My favorite Utah Bouquet Preservation Artists that use Resin Castings are:
Wild Forever Flowers, which you can order directly through us during your consultation.
Resin casting of flowers from this bright orange and yellow wedding at Amavi Event Venue by Wild Forever Flowers.
Delphinium ring holders and necklace holders by Wild Forever Flowers.
Getting a list or a Photo Floral Recipe from your florist is a great way to preserve your bouquet. Either through a framed photo as a memento of which flowers you had at your wedding, or a list, you can remember your unique combination of flowers and know what to order to recreate your wedding flowers for anniversaries and special occasions.
At Bronte's Florals, we offer Bouquet Floral Recipe photos or lists. Ask us about them during your consultation!
Bouquet floral recipe options from this blush and white wedding at Siempre Utah. Photos by Powell Events, Floral Recipe by Bronte's Florals.
The most common way memories and details are preserved is through photography. We recommend finding a photographer who captures the details for you to remember and giving them a list of your most important details so they can be remembered.
Our recommendations for Utah Photographers who capture the details:
Savanna Richardson Photography
Depending on which option you choose, the bouquet preservation cost is usually the same or slightly higher than the cost of your bouquet. A large keepsake may cost twice the amount of your bouquet, and a small keepsake or recipe can cost ½ or ⅓ the cost of your bouquet.
The first step to remember is not to toss your bouquet. Many couples will order a second, smaller bouquet to toss and keep their bouquet to send off to be preserved.
Depending on who you hire and which method you choose, your bouquet preservation artist will communicate with you how to send them your bouquet. If the process involves drying your bouquet, they will likely give you a kit with the proper shipping materials so you can ship or deliver your bouquet to them right after the wedding while the flowers are still fresh.
Your wedding bouquet is more than just a bundle of flowers; it's a symbol of love, happiness, and cherished memories. Preserving it allows you to hold onto those precious moments for a lifetime, creating a tangible connection to your special day. Whether you choose to dry, freeze, or cast your bouquet in resin, the result is a stunning keepsake that will bring joy and nostalgia for years to come. So, embrace the art of bouquet preservation and keep your love blooming forever.
Let us guide you to a flawless celebration adorned with captivating flowers. Book your free consultation today and step into a world where your wedding dreams bloom into reality.
Bronte
Bronte is a seasoned floral designer with over 13 years of experience and a degree in horticulture and floral design. She has been featured in prestigious bridal magazines and has worked with hundreds of couples. Bronte is dedicated to simplifying the wedding process for her clients and promoting the use of locally sourced flowers, combining her passion for blooms with sustainability efforts in the industry.
