Blooms For Keeps : Preserving Your Bridal Bouquet

One year ago, we provided flowers for Paul and Jennifer’s beautiful ceremony at The Liberty Warehouse. As their first anniversary rolled around, we received an adorable request from Paul. Jennifer had loved her bridal bouquet and planned to preserve and keep it, but apparently over the course of the celebration, the bouquet was misplaced!

 

 

Paul contacted us to request a replacement to surprise Jennifer the day of their anniversary. He was happy to report everything went without a hitch.  She was shocked and delighted, and bought a shadow box right then and there to preserve her thoughtful keepsake.

 

 

When it comes to preserving your bouquet, there are a few options to keep your memorable blooms intact.  One is getting them pressed and framed, or doing so yourself.  This is a great option especially if you’re looking to preserve just a few flowers to accompany a set of photos or an invitation.  Of course, you can do this at home with just a thick book, but if you’re looking to press many into stylish patterns, you may need a professional framer if you want a more polished look.

 

 

Feeling crafty? Check out this inspiring guide to modern flower pressing via Garden Therapy.

If, like Jennifer, you want to preserve the bouquet’s shape as well as its petals, you can house it in a shadow box or glass dome. There are two methods professionals use for three-dimensional bouquet preservation.  The first is freeze-drying, in which the flowers are vacuum-sealed and slowly dehydrated. The other is burying the fresh bouquet in silica gel until it is dried completely.  The blooms are then sealed in the container of your choosing.

 

 

 

 

If dried flowers simply aren’t your style, we know a wonderful Pittsburgh-based illustrator Ashley Cecil, who specializes in rendering bride’s bouquets in her magical, distinctive style.  Simply send a photo of your bouquet at its best and brightest. Read our interview with Ashley here.