The wedding Bouquet is an important and sentimental accessory that accompanies you down the aisle and adds color and detail to your attire and photographs.

After spending months carefully planning the perfect bouquet, for some brides, the thought of disposing of it once the wedding has passed is rather sad. Thankfully, your Wedding Bouquet can be preserved and this will allow you to keep it as a memory forever. 

Below, we have identified several ways that you can preserve the flowers that make up your wedding bouquet. You will need to determine which of the following methods is the most practical for you.

Also, if you are setting off on your honeymoon straight after the wedding, you will need to find someone that you can trust with the task as the flowers will likely begin to wilt before your return. 

Preparing your wedding bouquet for preservation 

It is recommended that you implement a preservation plan for your bouquet ahead of time. Depending on the method that you opt for, you may need to send your flowers off to a preservation expert once the wedding has concluded.

Also, as touched upon, you will need to plan around your honeymoon. If you are not going to be leaving straight after the wedding, you may have sufficient time to preserve them yourself, however, if you are jetting off as soon as the wedding is over, you will need to give a friend or family member the responsibility of doing it for you. 

If you are going to preserve your bouquet, you may wish to skip the bouquet toss. This is because there is a risk of the flowers becoming damaged as they get thrown through the air. Alternatively, you may use a replica of your bouquet. 

Hanging the flowers

The first option is to hang your flowers upside down and allow them to air dry. This is a traditional and easy way of preserving your flowers because you can do it yourself without the need for any additional resources. 

First, you will need to unwrap the bouquet so that the flowers are loose. If any leaves appear to be broken or rotten, remove them. Take a piece of string, an elastic band, or some twine and tie it tightly around the stems. Next, you will need to hang them upside down in a dark, dry and warm room such as an airing cupboard. Let them air dry for between 1 to 2 weeks.

Depending on the temperature and the type of flowers, they may take longer to dry. Once your flowers are completely dry you can then display them in a vase, taking care not to handle them too roughly as there is a risk of them breaking. 

Pressing your bouquet

Another popular option involves pressing the flowers. This is appropriate for a few flowers rather than the entire bouquet. Pressing flowers is an easy task that can either be done using a flower press kit or if you do not have one, a weighted book will be sufficient. Pressing your flowers is going to flatten them so you can get creative in deciding how you are going to showcase them. 

Begin by placing the selected flowers between two sheets of parchment paper. If you do not have any parchment paper to hand you can use two sheets of ordinary blank paper. There is a risk of the ink from the book transferring to the flowers if paper is not used. Arrange them as desired and then position the paper near the center of a book.

The book that you choose needs to be quite heavy. Close the book and add some more heavy books or a weighty object to the top. Set the book aside and leave it for between 7 to 10 days. There are several things that you can do with pressed petals. If you are not very artistic, you may prefer to give them to an artist who specializes in this field as they will be able to bring the design to life for you.

However, if you are feeling confident in your skills, you can add the pressed flowers to a frame or you could stick them to your photo album. 

Creating a resin keepsake

Why not turn your wedding bouquet into a lovely resin keepsake. You can create letters that spell out a word of your choice, or you could create a shape. Using resin does require a certain level of skill so if this isn’t a project that you fancy tackling yourself, you may prefer to send your flowers off to a resin artist who will be able to do it for you. 

Should you decide to create a resin keepsake yourself, there are a few steps that you will need to follow. There are many resin kits available online or at craft stores. First, you will need to invest in a mold that is the desired shape or letter.

Next, you will need to pour the resin into the mold until it reaches the halfway point. Then add your wedding flowers and position them as you would like. Finally, you will need to fill the rest of the mold with more resin. Ensure that you give the resin plenty of time to dry and then you can carefully remove the mold. Remember that this is a task that requires technique so you should be confident in your skills before attempting to do it. 

Final Thoughts

As you can see there are a few different, creative ways of preserving your wedding bouquet, some of which are easier to do than others, thus including but not limited to the methods that we have mentioned above.

Other options include painting them, dipping them in wax, or using silica gel. If this is not a project that you feel confident about approaching yourself, remember that you can send them off to someone who specializes in flower preservation. Simply tell them what you would like and they will be able to do it for you.