How to Preserve Your Wedding Bouquet (A Gentle Guide for UK Brides)

How to Preserve Your Wedding Bouquet (A Gentle Guide for UK Brides)

Your wedding flowers aren’t just part of the décor — they hold memories from one of the most meaningful days of your life. The walk down the aisle, the people by your side, the emotions you never want to forget.

After spending so much time, thought and budget choosing the perfect bridal bouquet, it can feel heartbreaking to watch it wilt after the day is over.
The good news? You don’t have to.

At Sal’s Forever Flowers in Telford, Shropshire, I preserve wedding flowers for brides across the UK, turning bouquets into meaningful keepsakes you can treasure forever.

Why Brides Choose to Preserve Their Bouquet

Wedding flowers are often one of the most emotional parts of the day.
They may remind you of a loved one, a moment you want to hold onto, or simply the feeling of stepping into a new chapter of your life.

Preserving your bouquet allows you to keep that moment alive — beautifully, gently and forever.

When Should You Send Your Flowers for Preservation?

The sooner your flowers reach a preservation specialist, the better they will look in the final piece.

If you’re heading straight off on honeymoon, ask a bridesmaid, family member, or trusted friend to:

  • Carefully package your bouquet
  • Keep it cool and upright
  • Deliver or post it to your chosen preservation studio

Popular Methods of Wedding Flower Preservation

Here’s a simplified guide to the most common ways brides preserve their bouquets — and the pros and cons of each.

1. Air Drying (Traditional Method)

Air drying is the simplest method and has been used for generations.

How it works:
Tie flowers into small bundles and hang them upside down in a warm, dark, well-ventilated space (e.g., an attic or airing cupboard).

Things to know:

  • Colours will darken
  • Shapes will change
  • Stems may dry unnaturally straight
  • Takes 1–8+ weeks

This method is free, but not the most reliable if you want your flowers to stay lifelike.

2. Pressing Your Flowers

Pressed flowers can be used to create beautiful flat frames and artwork.

You don’t need a flower press — books, blotting paper and something heavy will work.

How it works:

  • Lay flowers between layers of blotting and newspaper
  • Add weight
  • Leave for 1–4+ weeks
  • Check regularly

Pressed flowers work best for flatter blooms such as:

  • Roses (petal by petal)
  • Daisies
  • Foliage

3. Drying Flowers in Desiccant (Modern Method)

This is the method I use at Sal’s Forever Flowers — and it’s the best option for brides who want their bouquet to look as close as possible to the wedding day.

Desiccants (like silica gel) gently remove moisture while keeping the flower’s colour and shape intact.

How it works:

  • Flowers are placed carefully in layers of silica gel
  • Fully covered to protect every petal
  • Left to dry for a specific amount of time
  • Removed before they become brittle

Why brides love it:

  • Colours stay true
  • Petals stay lifelike
  • Shapes remain full
  • Ideal for resin keepsakes (paperweights, ornaments, jewellery)

This method is delicate and time-sensitive — every flower dries differently — but the results are truly beautiful.

Displaying Your Preserved Flowers

Once your flowers are dried beautifully, there are several ways to turn them into a keepsake you’ll love forever:

  • Resin paperweights
  • Resin ornaments
  • Flower blocks
  • Jewellery
  • Glass domes
  • Shadow box displays

Let Your Bouquet Live On

Your wedding day goes by in a blur, but your flowers don’t have to be something you say goodbye to.

If you’re considering bouquet preservation — whether you’re a Shropshire bride or anywhere in the UK — I’d love to look after your flowers and create something meaningful from them.

💛 Ready to preserve your bouquet?

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