Planning a Wedding? How about having your Wedding Bouquet Preserved?...
preserving your Bridal Bouquet to freeze a moment in timeÂ
Planning a wedding is one of them most stressful but also one of the most rewarding times in your life especially when it all comes together on the big day.Â
A big element of the special day is the flowers. Having the perfect Bridal bouquet, button holes, maybe bridesmaids bouquets and corsages. The flowers take a lot of planning, organising and a sizeable chunk of the budget.Â
After spending all the time, effort and money on the perfect floral arrangements for the day, I hear you asking what next, do you just let them wilt and die?Â
No of course not, here at Sals Forever Flowers I pride myself in preserving your precious petals to create a memorable keepsake with your Wedding Flowers, freezing a moment in time forever.Â
So, How do I preserve my Bouquet?…
There are many ways to have your flowers preserved, some of which will keep your flowers looking as fresh as the day you walked down the aisle. These can be in the form of 3D box Frames, Paperweight and Ornaments, Jewellery and much more.
The key to having the flowers preserved to look their best is to get them to a specialist such as Sals Forever Flowers, sooner rather than later. If you decide to keep your Wedding Bouquet at home in a vase for a few days this is absolutely fine but you risk bruising the flowers and they may start wilting.
For couples who are jetting off on a honeymoon straight after the Wedding, its best to be prepared in advance. Speak to a member of the family, a Bridesmaid or a friend who can package your Bouquet and any other Wedding Flowers that you want preserved and get them sent or delivered to your chosen Specialist.Â
Traditional Air Drying Method to Presereve your Wedding Bouquet
The most traditional and easiest way to preserve your Wedding Bouquet is to use the air drying technique. It does not require any special equipment and is a method that has been used for many years.Â
The best way to dry your Wedding Bouquet using this method is to tightly tie it into small bunches and hang it upside down in a dark, warm, well ventilated area. When preparing your flowers into bunches its best to strip any excess leaves as they slow down the drying process.Â
You may find an attic or dark corner in your house is the best place to hang your flowers to dry. The process can take anything between a week and a few months depending on the flowers and how much moisture they hold. It will also depend on the drying conditions.Â
This is a well proven method which does work, however as the flowers dry they will go darker in colour and gravity will take its course, the stems may become unnaturally straight and the flowers will change shape.Â
Pressing Your Wedding Bouquet
Who doesn’t love pressed flowers? They are just simply beautiful. Pressed flowers can be used to create many different types of art.Â
Pressing flowers works best with flowers and leaves that are naturally flat but this doesn’t necessarily mean you cant press flowers that are not flat.Â
To press your flowers it is not essential to use a flower press. If you have one then that’s great and you will already know how to use it. If you do not have a flower press all you will need is something heavy, a few books, some blotting paper and newspaper.
The process of preserving flowers by pressing the flowers is very simple. You take some newspaper and blotting paper and lay your flowers on it making sure none are overlapping. Layer the flowers with more blotting paper and newspaper and place something heavy on top such as a heavy box.Â
Alternatively you can line a page of a book in blotting paper and lay your flowers on that making sure they are all flat and not overlapping. once you close the book place a heavy object on it such as a brick.Â
Check the flowers regularly as they all take different amounts of time to dry. Check after a week and then again weekly till the flowers are pressed and ready to use.Â
Modern Flower Preservation Drying Flowers Using Desiccants
Using desiccants to dry and preserve your flowers is one of the most unpredictable ways of drying flowers. This is reflected on the cost of flowers dried using this technique. It is however one of the best ways to have your flowers dried as once the technique is mastered and flowers are successfully dried, the most beautifully dried flowers are produced which are life like in colour and shape.
At Sals Forever Flowers this is the method used to dry your precious petals using Silica Gel. This is one of the most expensive of desiccants but gives the best and most reliable results. Other desiccants that can be used to preserve flowers include sand (using beach sand does not work) and borax. Desiccant used will completely absorb any moisture out of the flowers.
The process may look simple but it is a very delicate procedure drying your Wedding Bouquet in this way. After adding a couple of inches of your desired desiccant carefully place your flowers on top of this first layer. Once the flowers are in place very slowly start pouring more of your desired desiccant till the flowers are completely covered. Once covered shut the lid of the airtight container and pop it away for the flowers to dry.
Drying times are key with using this method and each flower takes a different amount of time to dry. This process can take any time between a few days to a few weeks. If left in the desiccant too long flowers will become brittle and you will risk them crumbling.Â
Once dried using this technique the flowers become very fragile and the best way to display them is in a glass dome or having them preserved into ornaments, paperweights or jewellery using resin like the service offered by Sals Forever Flowers. Sals Forever Flowers – Flower Preservation Service for any Occasion
