Your wedding bouquet is not merely a bunch of flowers; it is a living memory. Those flowers have stories to tell you from walking down the aisle to the first dance. So, how to preserve them forever? Let us discuss the 9 unique methods to do so.
Every bride remembers the wedding bouquet. Once you have it in your hands, it stops being just roses or peonies; it becomes a token of your love story.
Months later, you may look at photos and think: How can I preserve that bouquet that witnessed one of the most significant days of my life?
Preserving wedding flowers has become a lot more than a tradition; it is a form of preserving the emotions. A survey done by “The Knot in 2023” revealed that 47 percent of brides regret not having stored their bouquets. This number means something: flowers fade, but our will to keep the memories does not.
So, what can you do to ensure the bouquet does not just fade and disappear? Other than simply gluing them in books, however, couples have now turned to modern, artistic, and even experimental methods of turning wedding flowers into keepsakes.
You could use your flowers to create something beautiful and creative, from home decor to jewelry. Here are nine unique and special ways to preserve your wedding flowers and bouquet.
1. Pressed Flower Art for Wall Frames
The technique of pressing flowers sounds old-fashioned, but it has resurfaced impressively. Imagine your bouquet is carefully flattened, framed, and mounted as a beautiful picture on the wall in your living room.
You can press the flowers yourself, or use a professional, such as Pressed Floral in the U.S., whose team works with you to transform bouquets into museum-ready artwork.
Dried plants do not lose their shape and delicate tone, thus you have an everlasting object to display. What is special about this?
Whenever you walk past that frame, you are not looking at flowers; you are reliving a moment. Instead of being decorative, it is more of a storytelling.
Steps:
- Use fresh flowers.
- Put them between parchment papers in a heavy book.
- Press and leave for 3-4 weeks.
- Assemble on cardstock.
- Frame and hang.
2. Resin Keepsakes (Coasters, Paperweights, Jewelry)
Due to social media, resin preservation has become extremely popular. Today, your florists and resin artists also provide services to seal your bouquet in clear epoxy resin.
You may make usable objects such as coasters, trays, or even jewelry with your petals. I once met a bride who re-created her bouquet as a morning-table set of resin coasters for her daily breakfast table use.
She said, “It feels like having coffee on my wedding day, every morning”.
In addition, resin art is long-lasting. It preserves flowers against moisture, dust, and time, and so, it is one of the longest-lasting techniques to be used.
Steps:
- Remove moisture from the flowers.
- Select a resin mold.
- Arrange flowers in the mold.
- Carefully pour resin.
- Let it dry up.
3. Turning Flowers into Jewelry
This is a magical choice if you are a fan of personal accessories. Flowers can be dried and used into pendants, rings, earrings, or charm beads.
Some companies, such as Floral Keepsakes Jewelry, provide custom designs with the dried petals embedded in precious metals. Jewels are emotional.
Having the necklace with your wedding flowers will be like having a small piece of your vows right next to your heart. It is intimate, chic, and intensely personal.
Steps:
- Dry the bouquet.
- Choose a shadow box frame.
- Arrange flowers with pictures or ribbons.
- Bind all by glue or cuff pins.
- Seal and display.
4. Bouquet Shadow Boxes
Brides interested in a 3D display should use shadow boxes.
These boxes are different from pressed flowers as they keep your bouquet exactly as it is dried, put in place, and kept safe behind glass.
Imagine it is a time capsule. You may also include your wedding card, vows, or even the boutonniere of your partner with the bouquet.
It provides a customized display that narrates the full story of your wedding day in a single frame. Shadow boxes are also variable.
They are easy to mount on walls or shelves, where they can be a good source of conversation when visitors come around.
Steps:
- Choose small buds or petals.
- Dry them off completely.
- Put in molds or pendants.
- Pour resin into the petals.
- Fit with jewelry fittings.
5. Transforming Flowers into Scented Candles
Here is a crafty idea: having your bouquet turn into candles. Some craftsmen take the petals and dry them before they are put in soy or beeswax candles.
Whenever you light one, you are also reminded visually and emotionally of your special day. One bride on a wedding forum wrote that she had requested a local candle maker to use her roses when handcrafting candles.
Each year on the anniversary, she burns one, so it becomes like repeating her wedding experience through smell and visuals.
It is a particular approach that refers to the combination of two senses, as it focuses on vision and smell. It makes memories even more involved.
Steps:
- Wrap the bouquet stems together using a string.
- Hang it facing downwards in a dry place.
- Leave it 2-3 weeks.
- Put dried bouquet in a vase.
- Spray a little bit of hairspray.
6. Floral Paper and Stationery
This idea will touch you if you are sentimental about writing. Handmade paper can be made out of the pulp of wedding flowers. This paper can be used for anniversary letters, journals, or even thank you cards.
Think of writing a love letter to your husband years later on paper made out of your wedding bouquet. It is poetic and personal.
Companies such as Bloom Paper specialize in such transformation with their eco-friendly and creative choices. Besides, sustainability is considered in this preservation method.
Steps:
- Remove the moisture from the petals.
- Melt candle wax.
- Add flowers to the mold.
- Add a hot wax.
- Put in a wick and allow to set.
7. Encasing Flowers in Glass Domes
You may have seen roses protected under glass domes in fairy tales, remember “Beauty and the Beast”. Now you can think of your bouquet in the same form.
Crystal-clear domes keep the dried flowers under and away from dust and impairment. This alternative makes your bouquet the centerpiece.
It is romantic, a touch of art, and airy. Most couples put these domes in their bedroom or their living room as a kind of heirloom.
Steps:
- Dry flower petals.
- Open a ball of clear ornament.
- Stuff with Petals and Ribbon.
- Seal the ornament securely.
- Hook or hang by a cord.
8. Professional Freeze-Drying
One of the most developed methods of preserving flowers is freeze-drying. It is the process of drying the flowers to subzero temperatures, so retaining their shape and color essentially the same as the natural product.
Though it is an expensive choice, it is worth thinking about.
FloraLife, which is a major floral preservation company, stated that freeze-dried bouquets could extend to decades in duration with proper care.
Brides who invest in the practice usually keep the bouquet in fancy glass cases or frames.
Steps:
- Press out flower petals.
- Mix scrap paper and water.
- Add petals to the pulp.
- Pour pulp into a mesh screen.
- Dry sheets to make paper.
9. Turning Flowers into Ink or Paint Pigment
This is the most soulful choice for those who are creative. The pigments used to make ink or watercolor paint can be extracted by using the natural pigments found in flowers.
Artists are then able to use it to create a piece of artwork, maybe a painting of your wedding venue, using colors you made with your bouquet.
A soft purple pigment was created by an artist I know with lavender and rose petals she collected from a client’s bouquet.
The resulting painting was displayed in the new home of the couple, a practical merging of both art and memory.
Steps:
- Contact a freeze-drying service.
- Deliver your bouquet quickly.
- Allow 2–3 weeks for preservation.
- Collect the preserved bouquet.
- Display in a safe case.
Conclusion
Saving your wedding flowers is not only about saving the flowers, but also preserving memories.
Whether you select a plain pressed-flower picture or a fancy resin treasured keepsake, you will be able to actively re-live your wedding day for many years to come.
Think of it this way: flowers may fade, but the stories they carry can last forever when preserved with care.
