Preserve Your Wedding Bouquet

Keeping your wedding bouquet is possible if you are ready to invest a little time and money in it. A professional florist can give you the most realistic results through a process known as freeze drying.

Find someone to do this before you get married, so that you can get them the bouquet in time. This usually requires that you do something within a timeframe of one to four days after the wedding to achieve the best results.

You may also preserve your wedding flowers yourself. Here are the pros and cons of using a professional and a tutorial on DIY bouquet preservation.

Pros and Cons of Using a Professional Florist to Dry Your Bouquet

Pros:

· Floral preservation professionals will know the best agents for preserving the particular types of flowers in your bouquet.
· Freeze drying and pressing the flowers will maintain the most realistic look. These practices are best left to a professional.

Cons:

· Be prepared to spend at least $100 for your wedding bouquet preservation.
· You will have to ship the flowers right away.
· Some flowers cannot be freeze-dried.

DIY Wedding Flower Preservation

Sand Method

· Use river sand for best results.
· Remove the base of the stems (about one inch).
· Fill the box you will use to dry the flowers one-quarter of the way full with the river sand.
· Place the flowers on top of the sand with the blooms facing up.
· Sift sand over the blooms until the petals are covered.
· Keep in a well-ventilated area for five days.
· Check the blooms for drying. If they are not quite dry, sift more sand on the petals, and let them sit another day or two.

Glycerin Method

· Purchase a liquid glycerin product made specifically for preserving foliage and flowers. You can usually find this at a craft store.
· Remove any imperfect petals or leaves. Wipe away any dust or debris. Be gentle!
· Crush the stems about two inches above the cut ends of the stems. You can use a hammer or a pair of pliers for this.
· Place the cut end of the stems into the glycerin solution. Keep them in this solution for up to three weeks.
· Remove from the solution when the flowers do not feel brittle and dry.

Pressing Method

· Gather your materials: background paper, blotting papers, glue, tweezers, newspaper, and a phone book or two heavy books.
· Flatten the flowers with your finger and thumb. Separate leaves and mosses.
· Arrange the flowers on the colored background paper. Construction paper is great for this. Use the tweezers to arrange tiny blooms.
· Place the flowers and background paper between the blotting papers.
· Place the entire packet in between two sheets of newspaper.
· Lie on a flat surface. Lay the phone book or other heavy books on top of your flower package.
· Leave them there for two weeks.
· Remove the papers and see your finished results. These are great for framing or placing in a scrapbook.