Myths About Floral Preservation & Dried Flowers

For every bride considering the possibility of preserving her wedding bouquet for years of future enjoyment, there may be someone who tries to discourage her from doing so. Whether it is the bride-to-be’s fiancé (who wants to save some money to buy a beer stein or autographed baseball), a friend or even the bride’s own florist (who may be unaware of the developments in recent years regarding preservation), there can be numerous road blocks for a bride trying to find out more information.

The following are some common myths regarding floral preservation and additional points of interest.

Floral Preservation is too expensive – or – I’ve paid so much already for my wedding! How can I afford this?

For those couples who have already spent thousands on their wedding, any additional expense is certainly one to scrutinize. Floral Preservation does not HAVE to be expensive. In fact, Keepsake Floral offers preserved floral displays starting under $100. For those wanting to save their entire bouquet, quality displays may be $400+.

Essentially, a preserved floral arrangement is a commissioned piece of artwork that should last for decades (when created by an reputable company). This investment allows a bride to keep for the rest of her life the only other thing besides her wedding ring that she actually carried on her wedding day. Keepsake Floral also offers a payment plan, or allows you to place a deposit toward your display, but pay the balance at a later time. Isn’t it worth saving the actual flowers and not just the memory?

Floral Preservation is so old-fashioned – or – Don’t all of the displays look like something my grandma would have hanging in her house?

While it’s true that preserved floral arrangements in the past may have looked “old fashioned” or even “antique”, design options available today are anything but! Keepsake Floral offers something for everyone. That includes today’s contemporary bride, as well as one who prefers something more traditional. Brides want to use a company that allows for customization of their display. Keepsake Floral’s Designers are willing to listen to a bride and tailor the preserved floral display to certain specifications. Offering something for everyone can be accomplished with the internal design (does the preservation company only offer one or two design options? Will they allow for the inclusion of special items like invitations or photographs?), frame, fabric and style options. From shadowboxes to tabletop domes and jewelry boxes, the company a bride chooses should offer a selection that meets her needs and desires. A great preservation company like Keepsake Floral has color brochures, a website and showrooms that both help promote their products AND help a bride choose from all of the options available to her. If a bride can’t see a picture of previously created displays, will she really want to entrust her special flowers to a company with that uncertainty?

Methods of preservation – or – Everyone tells me their method of preservation is best. Who should I believe?

There are numerous methods of preserving special occasion flowers. The first method, floral pressing, is certainly the oldest and the one most people have tried at one time or another at home. When saving flowers from a wedding, it is still important to have a professional press and frame the flowers! Pressing is a good option if you want your display flat against a wall, and if you prefer something with more of a watercolor final look. Because flowers are pressed flat, many varieties take on an entirely different look from their 3-dimensional counterparts in a final display. Be aware as well that certain adornments, such as pearl sprays, certain ribbon and additional decorations, may not be able to fit behind the flat glass of a pressed display.

Air-drying is also a popular form of preservation, though the word is used lightly here. Many people will hang a bouquet in a cool, dry place, allowing nature to slowly remove the moisture from the flowers. Unfortunately, this also removes the color and shape of the bloom, neither of which can be reversed easily. ALL preserved floral arrangements should be within a display that is as airtight as possible. Keepsake Floral offers this service, and brides who want their flowers to last more than a few months should insist that their flowers are behind either a glass or Plexiglas front. Exposure to air and other environmental factors (such as dust, humidity and oils from human hands) are the enemies of preserved flowers, regardless of the method used.

The most popular professional forms of 3-dimensional floral preservation are the silica based dehydration method, chemical preservation process and freeze-drying. Regardless of marketing messages promoting one over another, each process leaves the flowers in their original 3-dimensional form, just like that of the bouquet during the wedding. Each process alters the color of the original flower depending on the organic nature of each. Since each process is carefully controlled, each method keeps the flowers as malleable as possible in order for designers to work with the blooms. Because these processes produce flowers of the same quality, a bride’s options are truly expanded so that she can choose from a company that has designs, prices, customer service and other options she prefers.

There is not a floral preservation company in my area so I can’t get my flowers preserved.

Floral preservation, as its popularity increases, is seeing an upsurge in people entering the arena. While some individuals working from home have the materials and capability to create beautiful designs and air-tight environments, many do not have all that’s needed to truly create a gorgeous and safe environment for a bride’s special, sentimental flowers. Floral preservation is hard, long work! In fact, brides will find that many florists who may have done preservation in the past have eliminated this process in favor of working strictly with fresh florals due to time and design constraints. It is best to work with a professional to have flowers preserved. A professional will be able to offer a greater selection, use methods that are proven to safely preserve the flowers and take accountability for the designs and displays they provide. Trust is, and should be, a huge concern when it comes to a bride’s flowers and a company of preservation professionals should be the first thing a bride looks for as she researches preservation!

The nice part about today’s interconnected society is that a bride does NOT have to live next to a preservation agency in order to keep her beautiful flowers forever. Keepsake Floral, the Nation’s leading floral preservation company, offers nationwide service with shipping materials that are provided to a bride in order for the flowers to be cared for and safely transported to the preservation location. With a safe shipper and an overnight trip, virtually anyone in any location can have their flowers preserved.

It is also best for brides to do their research about the company they choose to preserve their flowers. They may want to ask themselves if they prefer an amateur to a professional or if they want a company that specializes in nothing but floral preservation or one that may be spread thin in all of the additional wedding services they offer. A bride will also want to know how long the preservation company has been specializing in floral preservation. Just as picking out a wedding dress is an important and extremely personal decision, so too should be choosing a company to preserve a bride’s flowers.

Preserved flowers don’t last – or – Will my preserved flowers last and can I hand them down later in life?

Properly preserved and displayed flowers DO last! The likelihood of how long they last rests in the hands of both the preservation company AND the bride. The preservation company you choose should provide an environment that prevents as much dust and humidity from reaching the flowers as possible, as Keepsake Floral does. The bride should keep the preserved flowers out of direct sunlight (like any piece of valuable art) and should carefully follow the care instructions that should be provided by the company.

As stated before, flowers that are preserved but not placed behind some sort of enclosed display will fall victim to deterioration. Sometimes it only takes a few months for petals to fall off or crumble. While brides may desire their bouquet preserved “as is” (without enclosing the bouquet inside an air-tight keepsake), their investment will be wasted once the bouquet begins to lose its color and shape. Brides should look for a company that has numerous display options, so that they may have their bouquet preserved and in their home using a look that matches their style and protects the flowers!

Displays that are properly cared for should last for decades, allowing brides to pass along their beautiful flowers later in life. While natural changes may occur within the display itself (slight changes in the color of the flowers over time), they should always closely resemble the special flowers the bride carried on her exciting day.