Preserve Those Precious Wedding Flowers
December 16th, 2005 Posted in Wedding Planning and Ideas
Just because fresh flowers generally have a life span of around a week or so, doesn’t meant that your bouquet and other flower arrangements need to be tossed in the garbage can after that time. Wedding flowers are a powerful reminder of your happy day, and can be a wonderful keepsake for years to come, provided you take the steps to preserve them properly.
There are many flower preservation companies listed both in the phone book, and online through a simple search for "wedding flower preservation". Finding a reputable spot close to you shouldn’t be difficult, and making sure these arrangements are made before your ceremony will ensure that your flowers stay looking fabulous long afterwards. The most popular professional technique is call "freeze drying", which basically removes the moisture from your blooms, but allows them to retain their shape, color and smell. These dried flowers can then be arranged on request, into framed, or decorative displays.
There’s no need to hire out a company’s help if you would rather do the preservation yourself. If you have a steady hand, and aren’t afraid to take a chance with your arrangements, then tutorials exist online that can help you along your way. There are several methods that can be used, from very simple air-drying, through silica gel preservation. Which you choose depends on what finished product you’re looking for, and there are pros and cons to each technique.