You spent a lot of time choosing the perfect flowers for your wedding bouquet. Here are 5 ways you can keep your bouquet forever.
1. Press Your Flowers
This process works best with with flowers that are not too thick or fleshy. To press your wedding bouquet, select as many flowers and leaves as you’d like, and spread them out on clean parchment paper. It is best to group like flowers together so they can dry at the same rate. Cover the flowers with a second sheet of parchment paper. Place the flowers inside a heavy book like a phone book or a used textbook. Place some weight on top of the book and leave the flowers to dry for 7 to 10 days. Once they are dry and flat, you can put them in your scrapbook or arrange and frame them.
2. Hang Your Flowers Upside Down
Another simple way to preserve your wedding bouquet is to let it air dry. Gather up the stems and tie them tightly together. Then hang the whole bouquet upside down in a coll, dry area, such as a hallway closet. Let all the blooms air dry. Check back on them in a couple of weeks and you’ll find your bouquet has dried completely. Once they are dry, you can place in a vase or in a shadow box.
3. Dry Your Flowers with Silica Gel
Silica gel is a porous sand that works to absorb water and dry flowers in one to seven days. Silica Gel is sold at most craft stores for about $10. Pour a base of silica gel in an airtight container and nestle your blooms in the sand. Gently pour the silica gel around the petals, making sure the shape of the flower isn’t compromised. Keep filling until the container is full to the top, and seal it with the lid.
Silica gel preserves the color of the flower nicely, too. When the week’s up, remove the flowers carefully and spray them with either an artist’s fixative spray or hairspray.
4. Encase Your Flowers in Epoxy Resin
Place your flowers in clear epoxy resin and make a paperweight or decorative art piece. You can find spherical or cubic molds at the craft store. Fill your mold halfway with the resin and carefully arrange your flowers. Fill to the top with more epoxy and let dry. remove the mold and enjoy your flowers.
5. Dip Your Wedding Flowers in Wax
While not permanent, set your flowers in wax will preserve your bouquet for 6 months. To do this, you’ll need paraffin wax and a saucepan. Melt the wax in boiling water until the fluid is even and smooth. Then turn the stove to low so the wax mixture cools down slightly but is still warm. Dip each of your flowers in the wax and hang upside down to dry.
Anyone of the six options above is a great way to preserve your flowers. However, you can always have your photographer take several photographs of your bouquet that you can frame and look at forever.
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