Wedding Flower Preservation: What is it and do I need it?
A collaborative post with Pressed in Time.
First off, when it comes to your wedding, the only thing you technically need is your marriage license and an officiant. However, as we all know, the list of wants tends to grow by the day when you’re planning your dream wedding. I’m here to tell you that there may be a few items on that wants list that I suggest more than others, and floral preservation is one of them.
When I got married back in 2015 (I know, not that long ago), flower preservation wasn’t a thing… at least not that I knew of. Back then, if we wanted to keep our bouquets, we took them home and hung them upside down to dry for a few weeks. This led to us having a bunch of crunchy, dried flowers and no plan for what to do with them.
I hate to admit it, but my bridal bouquet hung upside down in my basement for a very long time– think years– before I decided to, get this, Throw. It. Out.
Saying it out loud makes me feel ill. Are you kidding me? I threw it out? After taking the time to dry it for literal years? *insert tears*. If I had only known there was a service out there that could have saved it for me, and presented it beautifully, I would have jumped at the opportunity.
Fast forward a few years, I’m working as a wedding planner and surrounded by talented wedding pros from the GTA, Niagara, the KW region, and beyond. I’ve now stumbled across this amazing service and have found some truly inspiring artists to help you preserve the memories of your wedding day. I decided to chat with one of my go-to’s, Devon, from Pressed in Time, to get some more information for you about flower preservation.
Devon is a trusted wedding pro in the Niagara region that I have confidently sent multiple of my own planning clients to for their floral preservation needs!
So, without further ado, let’s dive into wedding flower preservation. What is it? And do you need it?
First of all, what the heck IS flower preservation?
Flower preservation is the process of drying your wedding flowers using a number of different techniques in order to hold on to them and enjoy them long after the wedding day has come and gone. Along with your wedding photos and video, you can now hold on to a tangible part of your day and display it as a stunning piece of artwork in your home.
What types of flower preservation do you offer at Pressed in Time?
Using a few different techniques to remove moisture quickly and preserve your flowers so they hold their vibrant colours allows us to offer many options for floral art. Here are a few:
Shadow Box
Shadow boxes are a wonderful option for preserving your wedding flowers (ie. bouquet, boutonniere, etc.) in their natural 3D shape. We offer a variety of different shadow box designs and frame colours. This is also a great option for those who may have previously air-dried their own flowers.
Pressed Pieces
Pressed Flowers are dried and pressed flat so that they are paper thin and can be arranged in a picture frame. We offer a variety of different designs using the petals as well as the full flower as it was seen in your bouquet.
Resin Pieces
Your wedding flowers can be included in resin ring holders, jewelry, dishes, ornaments, wine stoppers and matching cufflinks. Our resin keepsakes are the most popular option for gifting as “thank yous” to your loved ones who were apart of your wedding day. Resin pieces are the perfect add-on to your pressed flower pieces.
Memorial Pieces
We use flowers to celebrate life’s biggest moments so it makes sense that we would want to preserve these special flowers and moments.
The loss of a loved one can be extremely painful and a memorial piece can offer a beautiful way to honour and remember them. Memorial shadowboxes can also include mementos such as photos, prayer cards, and rosaries.
Floral Monograms
A custom floral monogram is such a wonderful gift for a wedding or baby shower. You’ll have the option to use petals from your special flowers in the monogram or to choose a colour scheme from the petals/greenery we have on hand.
Let’s get to the details.
Now that we have a bit more information about flower pressing and what options are available, I’m sure you have some questions.
Don’t worry though, you can always count on LQ to do the research for you! Keep reading for some FAQ’s about preserving your special event flowers.
Flower Preservation FAQs
Q: When should I secure my floral preservation artist?
A: As soon as you’ve said YES and are beginning to secure your other wedding vendors. Flower preservation is a less saturated market than, say, wedding photography or floral design– there aren’t a lot of us out there. Space is limited and with only a handful of us to serve you, we recommend booking sooner rather than later!
Q: How long will it take to receive my floral piece after my wedding day?
A: Flower preservation is one of those things that can’t be rushed. Each step is timely and important to the overall success of your flowers preserving well. If we are pressing your flowers they will dry in the press for a minimum of 4 weeks. Because of the drying and design process, our turnaround time is 6-12 weeks, similar to your wedding photos!
Q: How do I find the right preservationist for me?
A: Do your research! Ask how long they have been preserving for, look at their past work, read their contract, and ask questions. There are a lot of new preservation artists popping up as this becomes a more popular wedding service. Unfortunately, every year we have a few clients who end up disappointed by vendors that are less than professional. Like any other wedding vendor you’re considering, do your research to ensure they are reputable and offer a style of art you love.
Q: Is this something I could DIY?
A: If you want to try and preserve your own flowers, we suggest not waiting to try it for the first time after your special event. It takes a lot of patience and practice to perfect the art and even the best preservationists end up with issues such as browning or moulding flowers. We understand that hiring yet another wedding pro adds to the overall cost of your day and the desire to DIY might feel like the more affordable option. As with your photographer or wedding planner, trusting a professional is invaluable to the overall success of your event. You’ve invested in your florist to create memorable pieces, so it makes sense to invest in a professional to preserve them.
Q: I don’t live in Ontario, can I still book you to preserve my wedding bouquet?
A: We can accept flowers from anywhere in Canada using the specific shipping instructions we’ve created to help them get here safely!
Q: I have flowers that I dried from my wedding last year and don’t know what to do with them, is there an option for me?
A: We can preserve flowers from past events, even if they are dried from years ago. We can still absolutely create a beautiful keepsake for you.
Now that we know a bit more about flower preservation, let’s learn about the artist behind Pressed in Time!
Hey, I’m Devon.
I grew up outdoors hiking, playing in the garden, and learning the names of different native flowers. Although, it was my Nanna and Aunt who first introduced me to pressing flowers. They would collect and catalog flowers from their travels and press them in books— this is where I first learned to press flowers and would pick them from my parent’s gardens.
Fast forward to 2019, I made my first wooden flower press as a fun DIY project. I had a friend who had recently been married and my own wedding was set for 2020. I reached out to that friend and asked what she was planning on doing with her wedding bouquet and if she would let me press it. If all went well, I wanted to gift her a beautiful piece of artwork.
Long story short, she loved it and word spread that I was pressing wedding flowers. It started out with a wedding bouquet here and there— I was taking in about 3 bouquets a month and preserving them for fun.
We’ve come a long way since then! We now have a studio, a team, and offer a variety of preservation options as well as workshops that teach the art of flower preservation. My side hustle has grown into my full-time job and we are so excited for what’s still to come for Pressed in Time.
Looking to learn more about floral preservation?
Devon teaches a number of different flower-pressing workshops throughout the year both in person and online. You can check them out here.
Other upcoming events:
The “Do Not Discard Project” is where we auction off our resin ornaments and donate 100% of the proceeds to a local charity. This year we have chosen The Fort (Foundation of resources for teens) as our charity of choice.
Follow along on Social for updates on what’s next, including our first virtual, online workshop!
There you have it
Everything you need to know about preserving your wedding and special event flowers!
I’ll leave you to answer the question of whether or not you need this service, but, as you can tell, I highly recommend it!
Get in touch with Devon to secure your 2023 date today!
And, hey, while we’re at it, let’s chat about my recommendations for other amazing GTA wedding pros! Book your Planning Prep Consultation today to get started on planning your dream wedding!
Devon’s Head shot image was taken by TEA Photography.