If you are getting married and want your flowers to last far long after your wedding day, you should be prepared to preserve them right after your special day. This post tells you exactly how to preserve wedding flowers from your bouquet by a method that keeps them beautiful, colorful and long-lasting. I then give you 4 options to display your preserved flowers.
For my own wedding, I was spending a good amount of money on my unique lily of the valley (a very small and delicate flower) bouquet, and I really wanted to make it last. So, I did a ton of research before our wedding and tried numerous ways to preserve my flowers. The method set forth in details below was the easiest, and the flowers best maintained their color and shape this way as well.
A few methods I tried that didn’t work as well were: hanging them upside down, microwaving them and pressing them in books. The flowers either gold moldy, lost their shape or lost their color these ways.
Based on my experience, below is how to preserve wedding flowers from your bouquet in the easiest and most beautiful and long-lasting way.
How to Preserve Wedding Flowers with Silica Gel
The method I recommend for preserving your wedding flowers is with silica gel.
What You Need to Preserve Wedding Flowers with Silica Gel
- Fresh flowers (I used flowers from my bouquet (lily of the valley) and the centerpiece from our sweetheart table (roses and greens))
- Silica gel (I purchased two of these for my projects)
- An airtight container
- Scissors
- Something to display your preserved flowers (I will give you 4 ideas later in this post)
Time needed: 14 days.
How to Preserve Wedding Flowers with Silica Gel
- Choose and prepare your flowers for preservation.
Pick an array of flowers and greens from your wedding bouquet, centerpieces, etc. The more you select in quantity and style, the better your chances are of getting some beautiful results.
Snip the stems of your flowers with scissors so that they can fit in the container. When deciding how much to snip the flowers, think about how you plan on displaying them.
- Preserve your flowers with silica gel.
Pour a layer of silica gel into the airtight container about an inch deep.
Place the flowers and greens into the container. You can gently lay down delicate flowers and greens, and you can stand up hearty, open flowers with stems, like roses, calla lillies, daisies, dahlias, etc.
For flowers that have open buds, like roses and calla lillies, gently fill the buds with silica gel. You may wish to use a spoon to do this. Filling the buds helps them maintain their shape throughout the preservation process.
Pour the remaining silica gel into the container until the flowers are completely covered on all sides with silica gel. No portion of the flowers should be showing or touching the container.
- Wait for preservation to occur.
Seal the container and store it in a dark space, like a basement or closet. Wait 10-14 days. - Arrange the preserved flowers.
Open the container and gently remove the flowers, You may wish to use a slotted spoon.
Open the container and gently remove the flowers, You may wish to use a slotted spoon.
Gently shake out/off any excess silica gel.
Arrange your flowers with one or more of the products mentioned below, or a product(s) of your own choosing. Feel free to continue to trim as necessary.
Unique Ways to Display Preserved Wedding Flowers
As I mentioned earlier, you will need a product or products by which you can display your preserved wedding flowers. I suggest you choose a few options (I did!) to get the most mileage out of your project and to give yourself several options to succeed in your DIY project. Below are 4 products you can use to display your preserved wedding flowers.
In a Frame / Shadow Box
The possibilities are endless if you choose to display your preserved wedding flowers in a frame or shadow box. You can include other wedding memorabilia, like your invitation, handkerchief, jewelry, and so forth.
In a Locket
A locket is such a sweet way to display your preserved wedding flowers. I purchased this sterling silver glass locket hexagon pendant from Etsy. It is high quality compared to other options out there, and it worked perfectly for my very small and delicate lily of the valley flowers.
In an Ornament
Displaying your preserved wedding flowers in an ornament is the perfect holiday reminder of your special day, and it makes a great gift as well! I made several of these for family members using these clear ball ornaments and this satin ribbon.
Related post: You can also make an ornament using your wedding invitations!
In a Terrarium or Clear Box
I absolutely love the idea of creating permanent tabletop decor with your wedding flowers. I used preserved wedding flowers from our sweetheart table centerpiece to create a smaller “forever” centerpiece using this gold hexagon terrarium, but there are so many terrarium options to choose from. And, don’t forget, you will need some terrarium stones in which to arrange your preserved flowers.
That sums up my easy DIY ideas on how to preserve wedding flowers from your bouquet or centerpiece so that you can best treasure them forever. I hope your DIY projects come out beautiful and that you enjoy this simple craft!
Pin this post to Pinterest because you can refer back to is when you are crafting!
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