11/20/08

To preserve your flowers after the wedding, many brides take their bouquets to a professional service for preservation. The preservation process extracts moisture from the flower petals and displays the flowers or bouquet in the method of your choosing. Though the flowers will be dehydrated, the original shape and color make your flowers look real for all practical purposes.

One popular way to display your preserved flowers is in a shadow box. The advantage of a shadow box is that you can add other keepsakes to it, such as your wedding invitation or garter, and can either prop up the shadow box on a table or hang it on the wall as a memento. The original shape and style of your bouquet can be maintained in this manner.

You may instead choose to have your flowers pressed, keeping them flat. If you choose this method of preservation, you may wish to display them in a flat frame, which you can hang on the wall or display like a photograph.

You can also make potpourri out of the flower petals and display these in a pretty vase or votive. Use scented oils to freshen up the flowers.

Another option you may wish to consider is to preserve the flowers yourself rather than using a professional service. After the wedding, tie the bouquet together around the stems and hang it upside down in a cool, dark place. This ensures that the shape and texture of the flowers will be maintained. Be sure not to let the bouquet hang for too long or it will lose its shape. You can then purchase a shadow box or frame from a craft or photo store.

To press flowers, you can use a phone book and lay a sheet of newspaper and paper towel inside one of the pages. Arrange the flowers or petals on top of the paper towel, then place another paper towel and another sheet of newspaper on the flowers. Close the phone book, place heavy objects on it, and put it in a cool area with good air circulation so the flowers can dry. The drying process will take several weeks to a month depending on the thickness of the flower. Be sure to check the flowers every few days to be sure that no mildew is forming. This technique works best for drying flower petals or smaller bouquets. These can be used as potpourri or pressed into frames.