Birthday
HydrangeasA wedding bouquet doesn't last long, but the memories it holds are worth keeping for years. The good news is that most preservation methods can be done at home, as long as you start within a day or two of the wedding. Here is how to dry a bridal bouquet, what to make from the flowers and when to call in a professional.
If you still need to choose a bouquet, browse our bridal bouquets.
The first day: what to do straight away
- Put the bouquet in water right after the celebration: recut the stems and keep it somewhere cool.
- Start preserving within 1–2 days, while the petals are still firm. Wilted flowers can't be preserved nicely.
- Take the bouquet apart: remove ribbons and wire, and discard damaged flowers.
If you threw a toss bouquet to the guests, your main bouquet is intact — for traditions and flower choices, see our bridal bouquet guide.
Four ways to preserve a bouquet
Hang drying
The simplest method. Tie the flowers in small bunches and hang them upside down somewhere dark, dry and airy for 2–3 weeks. Roses, lavender, gypsophila, statice and eucalyptus dry best. Colours darken to a vintage tone, but the shape of the buds is kept.
Silica gel
Flowers are buried in flower-drying silica gel in an airtight container for 3–7 days. This preserves colour and volume best, even for full roses and peonies. The gel can be dried out and reused.
Pressing
For flat keepsakes — pictures, herbariums, cards. Single flowers and petals are laid between sheets of paper under heavy books for 2–4 weeks. Small flowers and petals work best.
Epoxy resin and professional preservation
Setting flowers in resin turns them into a paperweight, pendant or keepsake box. The flowers must be completely dry (usually with silica gel), or they will darken and rot inside the resin. It takes skill and protective gear, so it's safer to leave it to a specialist. Some studios also freeze-dry bouquets — the most expensive option, but the most lifelike result.
What to make from dried flowers
- A bouquet under a glass dome or in a shadow box — keeps the dust off.
- A picture or herbarium of pressed flowers with your wedding date.
- A scented sachet of rose petals — see how to dry rose petals.
- A dried flower arrangement with other plants — ideas in our guide to dried flower arrangements.
- Jewellery — a resin pendant or earrings.
How to store it
Keep dried flowers away from direct sun (they fade), moisture (mould) and radiators (they turn brittle). Blow off dust with a hairdryer on the cool setting. A light coat of hairspray makes petals a little sturdier.
FAQ
Which flowers preserve worst?
Lilies, tulips, callas, orchids and other fleshy flowers don't air-dry well: they need silica gel or professional drying.
How long does a dried bouquet last?
Years, if stored properly, though the colours soften over time.
What if I don't want to keep the bouquet?
Share the flowers with family, put them in a vase at home or compost them.
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Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
