Sun 06 Jan 2019

Preserving your bridal bouquet

When planning your wedding, you will need to consider a number of essential aspects. One of the most important being your décor and wedding flowers. Your centrepieces and floral décor at your ceremony are important. However, the one bouquet that is even more important is the bride’s bouquet. Not only will it accompany her down the isle, but it will also feature in all the most important photos! While some people might think that you have to toss your bouquet, you’re the bride which means that you get to decide. You can decide to keep your bouquet and even preserve it following these instructions.

You need

  • Your bouquet
  • Sand
  • Container to hold the flowers in the sand
  • Other trinkets from your wedding like an invitation or programme

Steps:

  • If you want to successfully preserve your bouquet, you will need to start within 4 days of your big day. If you wait longer, the blooms will start to wilt.
  • Remember to take plenty of photos of your bouquet, from several angles. You will need these photos in order to reconstruct your bouquet.
  • Take the bouquet apart with care.
  • Fill the container with sand until it reaches the quarter mark. The sand needs to be clean and dry. River sand usually works best.
  • Add the flowers to the sand and make sure that they face upwards.
  • Cover the flowers with more sand until they are completely concealed.
  • Put the container in a dry, warm place. Make sure that the area is well ventilated but not windy.
  • Leave the flowers for about five days before you check them.
  • If they are not completely died out, cover them again and check on them each day until they dry out.
  • When dry, you can gently dust off the sand and use your photos to reassemble the bouquet as it was.

While it might sound like a time-consuming and complicated chore, it’s really easier than most people think. You do not have to be a professional florist to achieve great results. Once you are done, you will need to secure the stems in place and then you can display them. If you want to keep dust out, you can place them in a box frame along with a copy of your invitation or menu or other small trinkets.