What is the best way to preserve a wedding bouquet at home?

Because it's one of the most important events in your life, you will probably want to preserve your wedding bouquet. You can not only preserve your flowers, but you can also place them in a display case along with other keepsakes from your wedding. Because dry flowers are rather fragile, you should keep them out of direct sunlight no matter where you display or store them.





A word of advice here: since you will be busy with your wedding, you should have a friend or relative grab your bouquet and snap a few photos of it from different angles. (Don't skip this step! You will need these photos for later.) Then, he or she needs to place it inside an airtight plastic bag right away. The bag should then be placed in a refrigerator for one night only. The flowers will then need to be dried before they lose any more of their freshness.











There are two methods you can use to dry and preserve your wedding bouquet. With the first method, you will need to carefully take the bouquet apart. Trim the flower stems down to about two or three inches long because you want to preserve the flowers, not a bunch of stems. Then, lay the flowers out on a flat surface. Set the bouquet holder, if there is one, aside for now.








The next step is to round up some flat, deep containers that have airtight lids. Make sure that each container is large enough to contain the flowers, no matter how large they may be. Place an inch or so of silica gel into the bottom of each container. (Silica gel is not a gel, it is actually granular. It will help to absorb the water from the flowers.) Then, lay the flowers from your wedding bouquet one by one in the gel. Place alike flowers - since they take the same amount of time to dry- together in the same containers. Make sure the flowers are spaced evenly apart and that they do not touch one another.








The third step is to slowly place more of the silica gel around the flowers in the containers. Use your finger to mound the gel up around the flowers, then place the lids on the containers tightly. Carefully place all of the containers in a cool, dry place where they will not be bothered. Check on the flowers after three days. The smaller flowers usually take about three days, while the larger varieties can take up to a week to dry.








After all of the flowers from your wedding bouquet are dry, you will need to carefully remove them from the silica gel. Then, use florist's wire to attach the stems together. Use the photos that your friend or relative took to help you remember how the bouquet was put together and how the flowers were arranged. Carefully replace the flowers in in the holder, if it had one.








When you have put the entire bouquet back together, the final step is to spray it with a dried flower spray that you can purchase at your local hobby store. Or, you can use hair spray. The spray will help to protect the dried flowers.








The second method you can use to dry and preserve your wedding bouquet is to "hang dry" them.





This is a much easier method than the first one, but the flowers will look and feel differently. The flowers will be stiff and some of the colors will be faded more.








To use this method, simply hang your wedding bouquet upside down in a cool, dark closet for about a week. Once they are completely dried, you can spray them with a dried flower spray or with hair spray.

What is the best way to preserve a wedding bouquet at home?
Go to Michaels or Hobby Lobby and get some silica gel. If you are in any place with humidity and hang it, you'll have a problem with mold and/or rot.
Reply:I hung mine upside down in the garage and it turned out great!





There are flower drying products you can use. One is a powder that you submerge the flowers in I think that would only work on a bouquet if you did each flower individually then put it back together. There is also a spray to preserve them once they are dried. I did some individual flowers from my mom's funeral that way and they turned out really nice.
Reply:If you really can't afford to get it professionaly done then there are a few steps. PRACTICE THIS SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE YOU DO IT TO THE ACTUAL BOQUET.





1. Put it in a low temp oven for a few minutes (like 3) to quickly dry out any water. bottom rack in a holder so flowers don't touch metal...watch them so they don't burn or wilt.





2. Take them out, let them cool. Give a few light coatings of hairspray to hold their shape.





3. Hang them upside down in a dark, cool place like a closet for a few weeks.





Honestly though, drying flowers well takes lots of practice so I think if you really want them dried you should spring for the pro. Also, see if you can have it recreated with silk flowers as your keepsake. That is usually cheaper than the pro drying services.
Reply:hanging it upside down in a dry place AWAY from pets and kids. that is what i did for about a month (might have been a little longer) and it is still in great shape.





**after reading the other posters, i guess i am lucky mine came out great. :) i do not even own hair spray :)

rain roots