WEDDING TIPS: Preserving your wedding bouquet
Wedding bouquets truly are a magical thing, and that gets proven time and time again when we hand-deliver them to our brides. Often tears are shed as they stand in front of the mirror; surrounded by loved ones, looking stunning in their dress and holding the perfectly arranged bouquet that reflects their unique love story.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could keep that magic going? We’re often asked how to preserve bouquets and thought we’d share our favourite options with you.
Floral Ceramics
Not just a beautiful memento but something you can get years of use out of; Louise Condon creates ceramic keepsakes using dried and fresh flowers. Wedding flowers are sent from all over the country to her Cheshire studio, where she uses them to create unique impressions in clay. The clay is then turned into rustic yet modern vases of all shapes and sizes, as well as gorgeous tiles, wall pieces and jugs. Louise doesn’t use templates; every piece is tailored to the client’s request as well as the unique size and shape of the flowers to create a personal and bespoke work of art.
https://www.louisecondondesigns.co.uk/
Botanical Portraits
Hannah Young at The Custom Botanist crafts stunning bouquet portraits that expertly encapsulate the delicate nature of flowers. Each intricate piece is entirely bespoke, and Hannah likes to get to know her clients; not just capturing their bouquet but injecting their personality into the piece to create something expressive and unique to be treasured forever. Hannah uses photographs as a reference, so there’s no need to worry about salvaging your flowers when you’d rather be on the dancefloor!
https://www.thecustombotanist.com/
Dyed Silk
What about having your bridal bouquet upcycled into a stunning WEARABLE memento? Kylie Siobhan can be found working her magic her London studio; using bridal flowers to dye silk and create a range of elegant garments including kimonos, scarves, and slips. The flowers from each bouquet leave behind their delicate colours to create unique patterns in the silk that are reminiscent of a beautiful watercolour painting; truly a gorgeous piece with a story to tell.
DIY Pressing
Of course, there’s always the option to do it yourself, and whilst you might not have the skills to dye silk or make a vase, pretty much anyone can press flowers. You can buy flower presses online or just sandwich flowers in paper before leaving them under a stack of heavy books. It’s essential to consider flower types when pressing as some varieties won’t fare as well as others. It’s best to avoid anything too substantial or chunky, and often flowers are better off broken up into individual petals rather than pressed as a whole. Flowers should also be lovely and fresh when pressed, so make sure to pop your bouquet in a vase of water after the ceremony is over. Once your flowers are pressed, you can arrange them in a frame to admire for years to come!
Donation
All of the above are great ways to preserve wedding flowers, but rest assured the Pinstripes team never let a good bloom go to waste! The Floral Angels are based in our very own studio (we charge them the extortionate rent of one packet of biscuits per annum) where they do some incredible work. These lovely ladies take leftover event and wedding flowers and use them to create bouquets which are sent to hospices and care homes and more. A lovely way to spread that joy a little further.
Peace out and flower power,
Pinstripes & Peonies