Flower Preservation Guide

Why Preserve Wedding Flowers?

Wedding flowers are one of the most beautiful — and most fleeting — elements of the day. A bridal bouquet that cost hundreds of pounds and was carried through the most photographed moments of the wedding will wilt within days.

Flower preservation offers a way to keep those blooms as a lasting memento. It's an increasingly popular service in the UK, and for florists, it represents a genuine upsell opportunity that adds value for the couple and revenue for your business.

This guide covers the main preservation methods available in the UK, what each involves, costs and turnaround times, and how to offer preservation as part of your wedding floristry service.

Step 1: Choose a Preservation Method

There's no single best method — it depends on the couple's budget, the flowers in the bouquet, and what they want the finished piece to look like.

Flower Pressing

The classic method. Flowers are pressed flat, dried, and arranged in frames or between glass.

How it works:

• Individual flowers and petals are carefully separated from the bouquet
• They're pressed between absorbent paper under weight for 4–6 weeks
• Once fully dried, they're arranged in a decorative layout and sealed in a frame

Best for: Flowers with flat or delicate petals — pansies, ferns, small roses, sweet peas, hydrangea florets. Larger, bulky blooms (peonies, dahlias) are harder to press but can be separated into individual petals.

Cost: £80–£200+ for a professionally framed piece, depending on size and complexity.

Turnaround: 6–10 weeks from receiving the flowers.

Result: A flat, artistic display that works beautifully as wall art. Colours may shift slightly — expect a more muted, vintage tone rather than vivid fresh colours.

Resin Casting

Modern and increasingly popular. Flowers are suspended in clear resin, creating a three-dimensional preserved piece.

How it works:

• Flowers are first dried (usually with silica gel)
• They're carefully arranged in a mould
• Clear epoxy resin is poured in layers, encasing the flowers permanently
• The piece is cured, de-moulded, and polished

Popular resin products:

• Bouquet blocks — a rectangular or circular resin block displaying the full bouquet arrangement
• Coasters and trivets — smaller flowers set into functional pieces
• Jewellery — individual petals cast into pendants, rings, and earrings
• Paperweights — a timeless keepsake format
• Christmas baubles — seasonal and sentimental

Best for: Most flower types, though very delicate petals can be tricky. Roses, ranunculus, and small blooms work particularly well.

Cost: £100–£500+ depending on the product. A full bouquet resin block from a specialist can cost £300–£500. Jewellery pieces start from £30–£80.

Turnaround: 8–16 weeks. Resin work is labour-intensive, and most specialists have waiting lists.

Result: A permanent, durable, and visually stunning piece. The resin preserves colour better than pressing, and the 3D effect is striking.

Freeze Drying

The professional standard for whole-bouquet preservation. Freeze drying removes moisture while maintaining the flower's three-dimensional shape and most of its colour.

How it works:

• The bouquet is placed in a freeze-drying machine
• Temperature is dropped to around -30°C
• A vacuum slowly sublimes the moisture from the flowers (ice converts directly to vapour)
• The process takes 4–8 weeks depending on flower density
• Once complete, flowers are sealed with a protective spray

Best for: Roses, peonies, and densely petalled flowers that lose their shape with other drying methods. The whole bouquet can be preserved in its original arrangement.

Cost: £200–£600 for a full bridal bouquet. Some services charge per stem or by bouquet size.

Turnaround: 6–8 weeks minimum, often longer during peak wedding season.

Result: The closest to the original appearance of any preservation method. Flowers retain their 3D shape and much of their colour, though some fading is normal over time. The preserved bouquet can be displayed in a glass dome or shadow box.

UK providers: Several specialist companies offer freeze-drying services, including The Flower Preservation Studio, Precious Petals, and Bloom & Wild Preservation. Most accept postal deliveries from anywhere in the UK.

Silica Gel Drying

An accessible DIY method. Silica gel crystals absorb moisture from flowers, preserving their shape better than air drying.

How it works:

• Flowers are buried in a container of silica gel crystals
• Left for 1–3 weeks, depending on the flower type
• Once dry, flowers are carefully removed and any remaining crystals brushed off
• A sealant spray helps protect the dried flowers

Best for: Small to medium blooms — roses, ranunculus, small dahlias. Not ideal for very delicate petals.

Cost: Under £30 for silica gel and sealant — this is the most affordable option.

Turnaround: 1–3 weeks at home.

Result: Good shape retention, but colours can fade more than with freeze drying. Flowers become fragile and need careful handling and display — a glass dome or sealed case works best.

Wax Dipping

A simple, tactile method that gives flowers a slightly translucent, waxy finish.

How it works:

• Fresh or slightly wilted flowers are dipped in melted paraffin or soy wax
• Each petal is coated, then the flower is hung to dry
• The wax seals in colour and shape temporarily

Best for: Roses and single-stem blooms. Works as a short-to-medium term preservation — months rather than years.

Cost: Under £20 in materials for a DIY approach.

Turnaround: Same day.

Result: A lovely tactile quality, but less permanent than other methods. Colours stay relatively vibrant initially but will fade. Best treated as a medium-term keepsake rather than a forever piece.

Step 2: Prepare Flowers for Preservation

However the flowers will be preserved, proper handling between the wedding and the preservation process is critical.

For couples: Post-wedding flower care

• Keep them hydrated: Place the bouquet back in water as soon as the reception is over. Ask your maid of honour or a trusted guest to handle this.
• Cool storage: Keep flowers in the coolest room available — not in a hot car overnight.
• Avoid direct sunlight and heat: These accelerate wilting.
• Don't let them fully dry out: Preservation services need flowers that still have some life in them.
• Act quickly: Contact your preservation service within 1–3 days of the wedding. Most services ask for flowers within 5 days maximum.

For florists: Advising your couples

Mention preservation during the final consultation, before the wedding day. Key points to share:

• Which flowers in their bouquet will preserve best
• Local preservation services you recommend (or your own, if you offer it)
• How to care for the bouquet on the night of the wedding
• Whether the service collects or requires posting

Step 3: Send to a Specialist or DIY

Using a professional service

Most UK preservation services work by post. The process is typically:

1. Book in advance — popular services have waiting lists, especially in summer
2. Pack carefully — the service will usually send packaging instructions or a postal kit
3. Post next-day delivery — or arrange collection if local
4. Wait for completion — 6–16 weeks depending on method
5. Receive your finished piece — delivered or collected

DIY preservation

For pressing and silica gel drying, DIY is entirely feasible. There are excellent tutorials available, and the materials are inexpensive. Wax dipping is also straightforward.

Freeze drying and resin casting generally require specialist equipment and expertise — these are best left to professionals unless you have the setup.

Step 4: Display the Finished Piece

How the preserved flowers are displayed affects how long they last and how they look.

Display recommendations by method

• Pressed flowers: Sealed frames with UV-protective glass. Hang away from direct sunlight to prevent fading.
• Resin pieces: Display anywhere — they're durable and light-resistant. Avoid prolonged direct sunlight on darker pieces.
• Freeze-dried bouquets: Glass domes, shadow boxes, or sealed display cases. Keep away from humidity, dust, and direct sunlight.
• Silica-dried flowers: Enclosed display cases only — they're fragile and absorb moisture from the air.
• Wax-dipped flowers: Display in a cool room. Avoid heat sources that could soften the wax.

Preservation as a Florist Upsell

For wedding florists, flower preservation is a natural upsell that genuinely benefits the couple. Here's how to offer it:

Partner with a preservation specialist

Build a relationship with a local or national preservation service. Offer to handle the handover — you collect the bouquet at the end of the night and send it to the preservationist. This is a service couples will pay a premium for because it removes all the stress.

Add it to your quote

Include preservation as an optional line item in your wedding flower proposal:

• "Bouquet preservation service (pressing, framed): £180"
• "Bouquet preservation service (freeze drying, dome display): £450"
• "Resin keepsake (coasters, set of 4): £200"

Offer a same-day collection service

The biggest barrier to preservation is couples forgetting to act quickly. If you offer to collect the bouquet at the end of the reception and hand it over to the specialist, you've solved the problem — and earned a referral fee or markup.

Mention it at the consultation

Plant the seed early. When discussing bouquet design, say: "These peonies would preserve beautifully if you wanted to keep your bouquet afterwards — I can arrange that for you." Most couples don't know preservation is an option until someone tells them.

Cost Comparison Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do preserved wedding flowers last?

Professionally preserved flowers can last indefinitely with proper care. Pressed flowers in sealed frames last decades. Resin-cast flowers are effectively permanent. Freeze-dried flowers typically last 5–10+ years if kept away from direct sunlight, humidity, and dust. Silica-dried flowers are more fragile but can last several years in a display case.

How much does wedding flower preservation cost in the UK?

Costs vary by method: flower pressing starts from £80–£200 for a framed piece, resin casting from £100–£500+ depending on size, freeze drying from £200–£600 for a full bouquet, and silica gel drying is the cheapest DIY option at under £30 in materials. Professional preservation services typically charge £150–£500 for a complete bouquet.

How should I store my wedding flowers before sending them for preservation?

Place them in a vase with fresh water as soon as possible after the wedding. Keep them in a cool room away from direct sunlight and heat. If you're posting them to a preservation service, most recommend sending within 3–5 days of the wedding — the fresher the flowers, the better the result. Some services offer collection on the wedding day or next morning.

---

Offer preservation as part of your wedding floristry service. Find couples on FolkAir — the UK's events marketplace.

Are you a florist? List your florist services on FolkAir free → folkair.com/join