What to do with your wedding flowers?

Not sure what to do with the flowers that helped make your wedding day so special? Looking for a way to keep them forever? We chatted to Grace from Petals Preserved about her beautiful work in wedding bouquet preservation, where she creates a piece of art from them that you can keep forever more.

Hey! I’m Grace, the maker behind Petals Preserved, and I can take flowers from your wedding bouquet and turn them into a unique botanical resin artwork intended to remind you of the day you said I do.

How do you create the resin art blocks?

To create your wedding flower preservation I need a variety of flowers from your wedding bouquet. It’s preferable to get the whole bouquet intact, but if you wanted to keep some stems then pull the freshest ones for drying out of the bouquet.

My preservation process involves selecting the most beautiful flowers from your wedding bouquet, then carefully preparing them to dry in silica gel. I cut the stems, sometimes the flowers requires a little tidying up to remove any browning, then place them in boxes and cover with silica crystals. I leave them for at least 3 weeks, some flowers require a little longer. This is where my extensive experiences comes into play - knowing how long certain flowers require to dry. If you don’t leave them long enough they won’t fully dry and will rot, if you leave them too long, they loose colour, become brittle and break easily.

Once dried I will start by preparing each flower which involves hand brushing any silica gel off and sometimes repairing petals that have fallen with glue. This is a part of the process you don’t see and is very time consuming. A design is created from your preferences previously stated, resin is then poured in layers every 24-36 hours (depending on the type of resin used for your order) and can take up to a couple of weeks depending on the items.

Once the items are fully cured these can then be demoulded. I will then see what extra finishing touches each piece needs. Usually most will require sanding and a shiny topcoat adding followed by polishing. These factors are the reason that time frames are not given and if they are they are only an estimate. I will give each piece all of the love and attention it deserves to ensure quality is not compromised and the pressure of deadlines/timescales are when things can go wrong. These steps do not always go to plan the first time and may need to be repeated several times, which can increase the time to complete your order.

I love working with your flowers and strive for handmade perfection… I wouldn’t send anything out that I wouldn’t want to receive myself.

How to choose a design?

I offer a variety of sizes and shapes of moulds and you can opt to have your finished design with a beautiful coloured background and add any personal charms. I offer functional pieces such as coasters, bookends and jewellery trays or display blocks that can be placed on a shelf or positioned on a coffee table to remind you of your big day. The blocks are made of resin which is robust but does require a little bit of care to keep it looking it’s best. They can be gently cleaned and dusted with a dry lint free cloth.

If people want to work with you on wedding bouquet preservation, how does it work?

I need the flowers within 48-72 hours of the wedding so I can make sure the stems have not perished before I can get them in the silica for drying.

My studio is based in Newcastle Upon Tyne but my bouquet preservation service is not bound to local brides and grooms as I offer a postage option for those getting married beyond Ponteland / Newcastle Upon Tyne. I like to make it as easy a process as possible to take any additional stress away from your big day. So I will send you very detailed instructions so you can be prepared and all you have to do is keep the bouquet in water overnight after the wedding, pop it carefully into a box and pack it securely and get someone to take it to the nearest post office or drop off point for collection. It will be couriered using Royal Mail special guaranteed by 1pm service and I will dry the flowers the day it arrives in my studio. For local brides I offer a drop off service at my studio, this can be done by yourself or family or friends who are coming home past Ponteland / Newcastle Upon Tyne.

There is also the option of using any some of your flowers to create small add-on items which can be gifted to family or friends who have played a special role in your day. I can also cast your bridesmaids flowers, perfect for a little thank you to those ladies (or lads) who have helped make your day perfect.

Which flowers work best?

A little word of warning as not all flowers are suitable for resin flower preservation. Some flowers will change colour through the drying process - even when dried in our silica gel. Dark colours usually appear darker, whites can appear creamy/yellow colour. Certain flower varieties will hold their colour and shape better than others, and some may brown and petals might become paper thin in the drying process. If you have concerns over their suitability feel free to message me to discuss them.

And if you cannot get your bouquet to me in time or my diary is full, I can source identical flowers to those in the bouquet to dry (for a fee). This means I can fit your preservation around other work. Plus, it also opens the door to those who are already married and wish they had been able to get their flowers preserved!

Thanks for reading and please get in touch with any questions, or wedding bouquet preservation commissions – my books are pretty full for 2024 but I will slot you in if I can. Happy wedding planning!