by Events • August 1, 2025 • Wedding Planning Guides
How to preserve your wedding bouquet | Heaton House Farm
Preserving your wedding bouquet is one wonderful way to create a unique keepsake of your special day.
And if you’ve spent a good chunk of your wedding budget on those gorgeous flowers, why wouldn’t you want to treasure them as long as possible?
Wedding bouquet preservation typically involves drying, pressing, or professionally treating your flowers to maintain their beauty long after you’ve said “I Do” and tossed them over your shoulder.
Whether you want to try a DIY approach or use a professional service, there are several effective ways to preserve your wedding flowers.
The most common methods for preserving your wedding bouquet include air-drying flowers upside down, pressing them between heavy books, or using professional preservation services that can create lasting displays.
The key to successful wedding bouquet preservation is acting quickly – ideally within 24-48 hours of your wedding – as fresh flowers won’t last long at the best of times, and your bouquet has probably been sat in a hot room for a good few hours, after being handled quite a lot.
Flower pressing is one of the most accessible and budget-friendly ways to preserve your wedding bouquet.
Simply dismantle your bouquet and choose your favourite flowers and leaves. Place them between absorbent paper, then press them under heavy books for 2-4 weeks. This method works particularly well with flat flowers like pansies, daisies, and herbs.
Once pressed, you can frame your flowers, create bookmark keepsakes, or even incorporate them into a scrapbook.
These pressed flowers will maintain their shape and colour beautifully, creating delicate, artistic mementos that capture the essence of your special day.
The upside-down drying method – also known as just ‘air-drying’ is perhaps the most traditional approach to preserving wedding bouquets, and it’s pretty easy.
Just remove any excess foliage, secure your bouquet with string or rubber bands, and hang it upside down in a dark, dry, well-ventilated space for 2-3 weeks. This technique works wonderfully with roses, lavender, baby’s breath, and eucalyptus.
You might find the colours fade slightly, and the flowers will become more fragile (so take care handling), but you’ll end up with a beautiful dried arrangement that keeps the original shape of your bouquet – and feels very rustic – perfect for remembering your barn wedding!
Display your dried bouquet in a vase or shadow box away from direct sunlight.
3. A resin pour
Using resin is a more modern way to preserve your wedding flowers. It creates stunning, crystal-clear displays that capture your bouquet in time like a beautiful work of art.
When you embed your flowers in clear resin, you can get creative with how to display them – as paperweights, decorative blocks, or even jewellery pieces that will last forever.
The flowers keep their colour and detail remarkably well, though they can appear slightly magnified through the resin.
This method works best with smaller blooms or individual petals rather than entire bouquets. You can even incorporate elements like your wedding invitation or photos into the resin for a truly personalised keepsake that tells your complete love story.
4. A wax drip
Wax preservation involves carefully dipping your flowers in melted wax to seal and protect them, creating long-lasting displays with a soft, romantic appearance.
This method helps maintain the flowers’ natural shape while giving them a slightly translucent, ethereal quality. But it’s not an easy one.
The process requires patience and practice, as you’ll need to work quickly while the wax is at the right temperature.
Wax-preserved flowers work beautifully in shadow boxes or glass domes, creating Victorian-inspired displays that feel both vintage and timeless. This technique is particularly effective with roses, peonies, and other full-bodied blooms.
5. Professional preservation
If you want your bouquet to be as pristine as possible (for as long as possible), then you might want to consider professional bouquet preservation services.
They offer the most sophisticated and long-lasting results, using techniques like freeze-drying or resin casting to maintain your flowers’ original appearance.
These specialists know which preservation methods are best for different types of flowers, and they can create stunning display cases, shadow boxes, or even jewellery incorporating your preserved blooms.
While this option will of course cost more, the results are often museum-quality and can last for decades.
6. Consider photography or bespoke art
If preserving your bouquet feels too complicated, you don’t need to. There are many other ways to capture the beauty and the memories from your flowers.
Professional photographers can capture incredible close-up portraits of your flowers, or you could ask a local artist to paint a watercolour interpretation. Some couples even commission botanical illustrations or have their bouquet recreated in silk flowers for permanent display.
However, you want to preserve your bouquet, you’ve got lots of creative ideas to explore.
The timing for wedding bouquet preservation depends entirely on your chosen method, but generally speaking, sooner is always better.
For air-drying and pressing methods, you should begin the process within 24-48 hours of your wedding for the best results. Fresh flowers start deteriorating immediately after being cut, so the longer you wait, the less vibrant your preserved flowers will appear.
If you’re planning to use a professional preservation service, contact them well before your wedding day so you know what to expect (and what you might need to do). They might prefer to collect bouquets on the wedding day itself or within 24 hours, and some even offer collection services from your venue. They’ll often provide special preservation sprays or storage instructions to keep your bouquet in optimal condition until collection.
For pressing and air-drying methods, you can do some preparation in advance. Set up your pressing station or find the perfect drying location ahead of time, so you’re ready to move quickly. You might even want to ask a bridesmaid or family member to handle the initial preservation, so you can focus on enjoying your wedding and honeymoon, without chasing around after your flowers.
Preserving your wedding bouquet is a beautiful way to keep a piece of your special day forever, but remember… it’s entirely optional! This is your wedding, your memories and keepsakes.
Do whatever works best for you – whether that’s professional preservation if keeping a pristine bouquet is a high priority, or simple pressing and drying at home if you just fancy saving one or two flowers as a memento.
At Heaton House Farm, we love helping couples think through these special details during their barn wedding planning. And our wedding coordinators – included with every wedding we host – will help make sure your bouquet is looked after and kept in the best condition, so you can focus on enjoying your unforgettable day.
If you’re in the early stages of big day planning, we’ve got plenty more wedding planning guides to help you out.
But if you’re ready to get serious and would like to know more about Heaton House Farm, request a brochure today and let’s bring your dream wedding to life.
