The simplest way to preserve your wedding bouquet is to decide what you want to keep before the wedding, then act soon after. Fresh flowers begin to fade within days, so the plan matters more than the method.
You can press the blooms, dry the whole bouquet, or send it to a maker who preserves it for you. At The Potter’s Hands Studio in Oxford, Mississippi, April Dupuis preserves wedding flowers in resin, inlaid into a carved piece of handmade wedding pottery: a platter, a cup set or a pair of earrings.
Here is what to do with your bouquet once the reception is over, and how to choose the right way to keep it.
Make a plan before the wedding
The weekend of a wedding is full. The bouquet gets set down on a head table, passed to a bridesmaid, or left in a hot car. A little planning ahead keeps it from getting lost in the shuffle.
- Decide what you want to keep. The whole bouquet, a few favorite blooms, or the flowers from a corsage or boutonniere.
- Pick a keeper. Ask one person, a sister or your maid of honor, to take charge of the bouquet at the end of the night.
- Talk to your preservation maker early. If you want a keepsake made from your flowers, reach out before the wedding so you know exactly what to do with them afterward.
- Keep the toss separate. If you are doing a bouquet toss, many brides carry a smaller toss bouquet so the real one stays safe.
What to do in the first few days
Until your flowers are on their way to being preserved, treat them gently. A few general habits help any bouquet:
- Keep them out of direct sun and heat, including a parked car.
- Handle the petals as little as you can. Bruises and creases tend to show up later.
- Take a few close photos of the bouquet as it is. They help whoever preserves it, and they are worth having either way.
If you are planning a resin keepsake with the studio, follow April’s directions for drying and sending rather than trying a method on your own first. She will walk you through how to dry and send your flowers.
Ways to preserve a wedding bouquet
There is no single right answer here. It depends on what you want to see when you look at it years from now.
Pressing. Individual blooms and leaves are flattened and dried, then framed or tucked into a book. Pressing works best for flatter flowers and suits couples who want something for a wall or a scrapbook.
Air drying. The bouquet is dried whole and kept as it is, often under glass or in a shadow box. It keeps the shape of what you carried, though the colors usually soften and the petals become fragile.
Preserved in resin and inlaid in pottery. This is the studio’s way. After the wedding, you send your bouquet, and April preserves the flowers in resin, inlaid into a platter, cup set or earrings. Ceremony sand and small mementos can be inlaid as well.
These pieces are part of the Eternal. Bloom. collection, where flowers are preserved in clear resin with handcrafted clay and gold accents. The carved piece around them is made the way all of April’s work is: wheel-thrown stoneware, coated in porcelain slip and carved by hand.
Caring for a preserved-flower piece
A resin keepsake is meant to be displayed, not used at the table. The Eternal Bloom preserved-flower pieces are decorative and are not intended for food or liquids.
Care is simple:
- Keep the piece out of prolonged direct sunlight.
- Wipe it with a soft, dry cloth.
If you would like something from your wedding for everyday use, pair a bouquet keepsake with a functional piece, like a carved wedding-date platter or a couple’s cup set. Our guide to handmade wedding gifts the couple will keep has a few ideas.
If your wedding was a while ago
You may have a dried bouquet sitting in a box from years ago. It is worth asking about. On the memorial side of the studio, pressed or dried flowers that people have kept can be preserved too, and April can tell you whether yours will work.
Families sometimes keep flowers from both a wedding and a funeral, and the studio does both. If you are also holding flowers from a service, our post on preserving funeral flowers explains how that works.
Questions people ask
Can my wedding bouquet be preserved in a piece of pottery?
Yes. Send your bouquet after the wedding and April preserves the flowers in resin, inlaid into a platter, cup set or earrings. Ceremony sand and small mementos can be inlaid as well.
Can I eat or drink from a piece with preserved flowers?
No. The Eternal Bloom preserved-flower pieces are decorative and are not intended for food or liquids. Keep them out of prolonged direct sunlight and wipe them with a soft, dry cloth.
What does a bouquet keepsake cost?
Pricing depends on the piece, the carving detail and add-ons like gold leaf or resin inlay. Share your idea through the commission form and April will reply with a quote and timeline, with no obligation to book.
If you want your flowers to last, reach out before the wedding. Start a commission and April will tell you exactly what to do with your bouquet when the night is over.