One of the most common questions we receive is, “What should I do with my bouquet before I ship it?”
The answer is simple: the better condition your flowers are in when they arrive at our studio, the better they will respond to the preservation process.
While our artists can perform remarkable restoration work through hand painting, airbrushing, and flower reconstruction, nothing replaces starting with fresh, healthy blooms.
If you’re planning to preserve your wedding bouquet, these simple dos and don’ts can help your flowers arrive in the best possible condition.
The preservation process begins long before your wedding day. Flowers that are properly processed, hydrated, and handled by an experienced florist typically preserve better than flowers that are already stressed or aging.
Fresh flowers with strong stems and healthy petals require less restoration and are more likely to maintain their natural beauty throughout preservation.
Hydration is one of the most important factors in successful flower preservation.
If your bouquet is designed with an oasis holder, keep the foam hydrated whenever possible. If your bouquet is hand-tied, trim approximately one inch from the stems at an angle and place them in fresh water after the wedding.
Cutting stems at an angle increases the surface area available for water absorption and helps keep flowers fresh longer.
Cooling your bouquet slows the natural aging process and helps maintain freshness before shipping.
If possible, place your flowers in a refrigerator overnight before packing them for shipment. Cool flowers travel better and typically arrive in stronger condition.
Important: Refrigerate your bouquet, but never freeze it.
Time matters.
The sooner your flowers arrive at our studio, the sooner we can begin the preservation process. Overnight shipping provides the best results and helps protect delicate blooms during transit.
We strongly recommend avoiding slower shipping methods whenever possible.
Having a shipping plan before your wedding reduces stress and helps ensure your bouquet gets to us quickly.
Whether you use one of our preservation shipping kits or gather your own materials, preparation makes all the difference.
For complete instructions, visit our packing and shipping guide.
Flowers that are already showing signs of age before the wedding will continue to deteriorate during shipping and preservation.
The fresher the flowers, the better the final result.
Every time flowers are wired, taped, adjusted, or repositioned, they experience additional stress.
While professional mechanics are often necessary, excessive handling can leave blooms more fragile before they even reach the preservation stage.
One of the most common mistakes is allowing bouquets to sit out of water for extended periods after the event.
Even a few extra hours without hydration can significantly affect certain flower varieties.
As soon as possible after your event, trim the stems and place the bouquet in fresh water.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions we encounter.
Freezing damages flower cells and can dramatically affect preservation results. Likewise, placing flowers directly against ice packs or the walls of a refrigerator can cause cold damage.
Keep flowers cool—not frozen.
The longer flowers sit after an event, the more difficult preservation becomes.
We recommend shipping flowers as soon as possible after your wedding, memorial service, or special event.
Prompt shipping helps us preserve more of the original flowers and reduces the likelihood that replacement blooms will be needed.
A little preparation goes a long way toward creating a beautiful preserved keepsake.
By keeping flowers hydrated, cool, and moving quickly through the shipping process, you’ll give your bouquet the best possible chance for preservation success.
Ready to preserve your flowers? Learn more about our flower preservation process, browse our gallery, reserve your preservation date with a deposit, or review our complete packing and shipping instructions.