In today’s blog post, we’re talking flower preservation! You always hear about what to do to prepare for a wedding and all the beautiful details that go into it, but what about after the wedding? How can you preserve at least one detail that you spent months picking out? Today on the blog, we are bringing you Lauren Muldoon from Finger Lakes Flower Preservation to give us the inside scoop on how her business helps preserve one of the most beautiful moments of your big day – your flowers! If you've thought about preserving your wedding bouquet (or other florals!) but have some questions, today's post is for you!

Make sure to save this for when you're ready to preserve your wedding florals!

Lauren said it best when she said “You can only keep so many things!” from your wedding. You've likely thought about your wedding photos and your wedding dress but she can help you keep something else! 

The Process of Preserving Your Wedding Bouquet & Other Florals

Does it surprise you that the process for preserving your wedding bouquet actually starts before the wedding day? Please don't make the mistake of reaching out after the wedding once you realize how beautiful your wedding flowers really are! When you book Lauren, she sends along instructions for day-of-care regarding your wedding flowers or bouquet to ensure successful preservation. Then, she will receive your bouquet the day after your wedding (whether that means you are local and dropping it off to her or you are from another state and overnight shipping it to her). Yes, she does nationwide orders! Whoot whoot!

As soon as Lauren gets the flowers in her hands she begins preserving them immediately. She does not waste any time. Lauren wants to ensure she is preserving the flowers at their very best! Anyone who has worked with flowers knows: they are gorgeous, but their beauty is fleeting. If you want to preserve your wedding bouquet, you need to put it in the right hands. We might be biased as fellow Finger Lakes wedding vendors but we happily recommend her to all of our wedding couples.

 

Wedding Floral Preservation Options with Finger Lakes Flower Preservation

Lauren’s most popular product is the 8×8 hexagon – as she calls it, the best snapshot of your bouquet. With her hexagons, she takes the best flowers out of your bouquet to create a beautiful snapshot so don't worry – even though it doesn’t include the entire bouquet, the best of your wedding florals will be represented. She also has smaller products that can still be just as special like ring dishes to lay your wedding ring in or blocks to give as gifts to parents who may have had a hand in the wedding planning. Personally, we love something that has just as much function as it does beauty!

If your bouquet is large (or a unique shape!), Lauren recommends going for a larger product to keep the same feel of how it felt at your wedding. This could be done in a large block or even a tray. Like most things should be on your wedding day, the possibilities are ENDLESS. Better yet? Since these products are made of resin (a type of plastic), water will not affect them for years to come. Lauren does advise keeping all of the products out of the sun though!

Preserving Your Wedding Bouquet in Resin

Not sure you want to give away your wedding bouquet so soon after the wedding? Or worry about keeping it in perfect condition? Maybe you love the look of Lauren's creations but had something else in mind for preserving your wedding bouquet? One thing we love about Lauren is that she reassures us that ANY flowers will work from your wedding. It does not necessarily have to be your bridal bouquet. For example, she mentions how she’s worked with centerpieces in the past because they tend to be in better shape at the end of the night compared to your wedding bouquet. 

It might surprise you (or maybe not!) but the preservation process is quite intensive and requires a lot of science. There are many environmental factors that play into the preservation process and she is always sure to be aware of them. As wedding planners, we can't help but deeply appreciate all of the details and how thorough she is.

Past Finger Lakes Brides: Did you Preserve your Wedding Bouquet?

Lauren hears often from past brides that they wish they knew about this service before their wedding has already happened. Resin preservation has only been around for so long and many may have missed out in the past. We have some good news though – if your bouquet was air-dried she can work with that and preserve it. How cool is that? She also mentioned that she also will sometimes get a replica made of a former bride’s bouquet so she can still preserve something that will remind her of their day. She does this by receiving a picture of the bride’s bouquet and works with a florist to replicate it. I mean, just genius! If you are feeling a little FOMO right now, just know you have options if you love her work as much as we do!

 

Preserving Your Wedding Bouquet

I encourage you all to check our Lauren at FLX Flower preservation. I myself wish this had been around when I got married!! But we won't sugar coat it – if you know you want your flowers preserved, book her now! As a small business owner, her dates book up quickly. You don't even need to know who's providing your flowers. That can be sorted out later. You can contact her directly here, or give her a follow over on Instagram! If you love the idea but are on a bit of a budget (after all, weddings can be expensive!), Lauren mentioned that some couples ask for it from their wedding party or parents for a wedding gift. What a special memory to have forever. This is a way to give something in a way a registry can’t. And aren't we all leaning a little more into memories over “things”?

Whether you are planning a wedding in the Finger Lakes or beyond, at Verve Event Co, we would love to support you on your wedding planning journey. For those of you planning luxury heirloom occasions in Upstate New York, you can learn more about working with us directly here. Not local? You can always find our best wedding planning advice on our podcast, OR shop our easy-to-use planning templates here.

Know you want to preserve your wedding bouquet but are not ready to commit? Don't forget to save this for later.