Take a picture of your bouquet before you press your flowers, so you’ll know how to arrange them in the frame. Flowers that don’t have bulbous centers are the easiest to press, such as daisies, primroses, violas, and pansies. If your bouquet has flowers with multiple folded petals like roses, pull the petals off the flower to press individually. This will keep the entire flower from mashing in on itself during the pressing process.
Hanging the flowers upside down helps them keep their shape. Try hanging your flowers from a clothing rack or clothes hanger if there’s no place to secure them to the ceiling or wall.
The vibrancy of your flowers will fade slightly in the drying process, but they’ll maintain their hue and color for about 10 years. Arrange your dried bouquet in a shadow box to show off your DIY and special day. Hot glue the dried flowers to a piece of cardstock or cardboard the size of your shadow box and slip it inside.
Avoid waxing flowers that have delicate or thin petals as the heat could cause them to wither. Store your waxed flowers in an airtight display case for years to come, or keep them in a vase for about a week. Keep your bouquet in water or have someone care for it during your honeymoon. This way, the flowers will still be fresh when you return from your excursion (if your honeymoon is over a few days long, consider preserving your bouquet right away).
Dry your bouquet’s flowers before setting them in the epoxy by hanging them upside down for 2 weeks or placing them in silica gel for about a week. Let the epoxy mixture sit for about 10 minutes, so unwanted bubbles rise to the surface and pop. Try working in multiple layers (letting one layer dry before adding more epoxy on top) to recreate your full bouquet. Wear proper PPE material (gloves and mask) and work in a well-ventilated space when working with resin as the chemicals can be toxic.
If the flowers are not placed in an air-tight container, they’ll need to be touched up with hairspray every 2 to 3 weeks to keep them preserved.
Display your freeze-dried bouquet in a shadow box to protect the delicate, dried petals.
Ask the florist arranging your bouquet if they preserve flowers. If they don’t, maybe they have a friend or colleague who does. Consider reaching out to a small business or Etsy shop that preserves flowers, especially if you want something niche done to your bouquet.
If you’re hiring a painter to paint your wedding ceremony or reception, ask them to paint your bouquet too. Consider painting your bouquet yourself if you enjoy painting or want to try your knack at watercolor, acrylic, or oil paints.
