How to Dry Wedding Flower Bouquets

Preserve the color when drying the bridal bouquet.

You may have spent hours picking out the right kind and color of flowers for your wedding bouquet. Preserving the flowers is a good way to create a memento of your wedding day. Pick the flowers you want preserved before the wedding, and have a friend or relative take care of the flowers afterward. One preservation method calls for using oolitic sand, which is high in pH and can help save your blooms' color.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic box with airtight lid
• Oolitic sand
• Silica gel
• Scissors
• Silicone spray

Instructions

1. Use a plastic box with an airtight lid and line the bottom with a mixture of four parts oolitic sand and one part silica gel. Oolitic sand, from the Great Salt Lake in Utah, can be bought in craft stores. Remove any lumps in the sand or gel.

2. Cut the stem off as close to the bloom as possible. Attach artificial stems after the blooms are dried.

3. Lay a blossom face down on top of the preserving mixture. Add more mixture to cover the bloom. Repeat the procedure until the box is full. Use more than one box if necessary to preserve all of the flowers.

4. Microwave or store in a dark place. To microwave the flowers, place the box, without the lid, in the microwave. Microwave on low for two to three minutes to see how the flowers are drying. Roses like a high temperature, whereas daisies like a low temperature. Microwave and check repeatedly until the flowers are dried. This method helps the flowers hold their color and works well for the flowers used in wedding bouquets.

5. Store the boxes, with the lid on, in a cool, dry and dark place for four to six weeks if you cannot microwave the blooms. This method is also good for holding the colors. After this time, open the box and dust off any mixture on the flowers. Do not leave them in the box for more than eight weeks.

6. Spray the flowers with a clear silicone to further preserve the flowers and color. Purchase clear silicone at a craft shop or paint store.

Tips & Warnings

• Oolitic sand can be used more than once.

• The quicker the flowers are dried after the wedding, the better the results.

• Do not store dried flowers outdoors.

References

• Clemson Cooperative Extension: Drying Flowers
• Texas A&M University: Drying Flowers
• Proflowers: How to Dry Flowers

Resources

• Florage: Wedding Flowers Preservation