how flowers are dried for preservation
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One of the most exciting parts of the preservation process (other than receiving your wedding flowers!) is how your fresh flowers are transformed into lasting keepsakes. A question I love answering is exactly how your flowers are dried.
There isn’t just one single way to do it. In fact, I use three different methods depending entirely on the specific preservation pieces you’ve chosen.
Here is a little look behind the scenes at how I prepare your wedding flowers for preservation:
Air Drying & Deconstructing
The most common way I dry flowers is by carefully deconstructing them and letting them air dry naturally. Flowers can take anywhere from two weeks to dry. Once they are fully dry, they are ready to be preserved!
Best suited for: Smaller keepsakes like date frames, tree decorations, and keyrings.
Traditional Flower Pressing
Pressing flowers is a beautiful, traditional method, but it is definitely a labour-of-love! Each individual flower is carefully conditioned before going into the flower press. I check on them regularly throughout the weeks to ensure they are pressing perfectly.
Best suited for: Flatter preservation styles, mainly trinket dishes and coasters.
Silica Sand Drying
For this method, flowers are placed whole into silica sand, which gently extracts the moisture while allowing the flower to keep its original, three-dimensional shape.
Best suited for: 3D resin block preservations (like hearts, arches, and bookends). It’s the ideal choice if you want to look at your flowers whole rather than pressed or deconstructed.
Why the Drying Process Matters So Much
No matter which method is used, flowers must be 100% dry before they can be preserved in resin.
Fresh flowers naturally contain moisture, and moisture does not mix well with resin. If a flower is enclosed while it still holds onto moisture, it can cause the flower to turn brown, go mouldy, and ruin the piece over time.
This is why I take extra care and never rush the drying stage. Taking those precise, extra precautions ensures your wedding flowers are fully dry, perfectly protected, and ready to be preserved forever.