faqs on flower preservation
We know that trusting someone with your cherished flowers is a big decision. It's likely that you have a few questions about the flower preservation process, how it all works and how you go about sending your flowers in the post.
You may also be wondering what makes Smart Floral Art the place to trust with your wedding flowers. Let us reassure you that your flowers are in the best hands when they come to us.
This FAQ section is designed to provide you with all the answers you need to feel confident and excited about preserving your special memories with Smart Floral Art. If you don't find what you're looking for, don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to guide you every step of the way.
Your wedding flowers will be a key memory from your special day. Your flowers have meant so much to receive and can be kept to admire as a unique piece of art for many years when you choose to preserve your wedding bouquet with us.
Each selection of flowers sent are pressed by hand using traditional methods from our home in Lancashire. For us and for many recently married couples, this is the perfect way to remember and capture a special moment in time in such a beautiful, modern way.
Have a read of our blog on the reasons why to preserve your wedding bouquet.
Drying, hand pressing, arranging and framing flowers is one of the best ways to preserve your wedding bouquet - this is how we go about our process. It creates a timeless, flat design that’s perfect for framing and displaying. We offer a professional service that takes the stress out of preservation to make sure your bouquet looks its best for years to come.
Booking in advance is not essential but can be helpful, as it allows us to prepare for your flowers to arrive promptly and at their freshest. While we often have room for last-minute preservations, early booking can make sure your flowers are preserved at their best quality and gives you peace of mind.
Prices vary depending on the size and design of your bouquet. The average price for a full bouquet preservation can range between £300 and £600.
You learn more about general pricing in our blog post on how much does it cost to preserve your wedding flowers and take a look at our specific prices here.
Yes! In addition to bridal bouquets, we can preserve other wedding flowers, such as centrepieces, buttonholes grooms’ flowers and father of the bride arrangements - essentially any floral arrangements at your wedding!
Whether it’s a single bloom or an elaborate floral piece, we’ll work with you to create a lasting piece of art that captures every special detail of your wedding day.
The cost to preserve your wedding flowers varies based on factors like bouquet size, framing options and personalisation choices. At Smart Floral Art, our prices start from £220 for smaller frames and range up to £405 for larger, customised frames with options like etching or wood surrounds. We pride ourselves on transparent pricing, with all preservation and framing fees included, so there are no hidden costs.
For a full breakdown of options, see our price guide. You can also read our blog post on how much does it cost to preserve my wedding flowers.
We’ll need a good selection of everything from your bouquet. At the very least, we'll need three good quality stems of each flower type. Please don’t overlook your foliage and smaller flowers as they add gorgeous textures and shapes for your final frame.
Here's a handy page on the most suitable flower types to send to us to be preserved.
For our larger (60x40cm) frames especially, we will need more flowers to make this gorgeous and full - if in doubt, know we would always prefer to have more to work with than less! Read more about flower quantities here.
You may have buttonholes or flower crowns that you would like us to preserve within your frame too. We love to receive but please note, these smaller pieces don’t always last as long as they’ve been out of water for long and no doubt bashed on the dance floor! Read more information on sending flower extras and buttonholes here.
There are packing guides on our website which will also be sent out to you before your wedding which are super helpful!
Absolutely! Our wedding bouquet and flower preservation services are available UK-wide. With our simple postal system, you can send your flowers to us from anywhere in the country, and we’ll return them beautifully preserved.
Your flowers will be pressed with the greatest of care and attention. For this reason it can take up to 12 weeks to perfectly preserve them.
It’s a slow process, but we promise it’s worth the wait!
Once the flowers are almost ready the exciting part starts! We'll be in touch to discuss all the options available to you, show you the fonts we have available if you choose to have any etching and let you choose all the finer details of your frame. You can take a look at some of our preserved wedding flower examples here.
Your frame will then be ordered and a design will be sent over for your pre-approval. It's at this point on ordering the frame when your final balance will be due. Once this is confirmed we can then begin creating layouts using your flowers and get your frame and flowers safely back to you!
Your flowers will be pressed with the greatest of care and attention. For this reason it can take up to 12 weeks to perfectly preserve them.
It’s a slow process, but we promise it’s worth the wait!
Once the flowers are almost ready the exciting part starts! We'll be in touch to discuss all the options available to you, show you the fonts we have available if you choose to have any etching and let you choose all the finer details of your frame. You can take a look at some of our preserved wedding flower examples here.
Your frame will then be ordered and a design will be sent over for your pre-approval. It's at this point on ordering the frame when your final balance will be due.
Once this is confirmed we can then begin creating layouts using your flowers and get your frame and flowers safely back to you!
Preserving your wedding bouquet at home can be done using methods like air-drying, pressing or using silica gel. However, these techniques can be time-consuming and tricky, with no guarantee of success. For a stress-free, professional result, our wedding bouquet preservation service ensures your flowers are handled with care and preserved beautifully.
Read more on our post on how to preserve your wedding bouquet.
Here are our lead times for 2024:
January - March 2024: 12 weeks
April - May 2024: 14 weeks
June - August 2024: 16 weeks
September - October 2024: 14 weeks
November - December 2024: 12 weeks
The lead times indicate how long the flower preservation process takes. We don't rush as we want to ensure that you get the very best quality pressed flowers that last for decades.
During the height of peak wedding season (April - October), we may need to extend our lead times to accommodate for the large volume of fresh flowers we receive each week. We always prioritise dealing with fresh flowers arriving as they are time sensitive in order to keep them in the best possible condition - the sooner we start the preservation process, the better.
We will always strive for perfection with your finished piece and thank you for your understanding during our busy times, that this may mean waiting a little longer. It's a true honour to be trusted with so many beautiful flowers and memories.
Yes! Pressing flowers is our specialty. We carefully press and arrange your bouquet to create a flat, framed design that showcases the beauty of your wedding flowers in a modern way.
Not necessarily! While flowers are best preserved as soon as possible after the event, we can often work with flowers that have been carefully stored for up to a week. If more time has passed, the flowers may start to lose their shape and colour, but reach out to us, and we’ll assess what’s possible and do our very best to help you out.
Bouquet preservation involves saving the entire floral arrangement, like a bridal bouquet or centrepiece, as a keepsake. Flower preservation can also include individual blooms, which are ideal for creating smaller pieces like framed art or jewellery.
We like to make the process of booking your flower preservation as easy as possible.
First up, get in touch to tell us you have some special flowers that you would like preserving. Email is best and is generally our fastest form of communication but you can also contact us directly through the website if you prefer. We do not take orders through Instagram.
On booking there will be a link sent to you for a £100 non-refundable deposit, which will go towards the final cost of your chosen frame.
Your flowers are best preserved when they are at their freshest, so please get them to us as soon as possible following your wedding. The earlier the better.
Please note, if your flowers don’t get to us in time for us to be able to preserve them due to the date they were posted and a deterioration in their quality, sadly the deposit will not be refunded.
We will hold your date for one week after first enquiring. Unfortunately we can't hold dates for longer than a week as we are an extremely busy studio and often have waiting lists for each week. This is only fair for everyone.
Once your flowers get to us, we'll then work our preservation magic.
We offer a variety of framing options, including small circular frames and heart designs to larger traditional rectangles with wooden frames or frameless glass. Our bespoke service ensures you can select the size, shape and style that best suits your preferences.
Here's the great part - a well cared for frame should last for decades. What a fantastic memory to keep in your family.
Please remember though, flowers and foliage are organic products and colours may fade or brown naturally over time. As a sustainable business, your flowers are pressed without the use of chemicals and glues, which mean they will change slightly over time. Loose fragments of flowers may occur too. This is all normal for organic products.
To help your dried flowers stay at their best, keep your frame away from direct sunlight, heat sources and moisture.
Ideally, flowers should be sent for preservation as soon as possible after the event. If it’s longer than a week, the flowers may begin to deteriorate and may not be suitable for preservation. If you’re unsure, just drop us a message, and we’ll discuss the best way to keep your flowers fresh until they can be preserved.
Read more on is it too late to preserve my wedding flowers.
Many flower varieties press beautifully, with some of our most successful results coming from roses, peonies, eucalyptus, baby's breath, ranunculus, hydrangeas and delphinium.
Generally, flowers with thinner petals and less moisture content preserve better than thick, fleshy blooms. Brighter coloured flowers tend to retain their vibrancy better than pastels, though all flowers will naturally darken slightly during the pressing process.
For best results, we recommend bouquets with a good variety of flower types and foliage rather than arrangements of just one type or colour. To see our complete list of flowers that preserve well (and those that don't), visit our suitable flower types page.
Yes, we can combine flowers from different wedding arrangements, such as your bridal bouquet, buttonholes and centrepieces, into a single preserved piece. This creates a unique keepsake that tells the full story of your special day.
To keep your flowers in the best condition, store them in clean, cool water and place them in a cool location away from direct sunlight. When not in use throughout the day and on the night of your wedding, keep the flowers in this environment to help maintain their freshness until they’re ready to be sent for preservation.
No, you don’t need to decide on the design or frame immediately. Choosing the display style is a collaborative and ongoing process. Once your flowers are nearly ready for framing, we’ll get in touch to go over all the design options, from frame choices to custom etching. We’ll show you our available fonts and finer details, and we’ll provide a design layout for your pre-approval. This way, you have full control over the final look and can let us know any changes you’d like before we begin the final preservation and framing process.
Yes, you can! Our gift vouchers are a thoughtful way to let loved ones preserve flowers from their special moments. You can find our gift vouchers here. We also have a variety of other unique gifts available in the Smart Floral Art Shop, perfect as gifts and a little present for yourself.
No, we can preserve flowers from any special occasion. Whether it’s flowers from a funeral, celebration, anniversary or other significant event, we understand that these flowers hold personal meaning. Our preservation services are available for any flowers you wish to keep as a long-lasting reminder of a special day.