Which Wedding Flowers Preserve Best?

Planning your wedding bouquet with preservation in mind? You're definitely thinking ahead - and we love it!

The flowers you choose for your big day can make a huge difference to how stunning your preserved wedding bouquet looks years down the line.

After years of pressing and preserving wedding bouquets across the UK from our Lancashire studio, we've learnt which flowers give the most beautiful results and which ones can be a bit trickier.

Whether you're still choosing your wedding flowers or you've already got your heart set on certain types, we'll guide you through what to expect when it comes to preservation.

The good news? Most wedding bouquets can create something absolutely gorgeous when preserved. But knowing which flowers work best can help you make choices that'll give you the most stunning results.

The Best Flowers for Preservation

Roses - The Preservation Champions

Let's start with the absolute stars of flower preservation world - roses!

There's a reason roses are so popular for wedding bouquets, and it's not just because they're beautiful (although they definitely are). Roses have the perfect structure for pressing, with sturdy petals that hold their shape beautifully.

Spray roses are particularly good for preservation, giving you lovely variety in size within your frame. And if you're thinking about quicksand roses, they're absolute beauties - though do expect them to shift to a lovely dusty pink or purple shade when preserved. It's all part of their charm!

Delicate Flowers That Press Well

Some of the most delicate-looking flowers actually give the most stunning preserved results.

Ranunculus, especially butterfly ranunculus, create the most incredible texture when pressed. Sweet peas might look fragile, but they're surprisingly reliable and keep their delicate charm.

Freesias are another favourite of ours - they press beautifully and add such elegance to any preserved arrangement. Astrantia brings wonderful texture and interest, creating lovely detail in your finished frame.

Foliage TO Add Character

Good foliage is an excellent addition to add text and interest to a preserved bouquet frame.

Eucalyptus is absolutely reliable and adds that gorgeous silvery-green colour that works with everything. Ferns create the most beautiful detailed patterns when pressed - they're like natural artwork in themselves. Dusty Miller adds fantastic texture and that lovely silvery tone that complements other flowers perfectly.

Some flowers that people worry about actually work really well! Peonies are absolute showstoppers when preserved - they're actually quite reliable if you get them to us quickly while they're fresh. The key is their timing, but once preserved, they create stunning focal points in frames.

Hydrangeas are surprisingly easy to work with and one of our most successful flowers for preservation. They dry beautifully and maintain lovely texture - much easier than many people expect!

Before and after preserved wedding bouquet - see more examples here

Other Reliable Choices

Our complete list of suitable flower types includes loads more reliable options. This includes the links of:

• Alstromeria

• Baby's Breath

• Clematis

• Daisy

• Lavender

• Pampas grass

• Poppies

• Stocks

• Scabiosa

The key to a stunning preserved bouquet is variety - mixing different flower types, sizes and colours creates the most beautiful, interesting arrangements.

Flowers That Are Trickier to Preserve

Now for the honest bit - some flowers are more challenging with our traditional pressing methods.

Thick flowers like calla lilies and tropical varieties like orchids can be unpredictable and don't always work well with pressing. Succulents and berries aren't suited to our traditional process because of their high water content.

Gerberas, tulips and sunflowers can sometimes work, but they're much more technique-dependent and don't always give the results we'd hope for with pressing. With sunflowers, we can work with the petals to recreate something beautiful, even if the thick centre doesn't press well.

Why Some Flowers Are More Challenging

It comes down to our traditional hand-pressing methods and frame design. We specialise in creating beautiful flat arrangements, which means flowers with very thick centres or extremely high moisture content can be trickier to work with. That said, we always try our best with whatever flowers you send us!

We'll use any artificial flowers in your bouquet at our discretion - some we might be able to get flat enough to include, but most will come back to you with your finished frame.

The importance of timing with flower preservation

With all flowers, but especially the more delicate ones, fresher is always better. The sooner you can get your flowers to us after your wedding, the better your results will be.

There's less chance of browning and a much higher chance of good colour retention. White flowers deserve a special mention here - they have the highest chance of browning, so if you're planning an all-white bouquet, it's especially important that we receive them in the best possible condition.

Once they arrive with us, our careful, sustainable process takes around 8-12 weeks. You can read all about the wedding bouquet preservation process here.

What to Expect with colour change

It's important to understand that colour change is completely normal and actually part of the beauty of preserved flowers! Don't worry, it's not something going wrong - it's just the natural, organic process at work.

Light pink flowers often shift to lovely light purple or cream tones. White flowers typically become creamy yellows (which is why we always say the fresher the better with white blooms). Red roses usually deepen to a rich dark red, and bright colours generally hold their vibrancy better than pastels.

Take a look at our artwork examples to see some gorgeous before and after shots - you'll see how beautiful these natural colour changes can be! Remember, all colours will eventually fade a bit over the years, but that's honestly part of their charm and character.

Our Top Tips for Choosing Wedding Flowers with preservation in mind

1. Variety is key - mixing different flower types, sizes and colours creates the most stunning preserved arrangements

2. Avoid all-white arrangements if possible - they have the highest risk of browning

3. Think about the long run - some flowers photograph beautifully on the day but preserve differently. It comes down to your own personal preferences of course and what's important you.

4. Consider your wedding season - choose flowers that'll be fresh and in season for your big day

5. Chat to your florist - let them know you're planning to preserve your bouquet so they can advise on the best choices

   
   

Planning to Preserve Your Bouquet?

The most important thing to remember is to choose flowers you absolutely love for your wedding day. Most bouquets can create something beautiful when preserved, and even if your chosen flowers aren't on our 'easy' list, we'll work our magic to give you the best possible results. You can find more info on the best flower types for preservation.

If you're thinking about wedding bouquet preservation, we'd recommend getting in touch with us early in your planning process. We can chat through your flower choices and what to expect, plus we'll send you our packing guide so you know exactly how to get your beautiful bouquet to us safely after your big day.

There are so many wonderful reasons to preserve your wedding bouquet, and choosing the right flowers is just the first step in creating a gorgeous piece of art that'll remind you of your special day for decades to come.