How to Dry and Preserve Flowers from Weddings or Memorials

How to Dry and Preserve Flowers from Weddings or Memorials

Flowers hold stories. A wedding bouquet carries the joy of vows spoken. A spray of memorial blooms carries the weight of remembrance. When the moment passes, preserving those flowers becomes a way to keep the memory close — not just in the heart, but in something you can see and touch.

At GeoSoul, we work with flowers that once marked life’s most meaningful occasions. Over time, we’ve seen that the way you dry them can make all the difference in how well their color, form, and sentiment are preserved. Here are the best ways to dry flowers from weddings or memorials, along with the strengths and considerations of each.

 

The Importance of Preservation

Not all flowers dry the same, and not all spaces are equal for drying. A few factors matter most:

  • Type of flower: Roses, lavender, baby’s breath, statice, and strawflowers are among the easiest to preserve (Cottage on Bunker Hill).
  • Condition of flowers: It’s best to start with blooms that are fresh or just past their peak. Remove browning petals before drying (The Knot).
  • Environment: Dry, dark, and well-ventilated areas give the best results. Sunlight can fade petals, while humidity can cause mold (Cottage on Bunker Hill).

 

Methods of Drying Flowers

Here are the most common — and effective — approaches:

1. Air Drying:  Bundle your flowers, tie the stems, and hang them upside down in a dry, dark place. Gravity helps the stems keep their shape.

  • Pros: Simple, affordable, preserves the whole bouquet.
  • Cons: Takes 2–4 weeks, colors tend to fade, petals become papery.
  • Best for: A rustic, natural look. (Bloom & Wild)

2. Silica Gel Drying:  Bury flowers in silica gel crystals and leave them sealed until the gel absorbs all the moisture.

  • Pros: Retains color and shape better than air drying; much faster (3–7 days).
  • Cons: Requires purchasing silica gel and careful handling.
  • Best for: Bouquets you want to keep vivid and well-shaped (Wild Petals Boutique).

3. Pressing:  Lay flowers between sheets of absorbent paper and press them flat with heavy books or a flower press.

  • Pros: Great for framed art, keepsakes, or cards; works well for delicate blooms.
  • Cons: Flowers lose their 3D form; colors may fade slightly.
  • Best for: Artistic displays and flat keepsakes (For Keeps Florals).

4. Freeze-Drying:  A professional process that freezes flowers and removes moisture under vacuum pressure.

  • Pros: Maintains near-perfect shape and color.
  • Cons: Expensive and not easy to do at home.
  • Best for: Once-in-a-lifetime arrangements you want preserved with the highest quality.

 

Tips for Success

  • Dry in the dark to prevent fading.
  • Ensure good airflow to avoid mold.
  • Test a single flower before drying an entire bouquet.
  • Support large blossoms during drying to prevent drooping.
  • Once dried, lightly spray with hairspray or a floral fixative to protect petals (Fort Snelling Cemetery Flowers).

 

From Flowers to Tokens

Drying is just the first step. Once your blooms are preserved, they can become part of something lasting: framed art, shadowboxes, resin jewelry — or GeoSoul tokens that hold both the organic material and the coordinates of where your memory began.

 

Final Thought

Flowers fade, but memories don’t have to. Whether you choose a simple air-dried bouquet or a carefully preserved bloom in silica, each petal becomes a keepsake of love, grounded in a moment and a place.

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