Preserving flowers

singer102

I have a dilema. Me and my fiancé are getting married on a Saturday and leaving for our honeymoon the following day. I would love to preserve my bouquet but I can't justify spending $500 or so on freeze drying process. I want to do DIY silica gel for my circus roses, calla lilies and carnations. I was thinking of giving my bouquet to my mother but my parents are staying in a hotel and I'm not sure how to keep them fresh until they get home Sunday afternoon so she can do the silica gel process for me. Anyone have any suggestions on how to keep a bouquet fresh overnight? 

blabla89

Assuming the florist makes your bouquet the day before the wedding, it should easily keep until the day if you keep it in water with a little packet of flower food or even sugar. Some flowers hold up better than others, so you might want to talk to your florist about it.

Also, I recommend using silica sand instead of silica gel, and buy more of it than you think you'll need.

MesmrEwe

13 years later my bouquet is still sitting in the silica sand...  Yes - you'll need A LOT more than you originally think you will for the average size bridal bouquet...  At the end of the day though, it's your choice to decide what to do/how to do it, but IMO, if you really want it preserved, go ahead and have it freeze dried professionally right away where you can choose your display style (My SIL did this with her bouquet).  Also, do some additional shopping around for pricing.