Until death do us part: this is how I rescued my bridal bouquet
8-8-2023
Pictures: Darina Schweizer
Translation: Elicia Payne
Are you supposed to just chuck the bridal bouquet in the green bin after the wedding? I can’t bring myself to do that. So I’m testing two ways to preserve the flowers.
«Your wedding is the best day of your life.» How I always hated that ancient phrase. And then I found myself standing on the shore of Lake Constance with my newlywed husband. Before us sat 30 guests with watery eyes. Next to us, a little family of ducks paddled by and I thought, «Crap, the sentence really is true!»
In the meantime, the wedding high has (almost) faded away. But every time I pass the dining table, my heart leaps. There, bundled in my bridal bouquet, are the memories of our big day, created by my dear friend, a talented florist who I was maid of honour for.
The bouquet is made of:
- Eucalyptus
- Poppy pods
- Fountain grass (Pennisetum)
- Masterwort (Astrantia)
- Prairie gentians (Lisianthus)
- Roses
- Baby’s breath (Gypsophila)
- Pincushion flowers (Scabiosa)
Every day I stick my nose in and replay our wedding in my mind’s eye. That was until today, when I was shocked to see the roses and the eucalyptus have started to droop.
Is today the day where I have to carry my bridal bouquet to the green bin grave? I refuse! There must be a way to save the flowers. After some research, I’m relieved to learn that bridal bouquets can be preserved. You can do the following:
- Turn them in dry salt or powder.
- Place them in washing powder, sand, silica gel or glycerine.
- Dip them in dipping wax.
Okay... I don’t have any of that at home. Isn’t there a simpler solution? Yes, there is! I test the following preservation options:
Option 1: dry the bridal bouquet
Dried flowers have always been my kind of thing. Originally, I wanted them in my bridal bouquet. Will this wish now come true? Even though I read that the flowers should be as fresh as possible, I’m going to give it a go.
- I carefully take the bridal bouquet out of the water and dab the stems with a cloth. I remove the stems that aren’t that fresh anymore.
- Since I don't want the bouquet to rot later, I want to dry it thoroughly in the oven. Caution: many bridal bouquets contain flammable materials. I comb through the bouquet. Nothing. I lie the individual flowers on the baking paper. Off to the oven! I read on a website that 100 degrees is supposed to be optimal to dry the flowers. Another one says 40 degrees. I choose the golden mean and set it to 70 degrees.
- The oven glass fogs up slightly. Is that moisture? I open the oven a bit and let it escape. After 30 minutes, I pull the tray out of the oven and let the slightly shrivelled flowers cool.
- To make sure the bouquet doesn’t end up brittle and to make the colours last longer, I spray the flowers with a little hairspray (clear varnish also works). Then I tie them together and leave a long piece of the cord at the end (about 50 centimetres).
- Next, I head to the basement. There, I hang the flowers upside down on the slatted shed. Other cool, dry and dark places are suitable, too.
Option 2: press the bridal bouquet
I don’t completely trust the option with the bridal bouquet in the cellar. What if the flowers weren’t fresh enough? So I decide to test the pressing option too.
- Before I put the bridal bouquet in the oven (see above), I set aside a few particularly beautiful, intact flowers and stems (maximum A4 size).
- To get rid of the moisture, I decide to use an iron. To do this, I put the flowers on the ironing board and cover them with a newspaper. Then I hold the iron over them for about 15 seconds at the lowest setting.
- After just five seconds, it begins to fizzle. Perfect. The liquid is escaping.
- After the flowers and stems are dry, I grab a big old book. I open it in the last third, put in two pieces of newspaper (blotting paper also works) and carefully place a few flowers in between them. A few pages ahead, I do the same with the next bunch. And so on. When all the little flowers are stowed away, I close the book.
- The last thing I need is a heavy weight. A table, a flower pot, or heavy books? Any of them would work. But my eyes go to my boyfriend’s (er, husband’s!) guitar amp. I remember how much we suffered while hauling this colossus thing into our place. Its perfect!
Now I just have to wait. In a month’s time, I can pull out the pressed flowers from under the guitar amp – and in two months, the bouquet from the cellar. Will that be the second-best day of my life? Or am I giving the mould the best time of its life? I’ll keep you updated.
Have you dried or pressed flowers before? Share your stories and tips in the comments!
Darina Schweizer
Senior Editor
Darina.Schweizer@digitecgalaxus.chI like anything that has four legs or roots. The books I enjoy let me peer into the abyss of the human psyche. Unlike those wretched mountains that are forever blocking the view – especially of the sea. Lighthouses are a great place for getting some fresh air too, you know?