How do I save my Bridal Bouquet after my Wedding?
Let Forever Florals help you!
We serve all of Indianapolis, Greenfield, McCordsville, Greenwood, Shelbyville and beyond!
If you do not live close enough to drop your flowers off check out our shipping instructions here.
Why is flower preservation so expensive?
Understanding the steps of quality flower preservation and the time a preservationist puts into each custom piece.
Once we receive your flowers the drying process begins immediately ensuring your flowers will look as fresh as possible. We carefully disassemble your wedding bouquet or memorial flowers and prepare them to be placed in silica gel. This process can take 30-40 min. depending the size of bouquet or memorial flowers being preserved.
After we have all the flowers and greenery separated we place them into silica gel can take another 30-40 min. again depending on how many flowers are being preserved. The will be in silica for the next 4 weeks to assure all flowers are completely dry.
After 4 weeks it is time to remove flowers from silica. As we remove the flowers we gently shake them trying to remove as much silica gel as we can, this can be time consuming. Some flowers like roses hold so much silica it can be difficult to get it all out. This part of the process can take 30-40 min. depending on amount of flowers. Please remember some flowers dry better than others, while some do not survive the drying process at all. Keep this in mind and it is always better to send extra flowers if possible.
Once your flowers are ready, we will put together a design in your chosen mold shape. We will send you a picture for approval. At this time you will either approve the design or let us know small changes you would like to see made. This would include featuring a certain flower more or removing a flower you are not happy with. Since the flowers are very delicate at this stage we will not do multiple design options to assure the flowers do not get handled to much. This process can take 1-3 hrs over several days while having back and forth communication.
Once the design has been approved it will move into the resin room and the resin process will begin. This process can take up to 16 days depending on how deep your piece is. We pour in 1/4” layers every 24 hours, it is a slow process and it’s imperative to assure a quality product. After a layer is poured we allow it to sit for 10-15 min. and then we check for any trapped bubbles and try our best to remove as many as we can.
This video shows clips over 12 days, pouring 1/4” daily. Majority of our molds are 3” deep. Some are 4” deep and them we do have some 1-2” deep.
We spend between 30-40 min. every day from preparing the resin by making sure the temperature is correct before mixing, placing in vacuum chamber, pouring, and then watching for and caring for bubbles that occur in the resin after pouring. This video represents at least 10-12hrs of work.
After removing your custom piece from their molds we sand to assure a nice smooth edge and fix any imperfections or bubbles that found their way on the edge of the mold. Once it is sanded and cleaned we will do a final flood coat or top coat. Both of these steps together will take to 1-2 hours depending what each piece needs.
After the final flood coat or top coat is complete we allow it to sit for 7 days to fully cure. Then it is ready to be polished and packed up for shipping or pick up!
I hope this gives some insight as to why floral preservation seems expensive. Over the course of several months your custom keepsakes are created and cn be cared for 15-20+ hours. I have not even mentioned the cost of supplies like high quality UV resistant resin, high quality molds, silica gel, ect.
We invest time and care into each sentimental piece. Thank you for trusting Forever Florals with your special flowers; we hope you cherish it for years to come.
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