Preserving your bouquet

 Are you a bride who is constantly looking for ways to keep trinkets from your wedding day? I have four ways you can preserve your bridal bouquet.

1. Potpourri: You have to take the bouquet apart and hang the flowers upside down to dry for a couple days. Take the dried petals and put them into sachets. The sachets should be lacy fabric cut into a four inch square. Tie the square with a pretty ribbon.

2. Hang and dry: Take a snapshot of your bouquet from every angle to keep for reference. Then, take the bouquet apart and hang the flowers upside down and spray them with hairspray. This will help preserve the shape of the flower and prevent drooping. Hanging them in a dark place will also help the petals retain more color. Leave them alone for a few days until they are completely dry. Spray each petal with silicia gel (available at Michael's) to protect them. Reassemble the bouquet. *Photo courtesy of ProFlowers

3. Press 'em: Take a few stems from your bouquet and place them individually into a thick book. Put the book under something heavy and leave it alone for several days. The flowers will dry and flatten. *Photo courtesy of WikiHow

4. Floral painting: Qing Flowers Forever will make a beautiful painting using the flowers from your wedding. They put your presssed flowers into a painting. *Photo courtesy of Qing Flowers Forever

5. Freeze dry: Some specialized florists will offer to freeze dry your bouquet. The flowers will last for at least 10 years. This option is expensive. *Photo courtesy of Freeze Dry

*Main photo courtesy of Narrative Image