If you have wedding flowers, funeral flowers or another meaningful arrangement that you would like to preserve, you may be wondering whether it is already too late.
Perhaps your flowers have started to wilt. Maybe they’ve been sitting at home for several days, or you’ve already dried them yourself. You might even have flowers that are months or years old that you would love to turn into a keepsake.
So, can you preserve flowers that are already dry or wilted?
The answer is: sometimes, yes — but the condition of the flowers is important.
At Nogard Creations, we work with flowers in many different conditions, and we assess each set of flowers individually before beginning the preservation process.
Can wilted flowers be preserved?
Wilted flowers can sometimes still be suitable for flower preservation.
Flowers naturally begin to change as soon as they are removed from water. Petals can soften, stems can droop and flowers can begin to lose their shape.
This doesn’t automatically mean that your flowers can no longer be preserved.
However, the more the flowers have deteriorated, the more difficult it can be to achieve the result you may have originally imagined.
For this reason, if you’ve recently received your wedding or funeral flowers and know you want to preserve them, it’s best to arrange for them to reach us as soon as reasonably possible.
That said, don’t automatically assume that it’s too late.
If you’re worried that your flowers have already started to wilt, getting in touch and discussing your options can be worthwhile.
Can you preserve flowers that have already dried?
This depends on how the flowers have been dried and what condition they are in.
Flower preservation isn’t simply about taking a fresh flower and putting it straight into resin. Flowers need to be properly prepared and dried before they can be incorporated into a resin keepsake.
If flowers have already been dried at home, they may still potentially be usable, but they need to be assessed carefully.
Home-dried flowers can sometimes have issues such as:
- Excess moisture remaining inside the flowers
- Brittle petals
- Changes in colour
- Loss of shape
- Crumbling petals
- Mould or deterioration
- Damage caused during the drying process
The condition of the flowers will determine what can realistically be created with them.
What if my wedding flowers are a few days old?
Don’t panic.
One of the questions we regularly hear is whether flowers are still suitable if the wedding has already taken place.
If your wedding flowers are a few days old, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve missed your opportunity to preserve them.
At Nogard Creations, we accept flowers by post from across the UK, and we also accept last-minute preservation requests.
Our current booking information even allows for flowers that are up to around a week old, although the condition of the individual flowers is always important.
The sooner you can get your flowers to a flower preservation specialist, the more options you are likely to have.
Do flowers need to be fresh when they arrive?
They don’t need to look exactly as they did on the day they were picked.
Flowers naturally change while they’re waiting to be preserved.
The important thing is that they are packaged carefully and sent to us so that they arrive in the best condition possible.
For certain preservation pieces, such as coasters, trays and jewellery dishes, flowers need to be pressed fresh before they are sent to us.
Other pieces can use whole flowers or petals depending on the design.
This is why following the correct flower packaging instructions is so important.
What happens if some flowers have wilted but others haven’t?
This is very common.
A bouquet can contain flowers that react differently once they are removed from water. Some may remain in good condition while others wilt much more quickly.
It is also possible for different parts of the same flower to dry or deteriorate at different rates.
When we prepare flowers for preservation, we look at what is usable and what will work best for the finished design.
You may not be able to use every single flower from an arrangement, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the flowers that remain cannot be preserved.
Can old funeral flowers be preserved?
Funeral flower preservation can be particularly time-sensitive because families may not know what they want to do with the flowers immediately after a funeral.
If you have flowers from a funeral that you would like to preserve, it is understandable if arranging preservation wasn’t your first thought.
You may have spent time saying goodbye, dealing with arrangements and supporting family members.
If the flowers have already started to wilt, don’t immediately assume that they are unusable.
Depending on their condition, some flowers or petals may still be suitable for creating a memorial keepsake.
Even if only a small amount can be used, that can still be enough to create something incredibly meaningful.
What if my flowers have changed colour?
Colour changes are a natural part of drying flowers.
Flowers don’t always look exactly the same once they have dried, and some varieties change considerably.
White flowers, for example, can develop cream or yellow tones. Red flowers can become darker, while some other colours can change in intensity.
These changes aren’t necessarily a sign that something has gone wrong.
They are part of preserving a natural material.
Resin can also alter the appearance of flowers slightly, which is why the finished piece may not look identical to the fresh flowers you remember from your wedding or the original arrangement.
Can you preserve flowers that have been kept for years?
This is more complicated.
If you have an old bouquet or individual flowers that you’ve been keeping for sentimental reasons, they may still hold enormous emotional value.
However, flowers that have been stored for a long time can become extremely fragile.
They may have been exposed to moisture, sunlight, dust or changes in temperature and humidity. Petals can become brittle and break very easily.
That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to use them, but there may be limitations on what can be created.
Older flowers should be assessed individually before you decide on a particular preservation design.
What should I do if my flowers are already wilted?
If you’ve got flowers that you’d like to preserve and they’re already starting to wilt, the most important thing is don’t throw them away simply because they don’t look perfect anymore.
Instead:
1. Keep them somewhere suitable
Avoid unnecessary heat, moisture and direct sunlight.
2. Handle them carefully
Wilted and drying flowers can be much more fragile than fresh flowers.
3. Follow the correct packaging instructions
If you’re sending your flowers to a preservation specialist, careful packaging can help protect them during their journey.
4. Don’t try to improve them yourself
Cutting petals, removing parts of flowers or attempting different drying methods could potentially make them more difficult to use.
5. Get them to your preservation specialist as soon as possible
The sooner flowers can be assessed, the more information you have about what can potentially be created.
Do I need to have booked my flower preservation in advance?
No.
At Nogard Creations, there is no requirement to pre-book your flower preservation.
This is particularly useful if you’ve only recently decided that you want to preserve your flowers.
You can also make a last-minute request rather than assuming that you have missed your opportunity.
We accept flowers from across the UK by post, with local drop-offs available by appointment in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
What if I don’t know what I want made yet?
That’s completely fine.
You don’t have to know exactly which preservation piece you want before your flowers arrive.
Some clients know immediately that they want a particular piece, while others want to see what their flowers look like once they’ve been dried before deciding.
We offer a wide range of flower preservation options, from small keepsakes to larger resin and framed displays.
Your flowers can be used to create something personal to you rather than being limited to one standard preservation design.
Don’t assume it’s too late
If you’re sitting at home looking at your wedding or funeral flowers and thinking “I’ve left it too late”, don’t automatically throw them away.
Flowers don’t have to look perfect to have sentimental value, and they don’t necessarily have to be completely fresh to be considered for preservation.
Their condition will determine what is possible, but an assessment can give you a much better idea of your options.
Whether you’re preserving wedding flowers from your special day or flowers connected to someone you love, the important thing is that you don’t have to make the decision perfectly or immediately.
At Nogard Creations, we create bespoke flower preservation pieces using meaningful flowers from clients across the UK, turning part of an important moment into something you can keep.
If you’d like to explore the different ways your flowers can be preserved, visit our flower preservation collection to see the current range of resin and framed keepsakes.