After a funeral, flowers can be one of the most difficult things to part with.
They may have been chosen by family and friends, arranged in memory of someone special or even contain flowers that were particularly meaningful to them. Once the funeral has passed, you may be left wondering what you can do with the flowers rather than simply watching them wilt and eventually throwing them away.
One option is to preserve them.
Funeral flower preservation allows meaningful flowers to be transformed into a lasting keepsake, giving you something tangible to keep in your home as a reminder of the person they were chosen for.
At Nogard Creations, we specialise in preserving sentimental and funeral flowers in resin and creating handmade keepsakes from them.
Why preserve funeral flowers?
Funeral flowers are often much more than simply flowers.
They can represent love, remembrance and the relationship people had with the person who has died. Different flowers may have been chosen because they were their favourite, matched their personality or simply because they felt right for the occasion.
Once the funeral is over, it can be incredibly difficult to decide what to do with them.
Preserving some of the flowers gives you the opportunity to keep a physical part of that tribute.
Rather than the flowers being something that disappears once they have wilted, they can become a permanent memorial keepsake.
What funeral flowers can be preserved?
There is no single type of funeral flower that has to be used for preservation.
Depending on their condition, a wide variety of flowers and foliage may be suitable.
However, because every flower is different, some will preserve more successfully than others.
The condition of the flowers when they reach us is also important. Flowers can begin to deteriorate quickly once they have been cut, and their condition can be affected by how they have been stored and handled.
If you are unsure whether your funeral flowers are suitable, it is always worth contacting us and sending photographs.
We can then discuss what may be possible based on the flowers you have.
Do funeral flowers have to be preserved immediately?
Ideally, flowers should reach us as soon as possible.
Fresh flowers naturally begin to wilt and deteriorate once they have been cut, so getting them into the preservation process promptly can give you more options.
However, this does not mean that you should automatically throw flowers away because some time has passed.
We regularly speak to people who have only decided later that they would like to preserve funeral flowers.
If your flowers have started to wilt or even dry, there may still be options available depending on their condition.
The best thing to do is get in touch rather than assuming it is too late.
Can you preserve funeral flowers in resin?
Yes, appropriately dried flowers can be incorporated into resin to create a lasting memorial keepsake.
Resin flower preservation allows real flowers to be carefully arranged within a clear, solid piece.
This can create a three-dimensional way of displaying the flowers while protecting them within the finished keepsake.
There are many different shapes and sizes of resin keepsakes available, so you do not necessarily need to preserve an entire funeral arrangement in one large piece.
A selection of meaningful flowers, smaller blooms or petals can potentially be used to create something much more personal and manageable for displaying at home.
What can funeral flowers be made into?
There are many different ways to preserve funeral flowers.
A larger piece can create a beautiful focal point, while smaller keepsakes can be made using individual flowers or petals.
Depending on the flowers and the design chosen, funeral flowers can potentially be incorporated into pieces such as:
- Resin hearts
- Display blocks
- Coasters
- Keyrings
- Hanging hearts
- Smaller memorial keepsakes
- Framed flower displays
The best option will depend on the amount and condition of the flowers available, as well as how you would like to remember your loved one.
Do you need to preserve the whole funeral arrangement?
No.
You may only want to keep a small selection of the flowers.
In fact, preserving a smaller number of meaningful flowers can sometimes be a lovely way of creating a personal memorial without needing to find space for a large arrangement.
You might choose the flowers that remind you most of your loved one or select blooms from an arrangement that was particularly meaningful.
The remaining flowers do not necessarily need to be included.
This also means that one set of funeral flowers can potentially be used to create more than one keepsake.
For example, a family could choose to have several smaller pieces made so that different family members can each have something to remember their loved one by.
What happens to funeral flowers during preservation?
The flowers first need to be carefully prepared and dried.
This is an important part of the process because fresh flowers contain moisture and cannot simply be placed straight into resin.
The drying process takes time and allows the moisture to be removed from the flowers before they are prepared for their final keepsake.
Once dried, the flowers can be assessed and arranged according to the chosen design.
They are then carefully incorporated into the resin or prepared for their chosen framed display.
The entire process requires patience because rushing the drying or resin stages can affect the final result.
Will funeral flowers look exactly the same after preservation?
Not necessarily.
It is important to remember that we are preserving real flowers.
Natural flowers can change during drying. They may become darker, lighter, smaller or slightly different in shape.
Some flowers retain their appearance particularly well, while others naturally change more during the drying process.
This does not mean that something has gone wrong.
The finished keepsake is a preserved version of the real flowers that were part of the funeral tribute, rather than an artificial recreation of what they looked like on the day.
These natural changes are something we discuss with clients because we want expectations to be realistic from the beginning.
What if the funeral flowers have already started to wilt?
Do not throw them away without asking first.
If the flowers have only recently started to wilt, there may still be options available.
Even if individual flowers are no longer suitable as complete blooms, there may potentially be petals or smaller sections that can be used.
Every set of flowers is different, so there is no simple cut-off point where all preservation becomes impossible.
If you still have the flowers, take some clear photographs and contact us.
We can look at their current condition and discuss what may be possible.
Can funeral flowers be sent by post?
Yes.
If you are not local to Nogard Creations, you can send your flowers to us from anywhere in the UK.
Flowers need to be packaged carefully for their journey because they can be fragile, particularly once they have begun to wilt or dry.
We provide flower packaging guidance to help you prepare them correctly before sending them.
If you are unsure how to package your flowers, contact us before sending them so we can help you understand what is required.
How long does funeral flower preservation take?
Preserving funeral flowers is a detailed process and is not something that can be completed immediately.
The flowers need to be thoroughly dried before they can be used in their final keepsake. Once they are ready, further preparation, arranging and resin work may be required depending on the piece chosen.
At Nogard Creations, the overall preservation process can take up to 12 months.
We understand that this may sound like a long time, but preserving sentimental flowers properly takes patience.
The goal is to create something that can be treasured for many years rather than rushing the process simply to complete it quickly.
Can you preserve flowers from a funeral even if you did not plan ahead?
Yes.
Many people do not think about funeral flower preservation before the funeral takes place.
The days surrounding a funeral can be overwhelming, and preserving the flowers may be something you only consider afterwards.
You do not need to have everything planned in advance.
If you have funeral flowers that you would like to preserve, contact us as soon as possible and we can discuss your options.
We can also accept flowers sent to us by post from across the UK, making funeral flower preservation available even if you are not local to us in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
Creating something to remember them by
There is no right or wrong way to remember someone.
For some people, keeping photographs and personal belongings is important. For others, having something made from the flowers used to say goodbye can provide a particularly meaningful reminder.
A preserved flower keepsake does not replace the flowers or the memories attached to them.
Instead, it gives you a physical reminder of something that was there during an incredibly important moment.
Whether you choose a larger display piece for your home or a smaller keepsake that can be held and treasured, preserving funeral flowers can be a beautiful way to give those flowers a life beyond the funeral.
Have you kept the funeral flowers?
If you have funeral flowers that you are considering preserving, do not worry if you are unsure what can be done with them.
At Nogard Creations, we specialise in preserving funeral, memorial and sentimental flowers into handmade resin keepsakes and framed displays.
We accept flowers delivered to us in person in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, as well as flowers carefully packaged and sent to us by post from across the UK.
If you still have the flowers, get in touch with us as soon as possible. Even if they have already started to wilt or dry, there may still be preservation options available.
A funeral may mark a final goodbye, but preserving some of the flowers can give you something tangible to keep and remember them by for years to come.