If you’ve booked your bouquet preservation with me ahead of your wedding and you’re shipping your flowers to my farm, there are a few important things to know about getting your bouquet to me safely. Fresh flowers are delicate, and while I can work with a bouquet that has travelled, the sooner I receive it and the better it is packed, the more material I have to work with when creating your finished preservation piece. You might find Youtube videos helpful for a visual shipping reference.
You’ve already reserved your preservation spot, so you don't need to worry about contacting me after your wedding to see if I have availability. Before your wedding, I recommend having your shipping supplies ready so you aren't trying to find a suitable box and packing materials the morning after your wedding. When your wedding is approaching, I'll provide you with the shipping details and any specific instructions you need for sending your bouquet to me.
What to do with your bouquet after the wedding
The most important thing is to get your bouquet to me as soon as reasonably possible after your wedding. Place your bouquet in water, and keep it out of direct sunlight. Flowers naturally begin to deteriorate once they are cut, and some varieties are much more sensitive than others. Keeping your bouquet cool can help slow this process, so if you are keeping it overnight before shipping, avoid leaving it somewhere warm, in direct sunlight, or inside a vehicle.
If your bouquet has been sitting out during your wedding and reception, don't worry if it isn't looking exactly as fresh as it did when you walked down the aisle. Some wilting is completely normal. Gently remove any excess moisture from the stems and wrap the bouquet loosely with paper towel to provide some protection during shipping. I don't recommend spraying the flowers with hairspray, floral preservatives, or other products before sending them to me.
How to pack your bouquet for shipping
Your bouquet should be protected without being tightly compressed. I recommend loosely wrapping the flowers with paper towel and then placing the bouquet inside a plastic bag or other protective covering. The covering should protect the flowers from getting wet or damaged by the other packing materials, but it shouldn't be sealed tightly around the blooms. You don't want to trap excessive moisture against the flowers.
Place the protected bouquet inside a sturdy cardboard shipping box that is large enough to accommodate the flowers without crushing them. At the same time, you don't want a huge amount of empty space around the bouquet, because the flowers can shift around during transportation and become damaged. Use lightweight packing material around the bouquet to keep it reasonably secure inside the box without putting pressure on the blooms.
The goal isn't to make the box completely airtight or to make the bouquet immovable. You're simply trying to prevent the flowers from being crushed and minimize how much they move around while the package is in transit.
Choosing your shipping service
For fresh wedding flowers, I prefer to receive them within 4 days after your wedding (the sooner, the better). I recommend using an expedited, tracked shipping service rather than a slower economy option. The faster your bouquet reaches me, the better, particularly when you're shipping from outside Ontario. Canada-wide shipping is absolutely possible, but delivery times can vary depending on where you're sending the bouquet from, so I'll help you coordinate the timing before your wedding.
I also recommend shipping Monday through Wednesday whenever possible. This helps avoid your bouquet sitting in a shipping facility over the weekend if there is an unexpected delay. For example, if your wedding is on a Saturday, you would generally pack the bouquet Sunday evening or Monday morning and arrange for the fastest appropriate shipping service on Monday.
If you're getting married on a weekday, we can coordinate the timing based on when your bouquet will be ready to leave and the expected delivery time to my farm.
Don't wait several days before sending your flowers
One of the biggest things you can do to help your preservation is simply getting your flowers on their way to me quickly. Even if your bouquet still looks beautiful several days after your wedding, the flowers are continuing to age, and some varieties can deteriorate surprisingly quickly.
If something unexpected happens and you're unable to ship your bouquet when planned, please contact me rather than waiting several more days. I can let you know what I recommend based on how long the flowers have been out of water and their current condition.
If you're travelling after your wedding or leaving for your honeymoon immediately, it's worth arranging in advance for someone you trust to take care of the bouquet and get it shipped according to the plan you've made with me.
What happens when your bouquet arrives?
Once your bouquet arrives at my farm, I'll carefully unpack it and assess the flowers. From there, I'll begin preparing the flowers for preservation based on the varieties, their condition, and the preservation method that is most appropriate for them.
Not every flower in a fresh bouquet will necessarily end up in the finished artwork. Some flowers naturally don't preserve as well as others, and a flower may also arrive bruised, wilted, or otherwise unsuitable for preservation. I'll use my professional judgment when selecting the flowers and greenery that will give you the best finished result.
It's also important to remember that your finished piece won't necessarily look exactly like your fresh wedding bouquet. Preservation changes the flowers naturally, and colour, shape, texture, size, and even the amount of material that remains usable can vary. My goal is to create a beautiful piece of artwork using the best material from your bouquet rather than trying to make the preserved flowers look artificially identical to their fresh counterparts.
What if the flowers are damaged during shipping?
Fresh flowers are natural and delicate, so there is always some risk involved when sending them through the mail. Flowers can bruise, lose petals, wilt, or change colour during transportation, particularly if a package experiences heat, cold, delays, or rough handling.
I'll always handle your bouquet carefully when it arrives and do everything I reasonably can to preserve suitable material. However, I can't guarantee that every flower, petal, or piece of greenery will survive either the journey or the preservation process. This is one of the reasons I recommend following the packing instructions carefully and choosing an expedited, tracked shipping service.
Your bouquet is in good hands
I know your wedding bouquet is much more than just a bunch of flowers. It's one of the few physical pieces of your wedding day that can be turned into something you can keep and display for years.
You've already taken care of the most important part by booking your preservation in advance. When your wedding day arrives, focus on enjoying it. Afterward, keep your bouquet cool, handle it gently, pack it carefully, and get it on its way to me as soon as possible. Once it arrives at my farm, I'll take it from there.
