Bridal Bouquet Preservation in Toronto & GTA

At Harvest Hill Flower Farm, I grow, harvest and naturally air-dry hundreds of flowers each year for my dried wedding florals. Working with dried flowers every day has given me a real appreciation for the way individual flowers, textures and shapes can be preserved and displayed long after they are cut.

I also offer bridal bouquet preservation for Toronto couples who want to turn their wedding flowers into a lasting piece of art. Instead of pressing the flowers flat, I carefully air-dry them and arrange them in three-dimensional shadow boxes and meadow boxes, allowing the flowers to keep their natural shape, height and texture. The finished piece has a loose, garden-inspired look, with layers of flowers and negative space that lets you appreciate the bouquet from a different perspective long after your wedding day.

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How it Works

1. Bring Me Your Bouquet

After your wedding, bring your fresh bouquet to Harvest Hill Flower Farm in Blackstock, Ontario (about 1 hour eaast of the GTA) as soon as you can, ideally within a day or two. Getting the flowers to me quickly helps preserve them while they are still in good condition.

2. Your Flowers Are Naturally Air-Dried

Once your bouquet arrives, I'll carefully prepare each flower and hang everything to dry naturally here on the farm. Most flowers take about 2–3 weeks to fully dry. I don't press the flowers flat or use dyes or chemical preservatives, allowing them to retain their natural shape, colour and texture as much as possible.

3. I Design Your Keepsake

After the flowers are completely dry, I'll choose the pieces that have preserved best and arrange them in your 3D meadow box, shadow box, or arrangement. I'll work with the natural character of your flowers, creating layers of different heights, textures and negative space rather than trying to recreate the original bouquet exactly.

Please allow approximately 6 weeks from bouquet drop-off to finished pickup. Because the flowers need to arrive fresh and each piece is individually designed, I currently offer farm drop-off and pickup in Blackstock only and do not accept bouquets by mail or ship finished preservation pieces.

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About Harvest Hill Flower Farm

Harvest Hill Flower Farm is a small family-run flower farm in Blackstock, Ontario. We grow our flowers from seed and work with the natural rhythm of the seasons, allowing each variety to grow, bloom and be harvested in its own time.

There’s a lot of hands-on care behind every flower—from planting and weeding to watering, harvesting at just the right stage and hanging each bunch in our barn to dry. We grow without chemicals and keep our methods simple and natural throughout the season.

What begins as a seed in our fields eventually becomes a carefully dried flower, ready to be enjoyed long after the growing season has ended.

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Meet Sarah

Hi, I’m Sarah — wife, mother, and flower farmer living a simple, slow-paced life on our little homestead in Ontario.

Harvest Hill grew from my love of growing things and spending time outside. I grow beautiful, chemical-free flowers from seed, then harvest and naturally dry them in our barn as the seasons unfold.

Read Sarah's Story

Learn More About Bridal Bouquet Preservation

How does booking work?

A 50% booking deposit and signed contract is required to reserve your bouquet preservation spot. Your remaining balance is due once your finished preservation piece is complete and before pickup.

The deposit reserves your place in my preservation schedule and covers the time and materials involved in preparing and drying your flowers. Deposits are non-refundable, but with advance notice, I may be able to transfer your booking to another available date if your wedding plans change.

How do you dry my wedding flowers?

I use three-dimensional drying methods rather than traditional flower pressing, so your flowers can retain their natural shape and structure. The method depends on the individual flower. Large, moisture-filled blooms such as dahlias, zinnias and peonies may be carefully dried in silica gel, while smaller flowers and filler flowers are generally hung upside down in my drying room.

I don't use one drying method for every bouquet. I look at the flowers I receive and choose the method that I think will give each variety the best chance of drying beautifully.

How do I get my bouquet to the farm after my wedding?

Once you've booked, I recommend choosing a trusted family member, friend or member of your wedding party who will be responsible for getting your bouquet to me. Before the wedding, make sure they know where the bouquet needs to go and how quickly it needs to arrive.

After the wedding, keep your bouquet in water and somewhere cool and dark until it can be delivered. The sooner I receive your flowers, the better. Ideally, I like to receive them within a day or two of your wedding.

If possible, I also recommend sending along a bridesmaid bouquet, centerpiece or other wedding flowers. Having a few additional blooms gives me more material to work with and allows me to choose the flowers that have dried and preserved the best.

Once you contact me, I'll provide my farm address and drop-off instructions. Harvest Hill is located in Blackstock, Ontario, about an hour east of the GTA.

Can you preserve flowers other than my bridal bouquet?

Yes. If you have additional wedding flowers you'd like included, such as a bridesmaid bouquet, boutonniere, centerpiece or other meaningful flowers, let me know when you book. Additional flowers can give me more material and variety to work with when designing your piece.

Can you pick up my bouquet from my wedding?

At this time, I don't offer wedding-day pickup. You'll need to arrange for someone from your wedding party, family or friends to bring the flowers to the farm after your wedding.

What if some of my flowers are too far gone when they arrive?

I'll always assess the condition of your flowers when they arrive. The reason I ask you to keep them in water, somewhere cool and dark, and get them to the farm as quickly as possible is to give them the best possible start to the drying process.

If there isn't enough usable material after drying to create your preservation piece, I'll let you know and refund your payment in full rather than making a piece with flowers that haven't preserved well.

How should I care for my preserved flowers?

The biggest things are sunlight and moisture. Keep your finished piece somewhere dry and shaded, away from direct sunlight, humid rooms and sources of moisture. A dry corner of a bedroom or living room is much better than a sunny window or bathroom.

Dried flowers will collect a little dust over time. For a loose meadow-style arrangement, you can carefully take it outside, turn it upside down and gently shake it to release some of the dust. A very soft, fine duster can also be used carefully around the flowers. Avoid spraying the flowers with water or cleaning products.

How long will my preserved flowers last?

Dried flowers can last for several years when they're properly cared for. They aren't completely permanent, though. Over time, the colours will naturally soften and fade, particularly if the flowers are exposed to direct sunlight.

Part of the beauty of dried flowers is that they continue to change slightly with age, but keeping your artwork in the right environment will help it stay beautiful for as long as possible.

How do I choose between a shadow box and a meadow box?

Shadow boxes have a more traditional framed-art feel, and the glass helps protect the flowers from dust and some exposure to UV light. The downside is that there is less room to work with very large or thick flowers and to create lots of height and dimension.

Meadow boxes and other three-dimensional arrangements give me more freedom to work with the natural shape and size of your flowers. I can create different heights, layers, textures and negative space, giving the finished piece more of a little dried garden or meadow feel.

If you're not sure which would work best for your flowers, I'm happy to guide you once I see what you'll be sending.

What happens if my flowers don't dry well?

I always do my best to work with what you bring me, but fresh wedding flowers can be unpredictable. Some flowers simply don't preserve as well as others, and flowers that have been sitting without water for too long may already be too far gone by the time they arrive.

If, after the drying process, there isn't enough suitable, high-quality floral material to create your preservation piece, I'll refund your money in full. I don't want to create something you're unhappy with just for the sake of completing an order.

How long does the preservation process take?

Your flowers generally need about 3 weeks to fully dry, although the exact timing can vary depending on the flowers and drying method. Once everything is dry, I'll begin designing and assembling your shadow box, meadow box or other three-dimensional artwork.

Please allow approximately 6 weeks total from the time I receive your bouquet to the completion of your finished piece.

How far in advance should I book my bouquet preservation?

I recommend booking 6–12 months before your wedding if possible. I have limited preservation availability, especially during summer weekends when I’m also in the middle of a very busy growing and harvesting season here on the farm. Booking ahead gives me a better chance of having room for your flowers when your wedding day arrives.

That said, I know not every bride thinks about preservation months in advance. If you’ve just gotten married and are looking for someone to preserve your bouquet, feel free to reach out. I do my best to accommodate last-minute requests when my schedule allows, especially when I can receive the flowers within a day or two of the wedding.

Where do I pick up my finished artwork?

Your finished preservation piece will be available for pickup at Harvest Hill Flower Farm in Blackstock, Ontario. Because these are delicate, three-dimensional pieces, I don't currently ship finished artwork.

You'll want to plan for someone to pick up your piece from the farm, particularly if you're travelling from Toronto or elsewhere in the GTA. I'll let you know when it's ready and arrange a pickup time with you.

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