Bridal Bouquet Preservation – Shadow Box

Every year at Harvest Hill Flower Farm, I grow, harvest and naturally air-dry hundreds of flowers for my dried wedding work. In addition to creating dried wedding bouquets, I also preserve fresh wedding bouquets for couples who want to keep their flowers long after their wedding day.

My preservation method is simple and natural. I air-dry your flowers rather than pressing them flat, and I don't use dyes or chemical preservatives. Once they're fully dried, I'll arrange the best-preserved flowers into a three-dimensional shadow box with an acrylic front.

1. Ship or drop off your bouquet at the farm

After your wedding, bring your bouquet to Harvest Hill Flower Farm in Blackstock, Ontario as soon as possible, ideally within a day or two. You can either drop your bouquet off at the farm or ship it to me. The sooner I receive your flowers, the better chance I have of preserving them successfully.

2. I'll prepare and air-dry your flowers

Once your bouquet arrives, I'll carefully take it apart and prepare the individual flowers and stems for drying. Different flowers dry differently, so I'll assess your bouquet and prepare the flowers according to what will give them the best chance of preserving well.

Your flowers will then be naturally air-dried here on the farm. Most flowers take approximately 2–3 weeks to dry, but please allow around 8 weeks total from drop-off to finished piece. This gives me time for the drying process as well as designing and arranging your finished display.

3. Your flowers become a shadow box

Once the flowers are completely dry, I'll select the pieces that have preserved best and arrange them into your shadow box. Rather than pressing everything flat or creating a tightly packed arrangement, I'll work with different heights, textures and negative space to create a natural, three-dimensional bouquet.

Your finished preservation piece will have an acrylic front that helps protect the flowers from dust, dirt and everyday handling while allowing you to enjoy the arrangement as a three-dimensional display. The shadow box is not airtight or completely sealed, so your flowers will continue to naturally respond to the environment in your home.

A note about natural flower preservation

Not every flower dries equally well. Some flowers hold their colour and shape beautifully, while others may become delicate, change colour, lose their shape or not be suitable for the finished arrangement. Because of this, I can't guarantee that every flower from your original bouquet will make it into the final shadow box.

This is natural air-dried preservation, not pressed-flower preservation. I don't use dyes or chemical preservatives to change or artificially maintain the flowers. Some natural changes in colour, shape and texture are expected as your flowers dry and continue to age, and these changes are part of the character of naturally preserved flowers.

The hope is that your preserved bouquet will last for several years, but because dried flowers are a natural material, some changes are expected over time. Humidity, sunlight and other environmental conditions can gradually affect the flowers. Colours will naturally fade or soften, and the flowers may become more brittle as they age. For the longest-lasting display, keep your shadow box out of direct sunlight and in a dry location inside your home.

Finished pieces can be picked up from the farm in Blackstock or shipped via Canada Post for an additional cost.