Wedding Shadow Box Ideas

Q: My daughter is getting married soon and we want to give her a shadow box with her wedding bouquet preserved in it. Do you have any ideas how we can make it really special?

A: Of course every shadow box that contains a preserved bridal bouquet is special. There are many ways to personalize your gift. The addition of wedding memorabilia to the shadow box is the best way. It keeps everything together in an exquisite keepsake the couple will enjoy displaying in their home. Just gather everything together...the invitation, garter, a photo, whatever you think is special, and send it to us with the flowers.

Using Old Flowers for Jewelry?

Q, - My niece saved the rose bouquet that her boyfriend gave her just before his death. The roses have been sitting in a vase for over a year. They are both white and red in color. I would like make jewelry or a shadowbox for her as a memorial tribute to him. Is either option still possible after all this time?

A. - Either option is possible. Since the roses are air dried we can create a shadowbox using her flowers mixed with similar freeze dried flowers to give more of a fresh looking effect. We could include a bereavement poem or a photo, if she'd like. Rose Petal jewelry also makes a beautiful and meaningful keepsake to treasure for a lifetime. We can create the jewelry in any color. Either choice will make a wonderful gift for your niece.

See our rose petal jewelry page for ideas on what can be done with your flowers.

Preserving Calla Lilies?

Q. I know the different techniques for preserving flowers, but which method works best for calla lilies?

A. Calla Lilies are preserved best by freeze drying, which is the state of the art method for flower preservation. The flowers keep their natural shape and color. They look like fresh flowers.We mount them in a shadowbox which creates a beautiful keepsake which you'll be proud to display in your home. You might also consider a floral collage of calla lilies as a gift for someone special.

We have an example of a Shadow box including Calla Lilies.

Bouquet with lily of the valley, sweat peas, & tulips?

Q.- I'm getting married April 21, 2007 and am looking for a way/place to preserve my bouquet (which will have lily of the valley, sweat peas, & tulips.) Can you do this for me? How long would/will it take? How much will it cost for 1 wedding bouquet?


A.- Freeze dried flowers turn out like fresh flowers. They look beautiful, and last for years. Tulips and Sweetpeas freeze dry exceptionally well. Lilly of the Valley is very fragile, and looks better pressed, which we also add to the shadowbox and gives a very nice dimensional look.

We suggest mounting your wedding flowers in a 3" shadowbox with a bouquet design similar to the one you carried. The sample on the left is a "handtied" bouquet. We also offer cascade designs, or you may surround a photo or your invitation.

Our prices start at $45.00 for freeze drying in a Keepsake Ball or $115.00 in a Flower Shadowbox. It is also very simple to ship, just follow these instructions.

IMPORTANT NOTE: YOUR FRESH FLOWERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY US WITHIN 2 DAYS FOR BEST RESULTS. PLEASE READ THESE IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS.

White stargazer lily and a quote in shadowbox frame.

Q - I would like to preserve a white stargazer lily from my fathers funeral spray and add a quote in the shadowbox frame.

A - Our specialty is freeze drying flowers, and we also press them to create exquisite memorial tributes.

Your white stargazer lily would make a beautiful keepsake. Here is an example of how white stargazers freeze dry.




Here is an example of a smaller shadowbox with a red stargazer lily (when freeze dried they turn slightly purple) .






We can also create a personalized nameplate with a quote on it.

Large heart shaped spray at my grandmother's funeral

Q - We had a large heart shaped spray at my grandmother's funeral. It is so meaningful. Can I preserve it?

A - Most all sympathy flowers can be freeze dried. I would suggest a larger shadowbox, at least 16"x20" in order to achieve the shape of the heart. Creating a heart shape from sympathy flowers is an elegant and sentimental piece that will last for years, and can be passed down to your children as an heirloom.

Preserve/dry roses from a funeral?

Q - I would like to know the best way to preserve/dry roses from a funeral and organize in a shadow box.

A - Freeze drying is the state of the art for preserving sympathy flowers. The flowers remain looking as if their were fresh flowers, they keep their shape and form, and their color become enriched.

An elegant way to keep your sympathy flowers is to arrange them around a poem or scripture in a shadowbox frame.

We have mounted funeral flowers around favored poems in a variety of displays for your consideration.

Arrangements for preserving a bridal bouquet?

Q. - What arrangements need to be made prior to, or post wedding if a bride wishes to preserve her bridal bouquet?

A. - It is helpful to come in prior to the wedding and pick out the keepsake in which you would like your flowers preserved. Since we need to receive your flowers at least two days after the event, it is necessary to appoint someone to bring us your flowers if you are going on your honeymoon.

Also, after your wedding you should place your flowers in a large plastic bag (i.e. large kitchen trash bag). Blow air into it, since it is the carbon dioxide that keeps the flowers fresh. Twist tie the bag and keep it in the refrigerator until you can bring it to us.. Do not place in the freezer.

For examples of the work that we have done preserving bridal bouquets, be sure to look over our shadow box selection.

More questions and answers about preserving memories with flowers can be found on our web site.

Is a silver container appropriate to arrange dried flowers in?

It depends on what you are using in the arrangement. A more simple designed vase/container, one that is not too ornate, would be better, since, it might pull the focus away from the dried flower arrangement. Dried flowers will intensify in color depending on their variety, like reds and purples. Other colors may turn a little lighter such as yellows and light pinks. The right silver container would be a lovely complement to your arrangement for a dining room center piece, or in a cozy corner that needs some sparkle or color. Also, you may mount the dried flowers in a shadowbox, which would make a beautiful decorative piece, or you may, also, rest the dried flowers on a easel.

Look at our selection of freeze-dried flowers mounted in shadowboxes for more ideas.

I am trying to create posies for a historical re-enactment event.

Q.- I would like to use native flowers, trees, & shrubs from our area. I am interested to see if you can freeze dry the following so that they could be made into posies afterward by the event attendees:

• Dogwood( on or off stem),
• azaleas( on or off stem?),
• small pine twigs ( 6 inches in length)
• oak leaves,
• bluebonnets,
• magnolia flowers,
• musk rose,
• jasmine,
• sweet basil,
• ivy,
• dwarf sunflowers,
• carnations, and
• gardenias.

A.- We specialize in freeze-drying flowers and arrangements. Dogwood, Azaleas, Jasmine, sunflowers, carnations and gardenias should freeze dry well, depending on their freshness. The jasmine and gardenias discolor and wilt very easily so they need to be freeze dried immediately. The greenery loses its color when freeze dried due to the extraction of the moisture. Therefore, we enhance the color afterwards.

You said you would want them freeze-dried first and then they will be arranged into bouquets afterward?

I think the only problem with that is the flowers are very fragile and prone to break after they've been freeze-dried and are Not pliable. Some are stronger than others such as the carnations and sunflowers. It is hard to make poesy arrangements with freeze-dried flowers because of the fact that they can break off their stems so easily. It is not impossible, but it takes a lot of practice, time and experience working with freeze-dried flowers.

I'd like to recommend that you have the posies made up first and then freeze-dry them, OR the flowers can be freeze-dried individually and arranged into a vase or bowl instead of binding them together in a poesy shape. Also, mounting the dried flowers in a shadowbox, would make a beautiful decorative piece, or you may, also, rest the dried flowers on a easel.

Can you work with silk flowers?

Silk flowers can be mounted in a shadow box and create a beautiful display piece. You can surround your invitation or photograph, or we can recreate your lovely bridal bouquet shape. The flowers you carried
at your wedding are memories you will cherish forever. Displaying them in a shadowbox keepsake it the perfect way to enjoy your flowers for years.

Look over our complete selection of preserved wedding flowers in wedding keepsakes for your pleasure.

Do exotic flowers freeze dry well?

Q.- My fiancé and I are getting married in Hawaii, and I am carrying exotics in my bouquet. I would like to have my bouquet preserved, probably in a shadowbox. Do exotic flowers freeze dry well?

A.- Ginger, Bird of Paradise, orchards, and lilies freeze dry exceptionally well. They make a beautiful arrangement in a shadowbox keepsake. You can surround your freeze dried flowers around a beautiful photo taken on the beach, or recreate your wedding bouquet in the shape you carried. You will cherish the memories for years to come. We have an example of preserved exotic flowers in a shadowbox display for you to see.

Imagine your wedding bouquet of exotic flowers preserved alongside photographs of your honeymoon in that exotic and romantic location.

I would like to freeze dry my flowers, and arrange them in a vase.

Q.- What is the best way to do this?

A.- Most flowers freeze dry beautifully, and look like freshly cut flowers. The colors tend to become somewhat richer when dried. Depending on how special the flowers are to you, if they represent a meaningful event, and how long you want them to last, you should consider whether displaying them in a vase is the best way to keep them.

Freeze dried flowers kept in the open for a period of time will collect dust, and after several months and years will start to look very tired and drab. Therefore, if they are from a special occasion and you want to cherish the memories, we recommend that you have them mounted in a shadowbox keepsake. You may add meaningful mementos, or writings that have a special importance to create a beautiful piece that will give you lasting memories.

We offer a selection of freeze dried flowers mounted in attractive shadowboxes for your consideration.