 BRIDAL FLORAL
BOUQUET PRESERVATION
Established in 1982, Florage is the country's premier
floral preservationist, known for preserving wedding
flowers, and has been recognized by and
featured in publications such as Bride and Groom,
Houston Chronicle, and Texas State Floral Association's
"Blooming Texas". Also Ms. Christie has been featured
numerous times on several TV programs such as Good
Morning Houston and ABC's 6:00 news, to name a few. The
company's floral bridal bouquet preservation expertise with bridal
bouquets has also been
noted by numerous prominent individuals, and in the
collections of First Lady Laura Bush and former First
Lady Barbara Bush, among others.
The Signature Collection of wedding bouquets is a high quality line
featuring custom-framed invitations and announcements.
Our new gift merchandise is unique and exciting
preserved floral décor in the form of "Flower Globes".
Saving your Bridal Bouquet brings richness and meaning
to your life and helps stir emotions for years to come.
BRIDAL BOUQUET
PREPARATION
It is important to remember to care for your special
flowers after the wedding. To ensure that your beautiful
floral memories of such a special day are able to be
enjoyed for years to come please follow the instructions
below:
-Flowers must be received within 2 days for best results.
-Place flowers in a large plastic bag. (i.e. large
kitchen trash bag)
-Blow air into the bag since it is the carbon dioxide
that keeps the flowers fresh.
-Twist tie the bag and place in the refrigerator. Do not
place in freezer.
FREEZE-DRYING YOUR BRIDAL BOUQUET
PREPARATION
 The
freeze-dried method is the newest and most effective
method for floral preservation today. It is an
innovative vacuum process that takes approximately four
weeks depending on the flower. The freeze-drying machine
drops the temperature to a –20°F then it slowly returns
the flowers to room temperature over the four week
period. This slow bouquet preservation process allows the
flowers in your bridal bouquet to retain their original form, while the colors
become enriched.
Each flower in your bridal bouquet is freeze dried separately to ensure an
aesthetically pleasing shape. The individual wedding flowers are
labeled and placed in the freeze-dry machine, carefully,
to avoid any bruises to the flowers. The stems are
removed to enable the bloom to stand upright. An average
machine holds approximately 2,000 heads of flowers.
After the four week period the freeze dried flowers from
your bridal bouquet are
delicately removed from the machine. This task usually
takes about 4-5 hours.
Each freeze dried wedding flower is then dipped individually in
a solution that seals the flower and allows them to be
soft and pliable. The dried flowers are allowed to dry
for a minimum of 36-48 hours. This additional process
helps the flowers to last indefinitely.
The dried wedding flowers should be kept out of the direct
sunlight and humidity to ensure their lasting quality.
The hues of the flowers in your bridal bouquet may change somewhat with time
depending on the type and variety of the flower.
Freeze-drying wedding flowers is a very labor intensive and time
consuming process. However, this innovative technique
allows your special flowers from your bridal bouquet to
last indefinitely.
 Freeze
drying (technically known as "lyophilization") is the
process of lowering the temperature of an object and
then using a vacuum to extract all the moisture from the
item.
The general process of freeze drying objects has been
around for over 70 years. The process of freeze drying
flowers began in 1989. By removing all the moisture from
the flowers, the colors are preserved (though they may
take on a slightly antiqued look), and as long as they
are protected from exposure to sunlight, insects and
humidity, they should last for years and years.
You may be surprised to discover that the freeze drying
process has been applied successfully to such things as
the preservation of historical documents such as
valuable books and papers, animal trophies and pet
preservation, and, of course, food and dried flowers and
botanicals. The freeze drying process is used by
museums, food producers, taxidermists, insurance
companies, and scientists.
FLOWERS IN YOUR BRIDAL BOUQUET
Most all flowers used in bridal bouquets freeze-dry and press well.
 The
following are recommended for freeze-drying only:
Anthurium, Gardenia, Ginger, Heliconia, Hyacinth,
Liatris, Calla Lilly, Narcissus, Cattleya and Japhet
Orchid, Tuberose, Bird-of Paradise.
The flowers listed below are not normally preservable:
Bourvardia, Chrysanthemum, Lilac.
The centuries old art of pressing flowers is also very
labor intense. Each flower is first taken apart and then
painstakingly pressed, petal by petal, to preserve its
rich and vivid color.
Flowers are preserved to give life long memories of
events, and to enrich our lives. To savor these moments
for ourselves, friends, and family only adds a higher
quality of living for everyone.
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