We asked Sarah from Recommended supplier, Horseshoe Flowers, for everything you could possibly need to know about preserved wedding flowers and bouquets! Sarah's provided expert advice on what's currently trending, the styles you should look out for and aftercare advice! We also asked if they're more budget-friendly than fresh flowers and how preserved wedding flowers are a sustainable and eco-friendly option. We've got all of this, plus some incredible imagery of work Horseshoe Flowers has done for weddings! If you've been going back and forth on the idea of using dried flowers, this will help you make up your mind!

Preserved wedding flower ideas and arrangements for weddings

What is currently trending within preserved flowers?

Preserved flowers as a category in their own right are really trending. The newness within this category is just astounding! There are now so many different varieties of flowers that you are able to get preserved. It is so easy to get that fresh flower look just made to last after your wedding. Currently, we are loving mixing preserved flowers with dried pampas and grasses with touches of preserved foliage. This gives you the look of a mixed dried and fresh bouquet, but you can keep it for years and years! We are also so excited about the range of colours that are now available. We're seeing lots of bold colours trending, especially colour clashes like using red and pink together. But we also get requests for navy blue, which can be a tricky colour to find with fresh flowers.

What are the different ways you can preserve flowers?

All the flowers we use are preserved using glycerine. The flowers are picked at their optimum moment and immediately preserved within a glycerine solution which allows the colour and the flower to be almost frozen in time, at their peak beauty.

How are preserved flowers eco-friendly and sustainable?

Whilst using dyes and chemicals to preserve and colour the flowers, which is not ideal for the environment, you only need to buy them once! The fact that you only need to purchase them once and not replace them every week (like you would need to do with fresh flowers) makes these flowers and bouquets more eco-conscious than opting for fresh flowers.

What is the aftercare for preserved flowers?

The aftercare is the same as for dried flowers. Keep your flowers out of direct sunlight as this can bleach the colour, and keep them away from damp environments such as the bathroom. Otherwise, they're extremely durable and will look beautiful for years and years after you enjoy them on your special day. On-the-day care of your flowers is actually much easier and more convenient with dried and preserved flowers. There's no need to keep your bouquets in water, so you'll have no worries about splashing water on your dress and no wilting flowers throughout the day. If you use them in your hair, they'll look fresh all day long. Plus, if you have extravagant installations or arches, you don't need awkward water sources for them.

How do you give a scent back to your preserved flowers?

There are scented sprays that you can use, but eucalyptus and other foliage have a lovely natural scent that makes them a perfect choice for inclusion in your bouquets.

Are preserved flowers budget-friendly?

Flowers that are in a preserved form do tend to cost more than fresh flowers due to the extra processes that they require, but since you can enjoy them for years and years after the wedding, they make more financial sense in the long run. As with all floristry, there are clever things your florist can do to achieve a beautiful look for more cost-conscious couples. Also, remember that dried and preserved flowers are really easy to move about the venue, so you can use your flowers in multiple places in your wedding venue, which could help you make significant savings.

How can preserved flowers be styled?

Usually, we style preserved flowers within an arrangement that also consists of dried flowers and grasses. But as this trend is exploding, we also offer bouquets that are made entirely of preserved flowers and or foliage. Preserved flowers have a lovely movement to them like fresh flowers and foliage, so the bouquets can be more relaxed in style.

Are there specific flowers that work best for preserving?

There are some limitations as not all flowers are available in a preserved form. But there are still so many to choose from and the options are getting bigger and bigger. There was a time when only roses were available but now we are seeing dahlias, peonies, orchids, carnations, gypsophila and more. We are also seeing a huge expansion in the kinds of preserved foliage that is available. Olive foliage, asparagus ferns, and so many varieties of eucalyptus are now available. One of our couples recently opted for an all-foliage bouquet! It's a really unique look, made to last.

Horseshoe Flowers has provided top tips and style advice!

Thanks so much to Horseshoe Flowers for all her wonderful knowledge and talent! Her creations are just so incredible! For some more flower and floristry advice, look at our dried flowers article. Don't forget our list of all the major questions you should be asking your florist too! Or you can always look at our pampas grass roundup. Pampas grass is such a popular choice for all kinds of weddings.