There are many reasons behind preserving items from your wedding day: perhaps you’re feeling sentimental and want to pass these items on to the next generations, or you wish to keep these treasured artifacts for you to look at every now and then. Maybe it’s simply because you’ve spent a lot of time and money choosing items for your wedding and the thought of parting with them isn’t very appealing!
Preserving precious items from your wedding day is easier than most people think and mainly require advance planning and some good old TLC. Here are some of our top advice for preserving your wedding heirlooms, including some DIY tips for those who are looking to cut some costs:
Bouquet
There are some options when it comes to preserving your wedding bouquet, with the most popular ones being the press and frame method, the silica gel method, and the freeze-drying method. Here are some details on these methods:
Press and frame: The easiest and most common method, this requires you to simply press the flowers and get them framed. You can either do this yourself or get professional help, which will help maintain the bouquet’s color and shape.
Silica gel: You know those little gel packs that you find in leather products that clearly state that they can’t be eaten? We’re used to throwing them away, but did you know that they’re used to absorb water content, making them perfect for drying out your bouquet! This is a DIY method that you can do at home too. First, grab your silica packets and grind the gels down into a fine powder. Then, brush the ground powder over each petal, making sure to cover every surface. After, place the bouquet in an airtight container (if you have leftover silica powder, just place them inside the container). Put aside in a warm place for a week, carefully take out the bouquet and spray it with hairspray. Let dry and put in a glass box for display.
Freeze-drying: Unless you have the proper equipment at home, the free drying method should only be done with professional help. This is the most expensive option out there but achieves a near perfect bouquet preservation.
Wedding Cake
A popular tradition is preserving the top tier of your wedding cake to eat during your first anniversary. Not only is it supposed to bring good luck, but it also gives you a chance to relieve a special moment during your big day. It’s very important to follow the right steps for proper cake preservation so that it still tastes as good and fresh one year later! Here is an easy DIY for preserving your wedding cake:
1. Remove any decorations and cardboard from the cake and place the top tier in the freezer for half an hour.
2. Tightly seal the frozen cake in several layers of plastic wrap, making sure to cover it fully. Then take some aluminum foil and wrap two layers around it. Make sure to fold the edges of the foil to maintain the cake’s freshness as much as possible.
3. Place the wrapped cake in an airtight container or Ziploc to avoid freezer burn.
Wedding Dress
The most treasured item that almost all brides preseve, the wedding dress is usually passed on to the next generation as it is the most sentimental symbol of your big day. To ensure that your wedding dress still looks brand new in years to come, it is recommended that you have it properly cleaned and preserved. For more information on how to do this, please visit our wedding dress preservation page!