Your wedding may be over, but your bouquet’s journey isn’t quite finished yet. If you’re shipping your flowers for professional preservation, getting them to your preservation artist quickly—and in the best condition possible—can make a meaningful difference in the final result.
At Ali Ann Floral Preservation, we work with both local and out-of-state clients. Overnight shipping makes it possible to have your wedding bouquet professionally preserved even when you’re hundreds of miles from our New York studio.
Before You Pack Your Bouquet
Immediately following your wedding, keep your bouquet hydrated and in a cool location until it is ready to be shipped. Ask a trusted friend or family member ahead of time to take responsibility for your flowers so it’s one less thing you have to think about after your wedding.
And one important reminder: don’t toss the bouquet you’re planning to preserve! If you’d like to participate in a bouquet toss, consider using a bridesmaid’s bouquet or a separate toss bouquet instead.
When Should You Ship Your Wedding Bouquet?
Your flowers should reach your preservation artist as quickly as possible after your wedding.
For Ali Ann Floral Preservation clients who are shipping their flowers, we recommend overnight shipping on the next business day following your wedding. Avoid sending your bouquet when it could sit unnecessarily in transit over a weekend.
How to Pack Your Wedding Bouquet for Shipping
Step 1: Keep the stems hydrated.
Wrap approximately three inches of the stems in a damp paper towel and secure it around the stems.
Step 2: Protect the flowers.
Loosely wrap your bouquet in parchment paper or a similar material. Avoid tightly wrapping or crushing the blooms.
Step 3: Keep the bouquet from moving.
Place the stems into a smaller box secured inside your larger shipping box. This helps stabilize the bouquet during transit. Fill the remaining empty space with lightweight packing material so the bouquet cannot move excessively inside the box.
Step 4: Ship overnight.
Secure the package and purchase an overnight shipping label. Drop the bouquet off with your carrier on the next appropriate business day so it spends as little time boxed up as possible.
Choosing the Right Box
You don’t need an enormous box to safely ship a bouquet. In fact, excessive empty space can allow the flowers to move around more during transit.
Most bouquets fit in approximately a 15 × 15 × 12-inch box, although the appropriate size will depend on your bouquet. Ideally, the box should only be slightly taller and wider than the bouquet itself.
What Happens When Your Flowers Arrive?
Once your bouquet arrives at our studio, the preservation process begins. Your flowers are carefully prepared and placed in silica gel to dry for several weeks before the design and resin preservation stages begin
Shipping your bouquet may feel intimidating, especially after spending so much time choosing your wedding flowers. With thoughtful packing and overnight shipping, however, professional bouquet preservation doesn’t have to be limited by where you live.
Ali Ann Floral Preservation accepts wedding bouquets shipped from across the continental United States, allowing your flowers to be transformed into lasting keepsakes wherever your wedding takes place. Clients located in and around Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, Albany, and Watertown are welcome to drop off to our studio in Rome, NY.