Bridal Bouquet Pressing vs. Drying: Which One is Better?

If you have a special bouquet, like your wedding or anniversary flowers, it’s natural to want to keep it. These flowers hold important memories. But choosing how to save them can be problematic.

Drying and pressing both remove moisture from your flowers, but they give different results. The best method depends on how you want to use or display them. The best method depends on how you want to use or display the flowers later.

Maybe you have tried drying flowers before and noticed the petals looked dull or the stems turned brown. That often happens when flowers dry too slowly. To keep their color and avoid browning, they need to dry quickly. That is the secret to getting a beautiful result. Color correction techniques may also help enhance dried or pressed flowers when display-ready.

If you want more shape and texture in your project, dried flowers are a better option. Pressed flowers stay flat, while dried ones keep their natural form. Our Olive Branch Studios experts have put together this guide to help you understand whether you should press or dry your special floral arrangements.

Drying vs. Pressing Flowers

There are two simple methods to preserve your flowers: drying and pressing. Drying keeps the shape of the flower while taking out the moisture, which helps stop it from rotting. Pressing also removes moisture, but it flattens the flower completely and makes it thin like paper.

Choosing the right method depends on the kind of flowers you have and how you want them to look in the end. Also, think about where you will be keeping them. Dried flowers don’t do well in sunlight or near heat because they fade fast. And once they get dusty, it’s really difficult to bring them back to life.

It’s best to start drying your bouquet as soon as you can. Fully opened flowers can lose petals during drying. The longer the flowers sit in water, the more they open up. Try to dry them when they are just starting to bloom or at their peak; it gives the best result. If you can’t start drying right away, choose flowers that last longer. That way, you will have a bit more time before you need to begin.

Drying Flowers

Drying keeps your bouquet close to its original shape. Once dried, you can leave it as is, frame it in a shadow box, or make a wreath. Flowers with large blooms like roses, peonies, or hydrangeas are better dried than pressed, as pressing can easily misshape their petals.

Air Drying Flowers

Air drying is one of the oldest and simplest methods for drying flowers. Just trim the extra leaves, tie the stems, and hang them upside down for a few days. It works best with strong, long stems. But flowers with lots of pollen, like lilies or daisies, don’t dry well this way because the pollen can fall out.

Microwave Drying Flowers

Microwave drying is a much quicker way to dry flowers and helps keep their color bright. It only takes a few minutes to start, then the flowers need to sit overnight to dry fully. This method works well for thick flowers with many petals. But delicate flowers may get damaged in the process. Always consider mistakes to avoid in flower preservation, like over-drying in the microwave, which can lead to brittle petals and loss of color.

Drying Flowers with a Food Dehydrator

A food dehydrator isn’t just for drying fruits! It’s great for drying flowers, as you can layer them and dry multiple flowers at once. The process is quick; just lay the flowers on the trays with space between them and let the dehydrator run overnight.

Pressing Flowers

Pressed flowers have their unique beauty. Unlike dried flowers, they lose their shape and become flat. Depending on the flower and method, they can become very thin, almost paper-like, and even translucent.

Pressed flowers have practical benefits. They are flat, so they are easier to store and less likely to get damaged. They also don’t collect dust as easily as dried flowers, which can be hard to clean once they get dusty.

Bridal bouquet pressing is especially popular among newlyweds who want to preserve their flowers in a framed display or art piece. This technique highlights the intricate petal details and makes a timeless keepsake.

Pressing flowers takes some practice, so try it first with less special flowers. For delicate flowers like orchids or lilies, pressing is the best method.

Pressing Flowers With Books

Pressing flowers with books is simple. Open the book and place parchment paper (or newspaper) on the pages. Lay the flowers face down on the paper, then close the book. Make sure the weight is spread evenly across the book to press the flowers properly. After about 10 days, your flowers will be fully dried and ready to remove.

Using a Flower Press

Using a flower press gives you more control than using a book. It’s especially useful for flowers like lilies and daffodils, where the shape is important. For larger flowers, you might want to press the petals separately and then put the flowers back together afterwards.

To prevent browning, change the parchment paper you are using to blot the flowers once or twice a week. A flower press also saves space and makes it a better choice

than a book when you are pressing multiple flowers.

Pressing Flowers with an Iron

Pressing flowers with an iron is a fast way to preserve them, taking just a few minutes compared to the weeks needed with a book or press. To do this, place the flowers between two pieces of parchment paper and hold the iron over them for about 10 seconds. Let them cool, then check the results.

Final Thoughts: Which Method Is Best?

There’s no one best method for preserving your bouquet; it all depends on your flowers, what you want to do with them, and how you wish to preserve them. 

Before you preserve a meaningful bouquet, we recommend experimenting with a few methods to find what works best for you. Some methods may look great initially, but change over time. Keep in mind that each method has its advantages, and the best choice is as unique as the bouquet you are preserving.

If you are looking for a way to practice before preserving your special flowers, a flower subscription from Olive Branch Studios can help. With fresh blooms delivered regularly, you can hone your skills, perfect your flower-pressing technique, and make every memory last beautifully through floral preservation.