You Just Got Married. Here's How to Save Your Bouquet.

Congratulations, you're married! Somewhere between the last dance and the send off, somebody handed you your bouquet, and now it's sitting in a vase while you wonder: can I actually keep this?

Yes. But the clock is ticking, and what you do in the next 1 to 3 days decides how beautifully your flowers preserve. After 17 years in the wedding industry, I can tell you that the bouquets that become the most stunning resin heirlooms aren't the biggest or the fanciest, they're the best cared for. So here's exactly what to do, starting the moment the reception ends.

On the Wedding Day Itself

A little planning before the big day protects your bouquet more than anything you can do after. Three things:

Handle it by the stems only. Every touch transfers oils to the petals, and those touches show up later as bruising once the flowers are cast in resin. Hold stems, not blooms, and tell your maid of honor, your planner, and anyone else on bouquet duty to do the same.

Use a toss bouquet. If a bouquet toss is in your plans, have your florist make a small alternate. Your real bouquet should never go airborne.

Keep it watered and cool. Between photos and moments, your bouquet should be resting in a vase of water, out of direct sunlight. On a hot day, the coolest room in the building, or anywhere with A/C, is its best friend.

The Days After: Your Bouquet's Countdown

Your flowers need to reach me within 1 to 3 days of your wedding. Until then, treat your bouquet like the VIP it is:

Fresh, cool water every day. Change it daily, don't just top it off.

Trim the stems daily. A fresh cut helps the blooms keep drinking, which keeps petals full and colors true.

Out of the sun, in the coolest room. Sunlight and heat are the two fastest ways to lose a bouquet. A cool guest room beats a sunny kitchen counter every time.

And one practical note: when it's time for drop off, don't send your bouquet in a vase you'd like returned. Any container works, it's the flowers coming home with me, not the vessel.

Getting Your Bouquet to Me

If you're in the Triangle, you have three easy options: drop your bouquet off to me in Chapel Hill, send it with a family member or your planner, or arrange my concierge pickup service and cross it off your list entirely. Honeymoon flights don't wait, and neither should your flowers, so this is a perfect job to delegate.

Not Local? Here's How to Ship Your Bouquet

I work with couples well beyond the Triangle, and a carefully packed bouquet travels remarkably well. Here's how to do it right.

Keep the blooms hydrated in transit. This is the difference between flowers arriving fresh or wilting. Soak a few paper towels, wrap them around all the stems, then seal the stems inside a plastic bag with a tight elastic band so nothing leaks. Floral tubes work beautifully too, they're inexpensive online and your florist may even send you home with some. Fill each tube with water, and still bag the stems to prevent leaks. Only the blooms need tubes; greenery is a trooper and doesn't need them.

Box it twice. You'll want a shipping box slightly larger than your arrangement, with a smaller box inside holding the flowers. Trim long stems so everything fits without bending. Place the stems facing upward, never on their side.

Pack with paper, never plastic. Fill every gap with packing peanuts, newspaper, or soft paper products until nothing moves when you gently shake the box. This part matters more than any other: plastic touching the blooms will make them rot in transit, so keep plastic on the stems only.

Skip the floral foam. If your bouquet or arrangement was displayed in foam, remove the stems from it before packing, trim them fresh, and pack with the wet towel or tube method instead. Foam dries out fast and starves the stems.

Label it loudly. Fragile stickers and "this side up" arrows, and if you don't have stickers, handwrite them big and clear. Everyone who touches that box should know exactly what's inside and which way is up.

Ship it smart. I recommend UPS or FedEx with the fastest option you're comfortable with, and whatever you do, do not select "signature required" on your label, a missed delivery attempt is the last thing your flowers need. In hot months, tuck an ice pack inside the plastic bag around your stems.

Send extras if you can. Table arrangements and bridesmaids' bouquets are perfect backups. The more blooms I receive, the more choices I have when designing your piece, and if one flower doesn't dry nicely, its understudy steps in.

When you book with me, I'll send you my complete step by step shipping guide with everything above spelled out, so you'll never be guessing at the post office.

What Happens Next

Once your flowers arrive, they go straight into drying and your preservation journey begins. If you're curious about every step from here, from drying through design to the final resin pour, I've walked through the whole process in my bouquet preservation guide.

One Last Thing: Book Before the Wedding

Preservation spots fill quickly during wedding season, and the 1 to 3 day window after your wedding is not the moment to be searching for a preservation artist. If your wedding is coming up, reach out now and your bouquet's spot will be waiting, whether you're down the road in Durham or shipping from three states away.

Email me at studio@hebasalama.com or call 919.368.1506. Then go enjoy your wedding, your flowers are in good hands, starting with yours.