Everything You Need to Know About Dried Bridal Bouquets

Dried flowers are having a moment. Extraordinary, unique, and long-lasting (if not forever-lasting!) preserved botanicals were among the top interior design trends of the last year or so — and now, as weddings that were postponed by the pandemic begin to kick off, the floral trend is making its way down the aisle.

But while dried flowers are, undeniably, gorgeous, you might have some questions about how to incorporate this unconventional botanical into your bridal bouquet. Luckily, we spoke with the experts at Edmonton floral studio FaBLOOMosity to get the 411 on this stunning new bridal trend.

Q: First thing's first: Are dried flowers a good choice for a bridal bouquet, and why?

A: Dried vs. fresh is a very personal aesthetic choice for your wedding. However, with so many different brands and styles of wedding gowns available, it absolutely makes sense that brides would want to have as many different options for their flowers, too. In particular, we find that those dresses that lean towards a boho tendency are typically quite beautifully suited for a dried bouquet, or a mix of dried and fresh.

Q: Are there any unique care or carrying tips for brides choosing a dried bouquet?

A: The biggest thing to keep in mind with dried florals is that they are a bit more delicate than fresh florals, so it is important to make sure that they are being placed gently, or transported with a bit of extra care. Unlike fresh blooms, where a big bump or bang may only loose a petal or two, with certain dried floral varieties, this can shatter the entire bloom.

Q: What types of dried flowers can be used in a bouquet?

A: We have everything ranging from the soft and fluffy pampas and uva grasses, varying sizes of proteas, palms, preserved roses, eucalyptus and other foliages, petite blooms like yarrows or rice flowers, and almost everything in between!

Q: How are these flowers dried so incredibly?

Some of these flowers go through a specific bleaching or colour process to get their current tones, while for others it is a very simpler process of applying incredibly high heats very quickly to remove the moisture content. Because it can be such a painstaking process, most of what we bring into the studio is already dried or preserved. However we do have certain varieties that we dry strictly in-house as we prefer the shaping we get vs. how it would be shipped to us.

Q What are some tricks or techniques you used at FaBLOOMosity when putting together a dried bridal bouquet?

A: The biggest thing to keep in mind when designing with dried products is the overall amount of texture the bride wishes to see. For someone in a heavily patterned lace dress with all kinds of intricate details, it can sometimes be better to stay a bit softer with things like bunny tails, pampas, roses, rather than design something that would have too many competing textures.

Q: What are some advantages a dried bouquet might have over a fresh bouquet?

A: The biggest advantages to going with a dried bouquet typically have to do with transport and timing. By creating something that is already dried, not only can you have these pieces built at any point leading up to the wedding (as opposed to having to wait until the day or two before the ceremony to start building), but it also means that every bloom and foliage used will stay exactly as they are currently designed, so it makes for an excellent keepsake following the big day. As well, due to the light weight and longevity factors, dried bouquets work wonderfully for, for instance, adventurous couples doing ceremonies or elopements at a location that has to be hiked to, where fresh florals just wouldn’t travel as easily.