Floral Preservation

The Most Often Asked Questions

1. What is “freeze dried floral preservation” all about?
The bouquet is taken apart after a digital photograph is taken, each flower dehydrated, treated with a special solution, and then frozen and stored until the freeze dry equipment is ready for the next cycle. Once the flowers are loaded they will remain in the chamber for 12 to 14 days. The total process will take 8 to 12 weeks. Very simply, freeze-drying is a preservation process that takes flowers, fruits, and vegetables into a very deep freeze, 20 plus degrees below zero. Once solidly frozen a vacuum is applied which removes all of the water, in the form of a vapor from the main chamber into a separate chamber. This process is repeated until 99% of the moisture is removed

2. Does this method retain the shape and color of the original flower?
Yes, this is the only method that retains the nature shape and color of the flower. Recently Goodhousekeeping and NBC Dateline rated freeze-drying the best preservation method available today.

3. Is the bridal market a big part of the floral preservation business?
It sure is. A wedding is a very special time in a women’s life and we understand how important it is that everything be perfect. We help them capture that special time and re-capture the memories every time they look at their freeze-dried floral arrangement.

4. Do people preserve flowers for other reasons and events?
Man has been involved in some form of floral preservation since the beginning of time. Today we use computerized equipment to obtain the very best preservation results, but the reasons people want to preserve flowers has not changed at all. Saving “keepsakes” from special events is something we have done for ages and often-special events are marked by the presence of flowers; weddings, anniversary’s, births, even death is remembered with flowers. Its just natural that people would want to preserve their special memories with preserved flowers. We give them that ability with our product. Freeze dried flowers are also a wonderful alternative to artificial flowers so we will also offer a home décor and gift line later this fall.

5. How do you decided on the size or type of container that will look right with the size and style of bouquet?
The rule of thumb is the type of bouquet style. A hand tied round or teardrop bouquet looks best in the square shadow box shape. For a small bouquet the 12x12 will work, for medium to large the 16x16 and for large to extra large the 20x20. If budget is a major consideration we can pull a few flowers out of the bouquet and create a wonderful 9x9 shadow box. For cascading bouquets the rectangular shapes work best, 17x 20 for small and 22x26 for large bouquets. We can also down size a bouquet to retain the shape but to allow us to put it into a smaller display. Most styles work in a dome display. We recommend that a reservation be made at least three weeks before the wedding date and held with a $100 deposit. No decision needs to be made on the container at this time.

A few weeks after the wedding we can consult with the bride by phone and provide her with recommendations on the best container for her flowers. Our customer service people are always available to help answer questions and provide advice (call toll free 1-800-742-9570).

Kathy Reid
Heller & Reid
www.hellerandreid.com