I’m so excited to introduce you to the incredible talent behind Flora Creek Place. An exceptional wedding bouquet preservation business right here in DFW!

From the moment I met Courtney and learned about her wonderful flower preservation business, I’ve been eager to chat with her and discover all the details of the preservation process. From her artistic roots to how she transforms wedding bouquets into lasting keepsakes, this is an interview I’ve been looking forward to sharing!

If you’ve ever wondered how your gorgeous flowers can be preserved forever, this blog is for you. Let’s dive into everything you need to know about wedding flower preservation and be inspired by the magic of turning your cherished flowers into timeless treasures!

Everything You Need To Know About Wedding Flower Preservation

Flora Creek Place’s Origin Story

Meet Courtney, The Founder

To kick things off, tell me a little about you and your story!

Flora Creek Place began in 2021, but I’ll give you a little background on how it came to be.

I’ve been an artist all my life, I get my artistic abilities and entrepreneurial spirit from my father’s side of the family. My dad, grandfather and great-grandmother were all amazing oil painters. My grandfather and grandmother owned a general store in a small town in west Texas, and my great-grandmother had a small gift-making business that she ran out of her home in the same town. I always loved “working” in the store as a child and even worked the register! We also had a family farm where we raised and sold cattle. So being a business owner was always in the stars for me!

However, I chose a more artistic path and earned a bachelor’s degree in photography from UNT. I then went on to start my own wedding photography business in 2017. In 2020, during the pandemic shutdown, since I couldn’t photograph, I focused mostly on the administrative side of my business. That summer, while working on marketing strategies, I discovered an ad for flower preservation on Pinterest. Intrigued by the concept and noticing no one in North Texas was doing it, I spent six months learning and experimenting with smaller pieces, researching the best suppliers and buying the equipment.

In February of 2021, I decided to make a large floral block to really see how it went and what I thought about the process. When I was done, I was so excited and decided that day that I wanted to turn this into a business. Having already been in the wedding industry, I went to some of my florist and planner friends and asked them what they thought about me starting a preservation business. Every single one of them told me their clients were constantly asking for someone, but no one in DFW was doing it. I truly credit my quick growth and success to them being my cheerleaders and sending their clients my way when I officially launched in May of 2021.

The Flora Creek Place Difference

What sets Flora Creek Place apart from others in the industry?

While many flower preservationists follow similar workflows and protocols, a few key aspects set us apart:

1. Full-Time Commitment: We are one of the few flower preservationists who do this full-time. This is our passion and way of life, allowing us to serve our clients fully.
2. Transparency and Simplicity: We strive to make the process as straightforward and as simple as possible. Our website lists everything clearly, with no hidden fees. Our contract also explains the entire process from start to finish, leaving no room for confusion.
3. Clear Communication: We communicate every step before the process begins, ensuring our clients know exactly what to expect. From booking to final delivery, we guide our clients through every step of the process. More on that process below!

Flower Preservation

What Is Wedding Flower Preservation

So, what exactly is flower preservation?

Flower preservation is the act of taking natural flowers and greens through a specified process to maintain their fresh appearance for an extended period of time.

What types of ways can you preserve flowers? What’s most popular?

There are three main ways to preserve flowers:

1. Resin Art: Encasing flowers in resin.
2. Pressed Frame Art: Pressing flowers and framing them.
3. Shadow Boxes: Preserving flowers in a shadow box.

While pressed frames and shadow boxes are currently the most popular, because they’ve been around longer, resin art is rapidly gaining popularity, with the help of social media.

The particular process we use involves drying the flora and then encasing it in resin.

The Flower Preservation Process

What does an experience with Flora Creek Place look like, from beginning to end?

1. Initial Contact: Potential clients start on our website where they can learn all about our team and process, look through all of the pieces that we offer, including the pricing. They would then fill out a reservation form, which allows us to send a proposal of services.
2. Booking: Via the proposal, clients can secure their date with us by signing the contract and paying a non-refundable retainer.
3. Pre-Wedding Instructions: About a week before their wedding, we send instructions on how to care for their flowers prior to either dropping them off with us or shipping them to us. (If dropping off, we will send them a scheduling link to pick a time within 24-48 hours of the wedding date that works best for them to drop them off. If they are shipping, they will get an extensive shipping guide walking them through how to package and ship their flowers correctly within 24-48 hours of the wedding day. If they choose to drop off, we also have samples of all our pieces for them to look at while they are here to get a feel for what their own final product will look like in person.)
4. Flower Processing: Once we receive the flowers, we will photograph them and then dry them using our special process (which can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks, depending on the type of flowers). As soon as the flowers are finished drying, we remove them from the drying medium and design the main pieces the clients have chosen. We then send them a photo of the design for their approval. Once they’ve approved their design, their final payment is due as their official approval to begin production.
5. Production: From here, production time takes about 4 months. During the production of the pieces, each mold is filled with the desired flowers and then thin layers of resin are poured every 24-48 hours. This time frame is important for proper curing of the resin and allowing the flowers to preserve without burning. The process is long and tedious, but the end result is worth it!
6. Final Delivery: Completed pieces are either shipped or picked up, packaged with a cleaning cloth and care instructions to ensure longevity.

Wedding Bouquet Preservation Timeline and Details

Timing

When is the ideal time to reach out to work with you?

The best time to reach out is 1-6 months before the wedding. For popular wedding seasons like spring and fall, booking closer to six months out will help ensure your spot. We can only take on so many orders per weekend, and months like March, April, May, September, October, and November fill up quickly.

What’s the turnaround time for creating pieces?

Our current turnaround time is six months, heavily dependent on client communication during the design process and timely payments.

Suitable Flowers

Do you only work with fresh flowers? Can you work with already-dried-out flowers?

What most people don’t realize is that all the flowers we preserve have to be dried first. Even the fresh ones brought to us. So, yes, we can also work with flowers that are already dried! And the best part is, because they’re already dried, not only does it knock a month off the timeline since we don’t have to wait for them to dry. But, we also offer a discount since we don’t have to do the work ourselves!

In addition to that, we can also work with faux flowers!! Like silk, sola wood, and paper. Any kind of fake flower can be used as well.

The only thing that CANNOT be dried is succulents. They are 99% water so when we dry them, they literally shrivel up and look awful. If clients have succulents in their bouquets, we will replace them with faux ones.

How To Choose A Flower Preservationist

Choosing A Floral Preservationist You Can Trust

What should one ask or look out for when choosing a flower preservationist?

1. Contracts: Ensure they provide a detailed contract explaining the process, payment requirements, and contingency plans. Contracts should explain the full process, the payment requirements and schedule and what will happen if any parties are unhappy or cannot fulfill their requirements of the process.
2. Website and Communication: They should have a professional website, not just social media (as social media goes down more often than we would like, and if you have no way of connecting with the artist other than DM’s, that just creates unnecessary stress), and multiple contact options.
3. Transparency: Check out their website and socials. Look for behind-the-scenes insights and client testimonials to gauge trustworthiness and quality. Transparency and happy clients are good indicators that they are trustworthy and do good work.
4. Pricing: Be wary of prices that seem too good to be true. If it feels that way, it likely is. Quality preservation is an investment in both time and materials. This process is neither fast, nor cheap, but it’s worth it to ensure it’s done right.

How Much Does Wedding Bouquet Preservation Cost

Average Investment

To give readers an idea of pricing. Do you have an average investment you could share?

Our average investment is $750, with some clients spending up to $2500 on their preservation package. We do have a minimum requirement of $250, but most clients want to save as much of their bouquet as they can, so they end up with a larger main piece along with some smaller add-on pieces.

Final Thoughts on Flower Preservation

Additional Tips and Advice

Any last tips or pieces of information you’d like to share?

1. Inform Your Florist: Let your florist know you want to preserve your flowers well in advance so they can use the appropriate methods to help them last until you can get them to us. Florists do an amazing job of ensuring the bouquet is perfect for the wedding day, but they are not generally concerned about its condition after that. And understandably so. But, for example, bouquets that are built using plastic handles, where the stems are cut off, or have different flowers glued to other flowers… while they all look beautiful on the wedding day, because the stems don’t have access to water, it’s unlikely they will make it through the night. But, if you let your florist know ahead of time, and I mean several weeks/months in advance, they can ensure they use different methods to help your flowers last until you can get them to me.
2. Book in Advance: Treat us like any other wedding vendor and book in advance! There are things you will need to know about caring for your flowers before and after your wedding day. And we provide all of that after booking. If you wait until after the wedding, not only will you miss the proper care instructions, but it’s also very possible we could be fully booked.
3. Understand the Timeline: The preservation process takes time. Despite having this information across our website, social media, and contracts, clients still often overlook this. Factors like drying time, client communication, timely payments, mold availability and type, workroom space, whether pieces need to be sanded, polished or flood coated and the resin curing process all contribute to the six-month timeline. It’s a long process by nature and it’s important to understand this going in.

Connect with Flora Creek Place

Where is the best place to learn more or connect with you?

For more information, visit our website at www.floracreekplace.com. We also share a lot on our Instagram @floracreekplace. For the best way to get in touch, use the contact form on our website. Social media messages are often missed, so the website ensures we receive your message!

* All photos courtesy of Flora Creek Place. *

There you have it! I hope you found this interview with Courtney from Flora Creek Place on wedding bouquet preservation as enlightening and inspiring as I did. Learning about her journey and the intricate process of preserving wedding flowers has been truly fascinating.

If you’re considering preserving your own wedding florals, or simply curious about the magic behind it, I hope this blog has helped answer a lot of your questions. And I strongly encourage you to reach out to Courtney for more information!

As always, as your local Dallas wedding photographer, I’m here to help answer any other wedding-related questions you might have! I invite you to continue perusing the blog for more helpful wedding planning tips. Or reach out if you have a specific question! I’d love to help.

Until next time, happy wedding planning!