Questions and Answers:
How are flowers preserved?
Most people don’t realize that flowers can be preserved. To preserve your flowers, I use a chemical process that extracts the moisture, maintains their shape and seals the flower to protect its beauty, “Forever”. It requires time, patience and precision to detail. The flowers shrink a bit in size and can darken, but they are still YOUR flowers. They become very
fragile, and will need to placed inside a display, which will keep the flowers protected from dust and other types of damage.
How long does the preservation process take?
It varies on the flower. Open petal flowers like lily’s or daisies will take less time then a more dense flower like a rose. On average, it’s 4 - 6 weeks. With flowers for jewelry pieces it only takes a 2 - 3 weeks, because I’m doing loose petals.
Why should I have my flowers preserved?
Once flowers are used in a ceremony or given by a special person, they become sentimental. Let us make those memories last by creating a floral keepsake. When you spend hundreds of dollars on flowers for one day, doesn't it make sense to preserve them for years?
When and how do I order?
The sooner the better. With weddings, you know the date months in advance. You can arrange my services ahead of time too. Email me,
tammy@foreverintime.org and I put you on my calendar. Then as the date gets close, we finalize how and when I’ll receive your flowers. There are occasions that we won’t have the chance to arrange things ahead of time. But again, I’m a phone call or email away.
How soon do you need to receive my flowers?
For the best results, I should have them within 1 - 3 days of your event. Please note: the freshness of your flowers will impact the final result.
How do I get you my flowers?
Ideally, we would be planning this part together, prior to your event. For most occasions, we arrange how I'll receive your flowers in advance. But there are occasions such as a funeral, that we don’t have that advance notice. I am a phone call or email away, and will gladly help arrange it.
What happens when you receive my flowers?
Once your flowers are received, I take different photos and notes, then I take your bouquet completely apart. All flowers are treated individually. They are re-hydrated and chemically treated prior to starting the drying process. Once they have gone through the drying process they will be placed in a low humidity room. The next step is post chemicals, flowers will then be rewired and mounted in the display of your choice.
Do I have to choose what type of display I want right away?
No. The only thing I will want to know is if you are going to do a full bouquet in a shadowbox or dome. Or if you are having individual flowers preserved for a smaller display, embedment or jewelry pieces.
Can I just get my flowers preserved?
No, they need to be placed into something. Because they are so fragile when finished, they need to protected.
How to I ship you my flowers?
Please read under Nationwide Shipping or Floral Care for instructions.
Can All Flowers be Preserved?
Yes, most flowers preserve very well, roses, callas, gerbera daisies, carnations, hydrangea, orchids. The only flowers that can be harder, are small petal flowers likes small daisies and mums. Some of their petals can drop off, but they still can be preserved. Star-gazer lilies are a issue, because the color deepens. With most flowers I airbrush color back, but because of the coloring on a star-gazer, I can’t. But even if the flowers shrink a bit, or the color is a little different….they are still YOUR flowers. Please feel free to call or email if you have questions.
Do Flowers Change Color?
The age and the condition of the flowers at the time we receive them plays a role in how well they are preserved. Preservation will cause some color changes in your flowers. Some white flowers dry a creamy color and some colors especially red flowers dry darker.
Has your event already occurred?
If your event has already occurred, it may not be too late to mail or mail your flowers to be preserved. Some browning on the edges is no problem. If in doubt, email me and I will be happy to help you assess their condition before you send them.
How long does it take to get the finished product?
With full bouquets, the flowers take at least 6-8 weeks to preserved. Then once I know what it is you want made, it only takes a few days. It seems to take more time with a shadowbox, waiting for the items you want included. But once I have everything it only takes a few days for me to put it together. With a dome, once the flowers are done, I put it together. Jewelry pieces, picture frames and embedments take less time. Because I’m only preserving individual flowers, it’s usually about a month total.
