Which Wedding Flowers Press Best and Retain Color Vibrancy

Your wedding bouquet is more than just flowers – it’s a collection of memories from your big day. Preserving those blooms can turn them into a lasting keepsake. One of the most popular (and accessible) methods is flower pressing, which transforms your bouquet into flat art that can be framed and cherished. In this friendly guide, we’ll explore which flowers perform best (including wildflowers and non-traditional blooms), and what to expect in terms of color and longevity. We’ll also share tips on DIY vs professional preservation.

Which Wedding Flowers Press the Best (and Which Don’t)

Not all flowers are created equal when it comes to pressing. Thickness, moisture content, and structure determine how well a bloom will flatten and dry. The good news is that most common wedding flowers press quite well, but there are a few that are notoriously tricky.

Easy Winners for Pressing: Flowers that are naturally flat or have many small blossoms tend to press beautifully. For example, delicate blooms like anemones, cosmos, delphiniums, larkspur, and daisy-style wildflowers are excellent for pressing.

Hardy fillers and greenery also do great – think baby’s breath, ferns, eucalyptus, Queen Anne’s lace, lavender, and astilbe. These retain color and shape nicely once dried.

Many popular wedding blooms are on the “good to press” list: spray roses (small roses) press better than large roses, ranunculus, hydrangea florets, sweet peas, stock blooms, and peonies (especially semi-open ones) all tend to flatten and dry with lovely.

Even some exotic or less-traditional picks work well – for instance, Blushing Bride protea (a type of protea with a softer shape) presses nicely because it’s not too thick, and dried grasses like pampas or bunny tails add great texture in a pressed piece.

If your bouquet has a variety of flower sizes, a preservation artist will usually press all of them and then select the best-looking ones for the final layout. The key is that the flatter and less juicy a plant is, the better it presses.

Difficult Flowers to Press: On the other hand, some blooms that are stunning fresh can be disappointing when pressed. Large, thick, or high-moisture flowers are the biggest culprits. Tropical flowers (like orchids, gardenias, anthurium) almost always hold too much water and tend to turn brown or even mold during pressing.

Succulents (sometimes used in boho bouquets) are basically full of water – they will usually rot or crush, so they are not pressable in their 3D form (better to preserve succulents via other methods, or even root and plant them as a living keepsake!). Other challenging blooms include lilies (thick petals), calla lilies, and large garden roses – they often brown or lose definition when pressed.

Sunflowers are a special case: their petals press fine, but that big seedy center doesn’t – it will often go moldy or turn into an unappealing brown disk. For sunflowers, a pro might press just the petals or a side profile, but generally full sunflowers are avoided for pressing. If your bouquet has a big sunflower or orchid, don’t worry – preservation experts can sometimes substitute a dried replica or focus on other blooms in the arrangement. In any case, florals that are very large or fleshy are usually “flowers to avoid” for pressing.

Wildflowers and Less-Traditional Blooms: Wildflower-style bouquets have become popular, and the great news is many wildflowers press excellently. Brides who pick bouquets with things like daisies, chamomile, clover, violets, Queen Anne’s lace, cosmos, or yarrow will find those delicate blooms flatten effortlessly and hold color.

Even foraged greenery and grasses (say, sea oats or fescue grass) can be pressed to add a rustic touch. However, not all wildflowers are easy – anything with a hard cone or thick center (for example, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers (echinacea), gloriosa daisies, or thistles) doesn’t press well because that raised center can mold or just look odd when flattened.

Those are better preserved by air-drying and maybe displayed in 3D. So if you’re going for a meadow-inspired bouquet, know that most of those blooms will press nicely, but a few may need special handling or to be left out of the pressed design. A preservation artist (or DIY tip): you can always swap in a pressed flower of similar color/shape if one element doesn’t cooperate.

The mantra is: there’s always something that can be done with your flowers! (As Bouquet Casting Co puts it, every bouquet has a story – turn yours into a family heirloom, and they’ll work with whatever florals you send in.)

To put it in perspective, one professional studio’s list of press-friendly vs. not-so-friendly flowers shows that the majority of flowers brides commonly choose will press well. In their experience, about 83% of popular wedding blooms are “beautiful when pressed,” while roughly 17% are better avoided for pressing.

The chart below illustrates this – most blooms in a typical mixed bouquet are great candidates for pressing, with only a small slice that tend to cause trouble (usually due to thickness or moisture):

As you can see, most flowers can be preserved with traditional pressing methods, and only a few outliers (like those tropicals and succulents) are in the red zone. If your bouquet includes one of the “tough” flowers, don’t fret – often those can be specially treated or just represented by a photo in the frame alongside your pressed blooms. A skilled preservationist will plan around these. (Bouquet Casting Co., for example, will even press everything first, then choose the best results for the final artwork – meaning they give every flower a shot at preservation!)

Tips for Better Pressing Results

No matter what flowers you have, a few tips will improve the pressing outcome. Timing and freshness are key: try to start pressing as soon after the wedding as possible (within a day or two) while the flowers are still fresh and firm. If you’re doing it yourself, keep the bouquet in water (or even in the fridge) overnight and don’t let it dry out or get moldy before pressing.

Also, ensure the blooms are dry to the touch – if it rained on your wedding day or the flowers got wet, gently pat them dry and remove any browning petals.

Picking up moisture-free flowers is crucial because pressing wet flowers often leads to mold. One preservation expert advises not to pick or press flowers right after rain or in early morning dew – wait until they’re dry. This applies even if you’re foraging wildflowers to press: dry and clean is the way to go.

When placing flowers in the press, spread them out and don’t overlap; change the blotter papers if they become too damp in the first few days. Patience is important – true pressing (with wood presses or heavy books) usually takes up to 5 weeks for a full dry, and thick flowers can take longer. Resist the urge to check too often; disturbing them can hamper the flattening. Instead, swap papers every few days if you can, and let them slowly do their thing. If you see any fuzzy mold, remove that flower from the batch to avoid spreading it.

Finally, press more flowers than you think you need. If you’re preserving your own bouquet, try pressing the whole bouquet’s worth of blooms if you have a big enough press or multiple presses. That way you can choose the best ones for display later. Even pressing a sample of each flower type in your bouquet is a good idea – some may surprise you (a rose might come out browner than expected, but the carnations or mums might retain perfect color, etc.). With extras on hand, you can curate the most beautiful arrangement in the frame.

Color Changes and Longevity: What to Expect

One of the coolest aspects of pressing flowers is seeing how their colors evolve. Some flowers keep their colors true-to-original, while others transform into new hues once dried. This is normal and part of the charm – but it helps to know what to expect, especially if your bouquet’s color palette is important to you. The general rule: bold, saturated colors hold up best, whereas whites and very pale colors tend to yellow or brown. Brides with all-white bouquets should be aware that those pure white petals likely won’t stay pure white.

For example, white roses, white lisianthus, white dahlias, stock, carnations, etc. almost always dry to an ivory or light golden tone (and can continue to deepen to light brown over time). This doesn’t mean they look “bad” – they can have a vintage, antique look – but it will be a different vibe than the fresh bouquet. If you had an all-white bouquet, one trick professionals use is to incorporate a colored background or some added greenery or foliage to provide contrast in the frame. Some white flowers with textural interest (like baby’s breath, astrantia, or king protea) at least retain a pleasing shape and an off-white color that can still look beautiful when pressed. But in general, expect whites and blush tones to change the most. Don’t worry – your piece can still be gorgeous (think of it as your bouquet in autumnal tones).

Now, for colorful flowers: most of them keep their color very well. In fact, bright and rich hues often look almost as vibrant (or even more concentrated) after pressing. Reds, purples, hot pinks, blues, and oranges usually dry into deep, pretty shades close to the original. Sometimes there’s a slight shift (light pinks can turn a bit lavender, purples might go a shade darker or lighter), but the key is they stay colorful. Yellows are interesting – a bright yellow tends to remain yellow (or a slightly darker mustard), which is good, but very pale yellow may bleach out to a beige-brown. Overall, if you chose bold jewel tones or vibrant mixes, you’ll likely love how they appear pressed.

Here’s a quick reference from an expert press studio on fresh vs. pressed color outcomes:

Typical color retention after pressing, by flower color. Light-colored blooms often darken or yellow, while vivid colors remain strong. As shown above, white and light-yellow flowers rate low on color retention (often ending up cream or brown). By contrast, vivid colors (bright pink, orange, red, purple, blue, green foliage) have excellent retention, usually only shifting a half-shade darker or lighter. For instance, a bright pink peony might dry to a slightly lighter pink, or a coral rose may turn a deeper shade of magenta – both still very pretty.

A neat example: light pink roses often come out a soft lavender color when pressed, whereas light pink peonies tend to keep more of their pink. Every flower has its quirks, but in general your pressed piece will be a good reflection of your bouquet’s original colors except those very pale tones.

Keeping Pressed Flowers Looking Great

Pressed bouquets, if properly preserved and framed, are quite long-lasting. Many people have pressed flower art from decades ago. To ensure longevity, you should keep the finished piece out of direct sunlight (UV rays can fade any organic material over time) and away from high humidity (don’t hang it in a damp bathroom, for example). A quality frame with UV-protective glass, airtight sealing, and acid-free background will help preserve the colors for years. Some preservation companies even offer special color enhancement or sealing techniques.

For example, Bouquet Casting Co. and others use proprietary methods to restore or lock in the flower’s color during the process, so that fading is greatly minimized. If done well, your pressed flowers will stay pretty much as-is for a very long time. It’s normal for there to be slight mellowing of vibrancy after many years, but they won’t suddenly all turn brown – especially if you follow the care instructions (essentially, treat it like fine art). In fact, one company humorously notes that with proper care, your preserved flowers should “last a lifetime” – something you can one day show your kids or grandkids.

One more consideration: if you absolutely must have a white bouquet stay white, some pros can do a little magic by lightly tinting or “color correcting” the dried petals (essentially restoring a bit of the original hue). This is a specialized service, but it’s available if maintaining exact color is vital to you. For most brides, though, the natural color change is part of what makes the keepsake special – it’s your bouquet in a new, artistic form.

DIY vs. Professional Preservation (and When to Ask for Help)

Can you press your wedding bouquet yourself? Absolutely! If you’re a DIY enthusiast and don’t mind getting a bit crafty, pressing flowers is something you can do at home with minimal supplies. You’ll need a large flower press (or improvise with heavy books and parchment paper), some patience, and a good dose of care in handling the flowers.

DIY pressing can save money – basically your cost is just some paper and a frame. Many brides have successfully pressed a few blooms from their bouquet as a personal project. There are also DIY flower preservation kits available that include presses and instructions.

However, keep in mind a few realities: pressing an entire bouquet (especially a big bridal bouquet) is time-consuming and delicate work. Each flower might need slightly different treatment (you might disassemble thick roses into petals, trim off bulbous centers, etc.). One bride noted that although she tried pressing a flower herself after the wedding, it was “way harder than I imagined,” which made her appreciate the value of the professionals who do it regularly. If you only care to save a couple petals or one corsage flower, DIY is perfectly fine. But if you want a full arrangement artistically framed, and you’re not very crafty or don’t have the spare time, hiring a pro is worth considering.

Professional bouquet preservation artists (like Bouquet Casting Co. and many boutique studios across the country) bring expertise and specialized equipment to the table. Here’s what you get with a pro service:

Expert Handling: They know exactly how to handle fragile blooms, when to press vs. when to dry 3D, how to prevent mold, and how to prep each type of flower for best results. For example, they might carefully split a thick rose to press it in layers, or use ventilated presses and frequent paper changes for wetter flowers. This greatly increases the chances of each bloom turning out well.

Artistic Design: Preserving the flower is half the battle – making the final piece look gorgeous is the other half. Professionals will design a layout (often letting you review a mock-up) that showcases the best of your bouquet. They can include special touches like your wedding invitation, a photo, or name/date calligraphy in the frame along with the flowers. They also balance colors and shapes so the final artwork is both meaningful and aesthetically pleasing.

High-Quality Materials: A good preservation company will use archival, acid-free materials, solid wood frames, UV-filter glass or resin, and so on, to ensure your keepsake lasts. They’ll also seal the frame to keep out moisture and pests, and often add backing to control temperature and humidity for the piece. These are details that can be hard to replicate at home unless you’re very meticulous.

Extra Services: As mentioned, some offer color restoration, others offer combination packages (e.g., you can get a pressed frame and a resin jewelry piece from the same bouquet). Bouquet Casting Co. even has options to turn florals into jewelry, resin coasters, bookends, or ornaments – cute ways to use any extra blooms that didn’t go into the frame. You might also get things like a keepsake map of where your bouquet traveled if you shipped it, or a certificate – little things that make the experience special.

Peace of Mind: Perhaps the biggest perk is that you hand off the bouquet and don’t have to worry. No frantic Googling “how to dry roses” the morning after your wedding – the pros guide you on how to pack and send the flowers (many provide a shipping kit). For instance, BCC encourages brides to book a spot in advance (so they reserve time for your bouquet) and then you overnight the blooms to them right after the event. Once received, they’ll take it from there. You’ll usually get updates as your flowers go through the stages of pressing, design, and final production. In short, you can relax knowing your bouquet is in experienced hands.

The downside of professional preservation is, of course, the cost. Services range widely, but expect to pay a few hundred dollars up to $1000+ depending on the complexity and size of the art. For example, an 11x14” pressed bouquet frame might be around $400–$500 at many studios, larger frames cost more, and add-ons (like multiple pieces or resin blocks) will add to the price. Some companies, like Bouquet Casting Co., offer packages or bundles (one popular bundle including a large frame plus resin letters was around $1200). While it’s not cheap, many brides see it as worth it: remember, it’s a one-of-a-kind item you’ll have forever. And relative to the total wedding cost, it’s often just a small fraction. If budget is a concern, you can opt for a smaller item (like a pressed 8x8” frame or a resin paperweight) to save some money while still preserving a part of the bouquet.

When to DIY: If you have a simpler bouquet (say a few roses and greenery) and you’re comfortable with craft projects, or if you’re just looking to save one or two flowers in a journal or small frame, doing it yourself can be a fun and meaningful task. Just practice on some grocery store flowers beforehand to get the hang of it, and follow a good tutorial. Make sure you have time shortly after the wedding to start the process (assign a bridesmaid to remind you, or have someone else begin the pressing if you’ll be on your honeymoon).

When to Go Pro: If your bouquet is very intricate, contains tricky flowers, or if you know you want a high-quality art piece without any trial and error, a professional is worth it. Also, if the idea of adding another project to your plate post-wedding stresses you out, let someone else handle it! Many brides ship their bouquets to pros like BCC the day after the wedding – easy peasy. It’s also the better route if you want creative products like resin items or jewelry which are hard to DIY without experience. And sometimes, it’s okay to do both: maybe press a couple petals in a book as a backup, then also send the bouquet in for full preservation. Can’t hurt, right?

Side note: Bouquet Casting Co., based in the Delaware/Pennsylvania area with nationwide shipping, has helped over 3,000 brides preserve their flowers. So if you’re looking for a reliable professional, BCC is a great example of a company with a track record – it’s woman-owned, has 100+ five-star reviews, and offers free consultations. They even have a “reserve your date” system to ensure your bouquet is handled promptly. Whether you choose BCC or another expert, reading reviews and viewing their past work gallery is always a good idea to make sure their style matches yours.

Pressing your wedding bouquet is a wonderful way to carry a piece of your special day into the future. With a bit of knowledge about which flowers press well, what color changes to expect, and how to care for the finished piece, you’ll be well on your way to having a gorgeous keepsake that tells your love story.

Whether you decide to DIY with a book and some blotting paper or hire a pro like Bouquet Casting Co. to work their magic, preserving your flowers will ensure that the beauty of your wedding day doesn’t fade away. Instead of a bouquet that’s tossed or forgotten, you’ll have framed art or a resin decoration to remind you of your vows, your celebration, and all the emotions tied up in those blooms.

In a friendly recap: Most flowers can be pressed (even wild and whimsical ones), some will change color (embrace the new hues!), and with proper pressing and framing, your bouquet can truly last a lifetime. We hope this guide was helpful and packed with the info you need to make the best choice for preserving your bouquet. May your pressed flowers bring you joy for many years to come, and congrats on creating an heirloom from the petals of your love!

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