Wedding Planning Decisions, This vs That with Kelly McWilliams

Flower Preservation Options: Dried Florals v Resin

• Kelly A McWilliams • Season 5 • Episode 2

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Ever wondered how to preserve your cherished wedding bouquet for a lifetime? Meet Judi Guevara, a flower preservation expert, who takes us on a journey to explore the captivating world of bouquet preservation. We dive into fascinating techniques, ranging from resin and pressed flowers to freeze-drying and fabric dyeing. Judy shares precious insights on how the bouquet handling process post-wedding can impact the preservation outcome and helps us understand how to choose the perfect preservation method. 

We then take a closer look at the intricacies of drying and preserving flowers for resin. How do the colors of flowers change post-drying and how can we safeguard their original beauty? Judy unveils the backstage of her work, revealing how her team ensures the colors match as closely as possible to the original bouquet. We also discuss the price differences between pressed flowers and resin flowers, offering you the complete bouquet preservation guide. 

Follow Judi on Instagram: 
https://www.instagram.com/bloomsake/

Visit the website: 
bloomsake.com

Places to go - People to see:

Kelly's Site: http://www.kellymcwilliams.com
Kelly's Blog: https://www.kellymcwilliams.com/blog
Instagram: @kellyamcwilliams


About Kelly:
Kelly knows how incredible a well planned wedding can be. Every moment counts and every decision plays a part. Wedding planning should be fun and as easy to do as possible. Besides planning weddings, Kelly travels the globe as an industry speaker. Kelly is a Martha Stewart Top Wedding Planner & this podcast won Brides magazine and WeddingWire's best podcast.

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Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome to this versus that making wedding decisions with Kelly McWilliams. This podcast is for you if you're making a wedding decision and want to know what to consider before saying I do to all the things that will make your wedding experience a great one. I'm your host, kelly McWilliams, and I'm so glad to be a part of your wedding planning journey. In each episode, you can count on me and my expert wedding co-hosts to give you everything it takes to make the best decisions for the wedding that you're dreaming of. Welcome back season five, episode two. So today we're talking with.

Speaker 1:

Judy Guevara. Guys, my voice is still a mess. I have this cold that just won't go away. Anyway, judy does flower preservation, which is kind of new to me. The preservation I knew when, from when I got married, was you hung your bouquet upside down in a closet for like six months and then that was your preserved flowers. But now, now there are pressed flowers and flowers preserved in resin.

Speaker 1:

There's in all kinds of things that you can do freeze, dried, just so much. So I'm so excited that Judy is on this episode with us to talk about all of the different things that you can do with preserved flowers, and I asked a lot of questions because I felt like I knew some didn't know everything, and that's going to become very clear as you listen to this episode. Let me tell you a little bit about Judy. Oh my gosh, and she's the cutest thing, you guys.

Speaker 1:

She started in the Houston wedding industry as a manager of a local bridal boutique. She loved being a part of so many brides big days and helping them find the perfect dress, but she began to notice an influx of requests regarding where to preserve their bouquets. So Judy began experimenting with casting dried flowers from bouquets in resin. And as people began to receive their creations back, new spread and Judy's work was quickly gained as quickly gained popularity as more women began asking her to preserve their bouquets. With her side business booming, she decided to take a bigger risk and launch a business bloom sake full time creating customizable keepsakes like one of a kind trays, coasters, ring holders and more, each one designed to last a lifetime.

Speaker 1:

You guys, if you haven't seen or heard of preserving bouquets at this time, you might have been living under a rock or a block of resin, because it's like all the rage right now and I'm excited for both kinds of preservation types the resin and the pressed flowers. So go ahead and listen to this episode and see what you think, which way you might be here, or if you can go the DIY route and hang it in your closet like I did. I'm going to tell you this, though mine crumbled and fell apart and turned brown. I mean, that's just the truth. So if you want to preserve that beautiful bouquet in some format, this might be the way to go. So here we go.

Speaker 1:

Let's invite Judy on. Hi, judy, thank you for joining us on this versus that. I'm so excited for this episode. I have not done one like this and it just so happens I've had a couple clients as a recent ask about flower preservation, so there could not be a better time for it. I'm really, really looking forward to this conversation in general, and I think the most important thing that we need to do from the get go is to explain to you everyone what flower preservation is, because I feel like it's kind of a newer service. I know it's been out there forever kind of, but I don't feel like everybody knows about it.

Speaker 2:

Yes, well, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here and talk to you more about flower preservation. So yeah, so jumping in. Flower preservation has been around for a while, but it's definitely getting more and more popular nowadays, especially with social media. You know TikTok videos showing how the process is done, so it's super exciting. There's different types of floral preservation. What we mainly do is resin floral preservation, and we also have breast frames as an option. I would say those are the most popular styles of preservation that are available. Other styles that are available are also freeze drying the flowers, or a lot of people will also work with textiles. Well, dye, the textiles would be flowers and kind of like, do like cool looking fabric is an option.

Speaker 1:

So when I got married 25 years ago very long time ago the only option that I recall then was like you took your bouquet and you hung it upside down in a closet or something like that. Yes, that is not anything like what you're talking about, right, or is it Correct?

Speaker 2:

Okay, so with hanging your bouquet upside down. There is a beauty in that as well. However, with doing that, the colors and the shape of the flowers don't retain as well as if we were to take it from you and dry them with our special drying techniques?

Speaker 1:

Okay, okay. So let's talk about the process, and I know that there's many people that I would like to talk to you. It's like you're going to be our expert on all things flower preservation for this episode.

Speaker 1:

So I am going to ask you about how you do things specifically for resin, and I know that you are now doing pressed flowers, so maybe you can tell me a little bit about that. But I also want to know like the pricing kind of like, and I know you have your pricing, but if you know in general what like across the country, like the differences. But let's start by first explaining the process for for most situations. Okay, so let's pretend I get married yesterday. What is it that I'm going to do immediately with my bouquet before I like? Am I sending it off to somewhere? How does that usually work?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so there are so many different options. It depends if you are local. We are local in Houston, so if you're local in Houston, we do have a drop-off service available so that you don't worry about nailing in your flowers. However, we work with brides, right US, all the time. Okay, and so, with that being said, I do offer a packing and flipping instructions. We just ask that you overnight your flowers so that they can get to us as fresh as possible. Okay, and once we have your flowers, we then take care of them by ryeing them with our special ryeing techniques. Okay, um, resin pieces versus press frames have different ways of drying. Obviously, with the press frames, we dry them by pressing the flowers.

Speaker 1:

And is it the whole bloom, like including the stem, or is it just like the bloom part of it when you press?

Speaker 2:

So, um, it really depends on, you know, the type of flowers, the size of the flowers.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

Um, it definitely can be done with pressing flowers. We just need to make sure that the flowers are not too thick so that they don't hold the moisture while they're being pressed. Okay, because the thicker that they are, the more moisture it holds, and that's how it gets moldy.

Speaker 1:

Okay, got it Okay. So let's talk about, since that's your specialty, let's talk about resin preservation First. So before actually we should take a step back, let me make sure I've got this straight. Someone's going to reach out to you or to a floral preservation company and they're going to say I would like to have my flowers preserved, and I guess that's through a link or an email or website or something like that, and then I imagine that you send instructions back. Correct, when flowers go to you, you said they need to be sent back the next day or overnight. Do they need to be packaged like in water, cold, like how? What should clients do with their bouquet to make sure it's sent to you in the best possible condition?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so great question. Um, we also teach you how to package it well, but pretty much we want to make sure that we stemmed our submerge in water and that's where they're getting a little bit of water, but the water is not filling out the petals of the flowers, because we also don't want the flowers to wilt, because if you, you know, get the petals wet inside a box, the flowers are going to wilt quickly.

Speaker 2:

And sometimes that kind of like enables the molding process to start happening a little quicker. Okay, so that's something that you know. We teach you what we do our performance review is to wrap the bottom of the stem in a wet paper towel and then, once you wrap it, we put a Ziploc bag over the paper towel to make sure that this, that part, is wet, and then, you know, tape it or use rubber bands to just kind of like secure that bag with the paper towel and then, once that's finished, the full bouquet itself. They can use this packing paper or newspaper to wrap the entire bouquet so that the flowers will contain and they're not just like possibly been moving around against the box. Okay, so everything can be secured. Play a secure box Okay.

Speaker 1:

Do most people do just their bouquet or do they sometimes send, like the boutonniers or any other kinds of flowers? What's average or what can be done?

Speaker 2:

So really anything that's the beauty of floral preservation is how customized it can get. We need to get room rooms mirrors all the time, actually, because you know we got to get something to our rooms so we can't forget about them, sure? So what a lot of our my couples will do is they will send both the bridal bouquet and the boutonniers and we either make the room something special just for himself or, if they are only one big place, we add the bouquet mirror, maybe a corner to put its light and everything to give it. So it is the bride's bouquet, I think, from this bouquet mirror.

Speaker 1:

Okay, with a with resin, is it that you're getting the whole 3D effect of the bloom and does it keep its natural colors as you receive it? Is that kind of the big difference between that and a pressed flower, or is that one of the differences that's so?

Speaker 2:

different. I will mainly say this you know, with resin because we are we are able to pour a thicker pour with a bigger box. Then we're able to show the flower in its more natural state. Okay, so we're looking like an actual flower, because with our special drawing technique, we are able to have the flower retain its shape and color. Okay, so it's not.

Speaker 1:

I'm sorry because I have so many questions running through my head. Right now, you don't preserve the whole bouquet as a whole, right, correct? You're pulling blooms from it.

Speaker 2:

Correct.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

So with drawing the flowers for the resin pieces, we would have to cut the stems off and dry the the floral bulb itself.

Speaker 1:

Okay, okay. So, and then do most people is it that you in advance select like what size block you would want it to be Correct? Okay, yes, and then that changes the pricing.

Speaker 2:

Yes. So with us we have different styles available. We have anywhere from a serving tray and we have several different shapes and sizes of that and floral blocks. So we always tell our couples who order if you go wanting something more, a little bit more functional, then I would say, go with the tray options.

Speaker 2:

But if you're wanting something mainly just to display, put on bookshelf, put on, you know, your TV stand, then I would recommend the block option, because with that you're able to showcase more of how the bouquet is supposed to be, and that we're able to, but the full flower would not have to blend them out or kind of like nick it a little.

Speaker 1:

Has anyone ever asked you to do the whole bouquet as it is?

Speaker 2:

Yes, we actually have requests like that all the time. However, it's just we. We don't have the capacity to do the whole bouquet by itself. It won't be because with our molds they don't really go as big and with that that would significantly increase the cost of the product, because with the material that we use it is not the most cheapest Economical.

Speaker 1:

Economical exactly Okay.

Speaker 2:

Okay so.

Speaker 1:

What? Okay, so let's talk about press flowers. Like the difference there. So, with press flowers, is it between two pieces of glass? And so you, Okay, hold on. Is it that you take the blooms in both instances and you dry them first and then you preserve them? Is that how that works? Okay, got it. Yes, it is Okay. And then, with pressed flowers, you're pressing them between two pieces of glass.

Speaker 2:

Correct. Okay, so with pressed flowers, we start off by preparing them to be pressed and dried. Okay, so that takes like a few weeks to a month or two. It really depends on the flowers, the flies and the thickness of it and the height.

Speaker 1:

Wow, it takes that long, yes it does Gosh.

Speaker 2:

I hate knowing this. Because you want to make sure that the flowers are completely dry especially when working with resin. Okay, because resin and moisture, they are not a good mix. Okay, and it starts molding. It just creates a whole bunch of problems. Okay, because we want to really make sure that the flowers are dry.

Speaker 1:

Okay, and then I imagine what the big difference is between. Well, you tell me, is the difference between the two really in the color saturation, between the pressed flowers and the resin flowers?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so with you know, with drying flowers, even with the material that we dry the flowers with or the resin pieces, they still change colors a little bit. Okay. For example, with white roses, we will always dry a little bit more cream, okay. And then also red roses, which is super common in bridal bouquets. They actually dry very dark and golden instead of that red that we normally see.

Speaker 2:

And you know that's just the nature in drying flowers, whether or not we air dry them or use our special drying solution, it's always going to be that way. Same with the pressed flowers. However, we totally understand that a lot of brides are wanting more of the exact color of their bouquet, so we actually have an option where we color and enhance the flowers so that the flowers will be will match as closely as possible to their original bridal bouquet.

Speaker 1:

That's cool. So what? Do they send you a picture of what it looked like in advance. Okay, exactly, cool, cool. So you said it takes about a month or two just to dry the flowers, and then there's the process of actually getting into the resin or pressing it into a frame.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yes, and then. So with us, our production time is six months and it's a little longer because it is, because you know, it truly is a labor of blood. Every step of the way we want to make sure that everything is perfect. As I said, we're drying the flowers. We need to make sure all the drives sorry, all the flowers are completely dried before and moving on to the next step. So the longer it is, the more. It ensures that we get down to the center.

Speaker 2:

It is dried, and then, once that step is done, we have to confirm with our customers whether or not they're happy with the color that we dried into you and if they're wanting kind of like what we were talking about earlier, get them color in hand. Also takes a couple of weeks, okay. And then, moving on to the next step, we also offer design previews so that we want to make sure that our customers love the design of the pieces that they're receiving, because once we set it with resin, it's permanent and we can't really move any of the designs around. And so, with talking about pouring with resin, we have to pour in very thin layers, and with a lot of these blocks they can get pretty thick. And so because we have to pour in thin layers, it does take a little bit of time to kind of like add on.

Speaker 1:

Okay, okay. So with you said the design there's, is it okay? So I'm trying to imagine like a block. So is it that from when you send them a design, it's not done there already, like you are just like sending them a sketch or you've got some kind of art? How do you do that? I'm so confused.

Speaker 2:

That's okay. So for our design previews, what we do is we take the flowers that we're already dried and we basically kind of just map it out for our customers and just put the flowers how they would be in the block or arch your bookends that they would, and so we kind of just map it up and show them hey, this is what your piece is going to look like without it fed and rippling permanently.

Speaker 2:

And let's say they are loving the design or like how this flower looks left side, and we'll be able to kind of move the rose from the left side maybe to the bottom right.

Speaker 1:

Got it. So really, if I'm, if they're just pulling, if you're just pulling flowers from the bouquet, they, it could really be. They could really send you any bouquet from their wedding that has those blooms in it, is it? You know? Like, let's say, the bride's bouquet just is not looking as good as maybe one of the bride's maids, but it has all the same flowers in it. Would that be okay to send over, because essentially you're pulling it all apart anyway.

Speaker 2:

Yes, absolutely so. Actually, what we tell a lot of brides is to send us a floral arrangement. It's a label arrangement.

Speaker 1:

Oh, because those are sitting in water.

Speaker 2:

They're sitting in floral all day versus and they have the same flowers versus. You know the bridal bouquet where she's pulling it all day. It's going to pass around, that's so smart. Thank you.

Speaker 1:

That's really smart.

Speaker 2:

So that kind of like gives us no sense of scope. But, you know, if we can, we always pick the best looking flowers to be able to use. Also, going back to the bride's maids bouquet, so we actually have a lot of really fun, you know, presentation pieces that all brides will give to their bridal parties. Oh, that's good. So I'm going to go thank you for, you know, being my bridal party gift, and so with those pieces, a lot of times, you know, the brides will send the bridesmaids bouquet and it's so fun to have a little piece of their wedding with them, since they were in it.

Speaker 1:

Cool. Thank you for going through all those questions. I just feel like if I have all these questions, so does everyone else listening. So let's talk about this versus that. With a few different things, pricing is one more extensive than the other, typically across the board, whether like resin or the pressed yes, absolutely so.

Speaker 2:

Resin is definitely more priced than pressed frames just because, with the material, resin is quite pricey and there's really a lot more steps that goes into it. First the pressed frames, and also depends on which piece that they pick, because the bigger and the thicker the pieces and the more material is used, then of course it's going to be more expensive versus, let's say, if someone orders a small ring.

Speaker 1:

Ok, got it.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Thank you.

Speaker 2:

Thank you. Thank you.

Speaker 1:

Thank you.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. Thank you put into a press piece. It's flat, Like it's the. You're pulling the pedals off, am I right?

Speaker 2:

Exactly, you're exactly, yep.

Speaker 1:

Okay, good, good, good good.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, see you know you know?

Speaker 1:

I mean, I've seen a few pictures.

Speaker 2:

But yes, that's definitely. You know, everybody has their different techniques of pressing their flowers.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

A lot of press floral or it is. We'll take the fiddle support to dry them a little bit better because that helps moisture. It helps lessen the moisture. It just makes faster, For example you're doing the whole big wing of flowers. Sure, it kind of like.

Speaker 1:

I have a big question. Yes, are there certain blooms that are almost impossible to do this to because they're just way too much, because the majority of the weddings I do are very tropical, tropical flowers have so much water content.

Speaker 2:

Yes, so are there any that are like yeah, this is not gonna, we can't do this ones, that is so funny that you brought that up, because I truly have a love hate relationship with tropical flowers because they're gorgeous, they're so beautiful, yeah, but they dry so badly. You know, I either run into this situation with resin drying flowers for resin pieces I would say succulent are the worst flowers to dry. Because of that reason, because they hold so much moisture and so when you dry them they're all just okay. Yeah, they don't dry, they don't dry.

Speaker 1:

So I wouldn't even consider putting a succulent in with that. I didn't even think about that. I forgot people actually use that.

Speaker 2:

I actually use them anymore, Actually a lot of brides have succulents. Really, I mean a lot of like blow-dried will have succulents. Okay, I mean not to the above, but I would say it's like pretty common. But yeah, I would say succulents are probably the ones. You think that I'm just not crazy about drying. I mean we can make it happen, but it's I don't recommend it, Okay. And then, for example, also ampuriums, which is the A popular tropical flower, Sure, so they dry with no matter what color it is, they all dry brown.

Speaker 1:

Okay, good to know. Good to know. Thank you for that tip.

Speaker 2:

Of course.

Speaker 1:

But Okay, this has been enlightening and I know that's like a big word to use for something.

Speaker 2:

It's definitely I know it's. It's a lot of information and there's so many things that you know. I even myself still learn as I go. It was still Sure, sure.

Speaker 1:

But I hope that this was you know. You know answers a lot of questions for people who, like, had never even heard of the process before. Where is the best of our? Where should everyone reach out to you to learn more about floral preservation and what you can do and other preservationists do? I know he says something about like it's really big on TikTok and to work and people reach you the most easily.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so we are available on all social media platforms. We are at Woonzake on Instagram, tiktok, facebook, pinterest.

Speaker 1:

All devices.

Speaker 2:

So you can find us on our website. It's going to be wwwwoonzakecom, and if anyone has any questions, please feel free to email or message us or Instagram. Whatever is given gifts for you and we're happy to answer at hand.

Speaker 1:

Okay, great. Thank you so much for all of the education and I feel so excited because I know that I have some clients are going to be like, okay, no one know what I want to do. So I really, really appreciate it and I'm looking forward to like looking at some of these TikToks and do you show behind the scenes of you making them? We?

Speaker 2:

sometimes do. I've been kind of work on it more and more. It's just sometimes whenever I get in design mode I'm just so in the zone with no hard to kind of like.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I can imagine.

Speaker 2:

Design. At the same time it's kind of like the time not to continue, but like from time is kind of an obvious and it's because for the resin we have a certain amount of time to work with it before it's hard.

Speaker 1:

Am I right in thinking that it's not like a one day like you, just pour it all in at the same time kind of deal? Oh, no, no no. There's many, many steps.

Speaker 2:

Correct. Yeah, there's many, which is why in the process it's still long. I would love it if we could just pour ones and be done with it, but you know that's just not how resin works, unfortunately.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and then the reason I wanted to bring that up, because that kind of reinforces why the pricing is what it is, because I feel like a lot of people look at it and go why is this so expensive? Well, it's because it is a major process, from what I understand, yes, that it is like many layers, like it doesn't just all happen at once, it's, and then, like you said, you have the process of actually designing it and the proofing and maybe the recoloring and saturation and things like that. So I appreciate this time so much. Judy, thank you for educating us.

Speaker 2:

Of course, thank you so much.

Speaker 1:

All right, we'll come back to you if we want to do some more education on other kinds of preservation that you might be doing Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

I am here to help.

Speaker 1:

OK, thank you so much. Bye, thank you. I'm so glad to be able to share my wedding experiences and expertise with you, and that my co-hosts are so giving it theirs. We truly do want you to have the best time at your wedding, and our hope is that this podcast is helping you to make your engagement time while planning your wedding that much easier. May I ask a favor of you?

Speaker 1:

If this is the case, would you just take a moment to leave a review of this podcast on your listening platform? It helps people just like you to find the podcast and to also find out their answer so they can make decisions. I would also absolutely love for you to give this versus that podcast a shoutout on your social media. You can find us at this versus that wedding podcast on Instagram, and if you would like me to help you with a specific question, a wedding decision, please by all means ask, send me a DM. I would love to hear from you and maybe, just maybe even have you as a wedding cast on a future episode. How fun. Here's to another great wedding.