When human connections are symbolized with flowers, people find themselves with the urge to keep the blooms. For centuries, people have pressed flowers inside the pages of a book, an indication that this phenomenon is something that has been intrinsically human since our very beginning. Today, there are all sorts of options available the people to save meaningful flowers, which has certainly complicated the decision-making process for a person who is sitting in their kitchen on the Sunday after a wedding or memorial service, desperate to seek the best solution for saving their meaningful, and very perishable, flowers. So, how does a person find a solution that will leave them relieved and satisfied that their flowers are in good hands? In our 25 years in business, we have seen many floral preservation companies come and go, and we have worked with clients from all of the country who were disappointed by DIY preservation methods, or by the outcome of the preservation company that accepted their blooms. So, to help you navigate these waters, we think it helps to know the right questions to ask, and we've shared some of them below:
Does budget affect your floral preservation options? For many of us there are constraints on our options due to the realities of money. Professional flower preservation typically starts at $70-80 for a single bloom placed in a small keepsake, and can go up to many hundreds for a larger display made into a keepsake shadowbox. If these are prices that exceed your budget, you can still at least consider using a professional, based on their payment plan options and turnaround times. Our orders typically take about 6 months to complete, and we offer payment plans, so this time frame often turns professional flower preservation into a reality for our clients. Before giving up on professional preservation, reach out to your local preservation company and at least ask about payment plans. If there are no affordable options available to you, and if you are somewhat crafty, the internet is loaded with DIY videos for using Silica gel, Borax, Resin and Wax to do at home floral preservation, oftentimes with impressive results!
WHAT TO ASK YOUR FLORAL PRESERVATION PROFESSIONAL:
How many years have your been offering preservation services? This is a crucial question to ask because of the challenge of longevity. Let's face it, professional floral preservation is expensive; you are making an investment in what is essentially a 3-dimensional piece of artwork made from your actual flowers. It is important to know that your preservation company will be around in 5 or 10, or 20 years to help with any longevity issues you experience with your order.
How old are your examples? When you look at the examples in a showroom or on a website or social media, be sure to ask how old the pieces actually are. If the company can't show you anything that reveals how the flowers age over time, then how will YOU know what your flowers will look like over time?
What if I don't like the outcome? Our experience working with thousands of customers over the last 2+ decades has taught us a lot about meeting and exceeding customer expectations when it comes to flower preservation.The single biggest challenge is in defining expectations at the beginning of the process, so YOU are happy with the results at the end. If your floral preservation company is making promises that they can't back up with past experience, past reviews, or examples, you might take note, because unlike other services, there are no 2nd chances with flower preservation.
Do you have a backup generator (only applicable if your preservation company is using freeze-drying)? We can't state it too many times, there is no such thing as 2nd chances when it comes to flower preservation. If a power outage occurs overnight while your blooms are sitting frozen in a freeze-dryer, they will thaw. Particularly when planning weddings, we can get so wrapped up in the warm and fuzzies of décor and mood boards, that the nuts and bolts of liability and the possibility of problems can get overlooked. How many of you requested proof of your venue's liability policies and occupancy status before booking the venue? Asking your flower preservation professional about backup generators has the same importance.
Can you show me examples of past customer orders? Let's admit it, the hamburger on a fast food ad does not even remotely resemble what comes through their drive thru window. We all do it as business owners; we create an ideal environment in which to photograph our offerings, and we use those photos to promote our products or services. But what results do we achieve when we unleash our team on the task of implementing our systems to create orders for our clients? That's really the most important content you should consider when choosing your flower preservation company. Our company posts monthly galleries on our homepages of real customer orders to help with answering this exact question. We select 10-25 of our favorites, just to provide a sampling of images for clients to review. Below are a few of the images we selected from over 200 orders we completed in the month of September. To see the rest, check out out Recently Complete Gallery HERE.
Each month, hundreds of trusting clients choose to send their one-of-a-kind flowers to our studio in Dayton Ohio to have them preserved and turned into lasting keepsake art or jewelry. Often, clients will tell us that they had no idea such a service even exists, but that when they experienced a life event that was symbolized by flowers, they suddenly found themselves seeking a service like ours. Whether the event is a joyous one, like a wedding, anniversary, retirement or baby birth, or a somber one like a memorial, the emotional process is the same. In each instance, a person experiences a meaningful life event that is accented with flowers, and those flowers shift from being simple decorations to something much more; they become a symbol of connection.
We hope this information is helpful and gives you some constructive direction when trying to decide what to do with your very important blooms!