FAQs
When Do I Order Your Services?
FOR WEDDING FLOWERS:
Since weddings are planned months or even years in advance, you can arrange for freezeframing services any time prior to the wedding, or even a few days after. If you're able to plan ahead, we recommend you visit our design studio to view our full product line and consider making your selections. If preserving your bouquet with freezeframe is a last minute idea, don't assume it's too late! Click here (link to homepage hours and address) for current shop hours & directions, and plan to stop in for a free consultation.
FOR NON-WEDDING FLOWERS:
Most other non-wedding flowers aren’t selected months in advance, so the idea to preserve them is more of a last-minute thing. If you have flowers from a meaningful event, please call us as soon as possible to arrange for our services, at 1-800-822-9273.
OUTSIDE THE DAYTON AREA:
After 25 years of offering national flower preservation service, we decided in 2017 to remove the possibility of damage to our pieces by discontinuing shipment of our completed orders (our Bloombeads jewelry can be shipped nationally). That being said, we will preserve flowers from anywhere, as long as they are hand-transported to our studio in downtown Dayton Ohio, and the completed order is then picked up from our studio. For some, this might be too far to travel, and we are happy to offer suggestions for other preservation companies in your area. For others who have researched preservation companies and determined that they would prefer to trust us with their blooms, the drive might feel worth it. Please contact us with any questions or direction needs you might have.
Do I need to select a display now?
For years we allowed customers to take 30 days after delivering blooms to make decisions about what to do with them. What we have learned over the past few decades is that delaying the framing decision has an impact on the turnaround time and therefore flower quality for your display, because post-event life starts again, and it can become difficult to prioritize getting these decisions made. So, while we will accept flowers without decisions, we strongly urge you to make your decisions at time of delivery.
How soon do you need the flowers to preserve them?
Ideally, flowers should arrive at our design studio within 72 hours of the event. The fresher the flowers, the better the end result! Flowers that arrive after that 72 hours still have the possibility of being preserved, but may require additional hydration, extensive trimming or other special attention, (small additional fee may apply).
Store Hours: The Freezeframe | bloombeads design studio is open for customer service as follows:
Monday..................................9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tuesday-Thurs ...................10:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Saturday .............................10:00 pm - 2:00
Fri & Sun...........................CLOSED
How long does bouquet preservation take?
Our AVERAGE turnaround time for orders is 9+ months from finalizing ALL your order details and providing us with all necessary supplies and deposits. This turnaround time is NOT GUARANTEED.
WHY?
The process of freezeframing is intensely detailed, requires a high level of skill, and takes time! These are the primary reasons why we have few competitors who can match our level of quality. The inability to predict an exact turnaround time is innate to the process itself.
The process of preserving the blooms takes anywhere from 2-4 months, depending on what kinds of flowers are in the machines, external elements like humidity and temperature, and requires expensive technology in the form of freeze-dry machines.
Once your blooms are dry, we individually stem and air-brush each bloom and piece of greenery, a labor intensive and slow process.
We have several trained designers on staff who work as fast as they can without damaging your blooms. The learning curve for new designers is 6-12 months. We are continually searching for new designers to train, but until a new employee has proven his or her ability, we do not give them customers' flowers to design.
Framing materials can have a multitude of quality issues that delay our process, i.e, a manufacturer starts sending inferior molding, moldings arrive damaged, frames have been joined poorly in corners, matboard gets stained in shipment, etc. The list is endless. Our process time includes all of the time necessary to insure that the materials used for your piece are as flawless as possible.
Professional framing services take time.
Final freeze: completed frames must freeze out again for 24 hours before the final quality check
Final Quality check: if your finished piece does not pass our rigorous quality standards, it gets sent back through the process. Examples of quality issues include things like: item loose inside frame, flower design requires tweaking in some way, frame has gotten damaged through normal handling within the shop, any nicks or imperfections in the framing materials that were missed in the original receiving process that reveal themselves in the final quality check process.
If you, our customer, will be patient with us and this tedious process, we will deliver a high quality keepsake that you will feel was worth the investment and time.
What is the process of preserving my flowers?
Floral preservation is a time-tested art. The process your flowers will go through at freezeframe | bloombeads has been fine-tuned during our 16 years serving as a leader in the floral preservation industry. Through extensive R&D in our facility, and in coordination with our suppliers, we have developed a process that consistently preserves more varieties of flowers and foliage, which remain more lifelike in color and appearance than flowers and foliage preserved in other methods.
FLOWER CARE UPON DELIVERY: OUR FIRST PRIORITY!
When your flowers arrive at our facility, they will most likely be in need of some pampering. The freezeframe | bloombeads staff will photograph, measure and tag your bouquet as part of our multi-step system to insure your actual blooms are tracked through our entire process; then, we will quickly get to work pampering your blooms. The entire bouquet will be disassembled, each bloom will be re-hydrated individually in our floral coolers, with the help of a specially formulated re-hydration solution, and any damaged petals will be trimmed.
EXPERT FLORAL PRESERVATION METHODS APPLIED:
Once your blooms have had a good drink, they are ready for the application of our expert preservation methods. Flowers and foliage that dry more effectively in sand-based methods will be tagged and moved to the sand-drying room; blooms which require weeks of bleaching to insure they stay white for years, will be tagged and go to the bleaching room. All remaining flowers and foliage will be prepared for the freeze-drying process; red and hot pink flowers will be treated in one of our many scientifically developed pre-treatments to insure their vibrant shades are retained; remaining flowers will then be treated with the appropriate solution to insure pliability and color retention; all treated blooms will then be tagged and nestled individually into "no-crush" preservation boxes, which insure that your blooms will not be confused with other orders, and will not be damaged through the course of the freezeframing process.
POST-PRESERVATION ARTISTRY:
Once all of your blooms have completed their preservation process in the various drying rooms, they are reunited in our post-preservation room, where the true artistry begins. Each flower is wire-stemmed, reinforced, and then air-brushed by a member of our pre-design team. Multiple color layers are applied to capture the layered tonality of each flower, all foliage is air brushed to retain its natural green shades, and flower centers that are different from the petals are hand-painted individually. These newly colorized flowers are then given to one of our expert designers, who will work with the original photograph of your bouquet, any of your memorabilia, and any of your pearls or ribbons, to create your one-of-a-kind freezeframe or bloombeads jewelry.
DOES IT PASS OUR RIGOROUS QUALITY CONTROL TEST?
Once your piece has been designed, it must pass our rigorous QC test, which is based on a 3-tier approval requirement. First, the Head Designer must approve the design, guaranteeing that the order has been created according to your specific requests. Then, our expert Framers study the actual flowers and their mechanics, to insure that your piece is sturdy and your blooms are appropriately placed inside the frame. Once all framing is complete, our Packaging team member will do a final inspection of the finished piece, and, if approved, wrapped in protective paper and initialed and dated as an approved freezeframe or bloombeads flower petal jewelry.
Do preserved flowers change color?
Slight color variations can occur in the freezeframing process. Some reds may deepen, whites and creams may antique, and vivid purples and pinks may change hue. We will take every step to minimize these shade changes during our post-color treatment process; however, we do not guarantee that flower shades will be perfectly matched. What we do guarantee is that our team of artisans with reference your event-day image (for weddings) or the images we take of your blooms upon arrival at our studio, to airbrush and sometimes even hand-paint each bloom. It is during our airbrushing process that we can minimize tonal changes in some flowers, while reinforcing the original vibrant tonesof your blooms so that they endure over time.
How much does floral preservation cost?
Pricing is based on the type and size of the display that you select. We offer display options ranging from $70 to over $800, with the average being between $250-$550. Once you select a display, we ask for 70% of the order total as a deposit, with the balance due upon completion. (Special payment plans can be arranged, please call for details).
I want to have my flowers preserved but I don't know if I can afford it?
We have over 10 options that are less than $150, and we have made Bloombeads jewelry options also under $150. Browse our gallery of mini memento options (link to domes and orns), and contact us today.
If there's not enough room in your bridal budget for the freezeframe or bloombeads of your choice, consider using our Registry Service. Many family members and friends enjoy the opportunity to give you a one-of-a kind wedding gift that is also a beautiful keepsake. Contact us today to sign-up for the freezeframe | bloombeads gift registry, and we'll send you an Official Registry Packet.
How to care for my freezeframe?
A few simple steps will help your Freezeframe retain its beauty. Do not spray glass cleaner directly onto the glass or dome of a display. Always spray the cleaner on a clean cloth and then wipe the area to remove dust, fingerprints etc. Never display your flowers in direct sun light or by a heat source. This includes fireplaces, spotlights, lamps and heating vents. Do not display in a humid area, such as a bathroom.
How long will freeze dried preserved flowers last?
Freezeframe | bloombeads has invested 25 years in researching the best methods for floral preservation, and the many steps we take in our process insure that your freezeframe will last for years. Over those years, some flower shades may antique or soften, but the overall shape and appearance of your piece will remain beautiful. Some factors that affect the longevity of your piece include the flower condition upon arrival to our design studio, age of the flowers upon arrival, and the amount of sunlight, heat and humidity they are exposed to once the piece is in your home. Please refer to the How to care for your freezeframe section above for complete care instructions.