How to Dry a Wedding Bouquet

Remove any dangling stems or leaves that wilted during all the wedding festivities.

Find a location to hang your wedding bouquet that will be dark and dry. A closet is a great location as long as there's enough room to hang the bouquet where it will not be touching anything else. Another good location to hang your wedding bouquet is a bathroom as long as it's an extra room not being used. Hang the bouquet upside down with a sturdy ribbon or cord so that the bouquet can dry out without lights or sunlight to wash out the colors of the flowers.

Leave the bouquet in the dark and dry area for at least 4 or 5 days. If you can just continue to let it hang there for a couple of weeks is even better.

Spray the dried wedding bouquet lightly with a floral spray for dried flowers. This will seal and protect the dried flowers. Purchase the floral spray at a hobby or craft store in their floral department. Use unscented hairspray if you are not able to find or purchase the floral spray. Let this dry thoroughly.

Place your dried wedding bouquet on a stand, under a dome or in a keepsake display box. The dried flowers in the bouquet are fragile, so you will need to handle the bouquet with care.

Snip the stems from the wedding bouquet that wilted or became too mushy to try to keep.

Take the wedding bouquet apart very carefully so that you do not damage any of the flowers. Unwrap or untie any sashes or ribbons holding the bouquet together. Take photos of the bouquet prior to taking it apart to remember how the flowers in the bouquet looked. You might want to take some notes while you are taking the bouquet apart.

Place each flower separately in a variety of containers, shallow bowls or tins that are half-filled with silica gel. The purpose of the silica gel is to take the moisture out of the flower while it preserves the shape and color. The silica gel is not a gel, but rather a sandy looking substance or a granular substance. Put the containers with the flowers out of any light or moisture for at least a week.

Remove the flowers from the silica gel and carefully lay them out on a counter surface. Arrange the flowers back into the wedding bouquet. This may be a bit difficult to do, so refer to your photos and notes to help you reassemble the dried wedding bouquet.

Spray the dried wedding bouquet with a floral spray for dried flowers. Use unscented hairspray if you do not have the floral spray.

Display or store your dried wedding bouquet how you wish.