The Ultimate Wedding Flower Preservation Kit (What You’ll Actually Need)
The Ultimate Wedding Flower Preservation Kit: Everything You’ll Actually Need To Make A Beautiful Pressed Flower Frame From Your Bridal Bouquet.
If you’re crafty type and thinking, “I can preserve my wedding bouquet myself!”— we want you to know you absolutely can and should. But, we want you to know everything it really takes to pull off a high-quality pressed flower frame at home.
We’ve preserved hundreds of bouquets at For Keeps Florals, and we know exactly what goes into the process—not just the tools, but the time, care, and attention to detail it requires. So if you’re set on a DIY project, here’s what you’ll need to build the ultimate wedding bouquet preservation kit.
Spoiler: it’s more than just a flower press and any old picture frame!
Your Ultimate Wedding Flower Preservation Kit
Everything we use for your wedding bouquet preservation in one picture. Whether you're preserving your own bouquet or gifting a kit to a bride-to-be, we’ve compiled a realistic breakdown of the tools, materials, and effort that go into doing it right.
Remember, assembling the wedding flower preservation kit and finding the right frame is just the beginning of your journey! You will want to spend some time practicing your design techniques and learning about how to preserve your specific flowers. Once you’re set up with the right materials, this is a super fun and rewarding process.
1. A Quality Flower Press
Recommended: Microwave flower press – $40-80
This tool lets you start drying flowers quickly while color is still vibrant. We love microwave presses because they cut down drying time and help lock in shape.
2. Books for Traditional Pressing
One hardcover + one softcover, plus some recycled rubber bands – $10 at a thrift store
After a quick microwave press, flowers often finish drying best inside a book with added pressure. Use the softcover to wrap around the hardback and compress the blooms.
3. Blotting Paper or Paper Towels, Glass Cleaner
Already have on hand, but bonus for anti-static spray and lint free microfiber cloths for cleaning your glass
This helps absorb excess moisture and protect the pages of your books. Paper towels actually work great if changed frequently.
4. Scissors or Floral Snips
Already have
Used to trim stems, snip petals, and prep your blooms for pressing.
5. Non-Reactive Glue
Mod Podge or archival glue – $20
Don’t use school glue or super glue—those can yellow or degrade the flowers over time. Go with something archival and acid-free.
6. A Frame with a Deep Rabbet
Wooden frame with ~1-1.5" rabbet – $40–250+
The rabbet is the depth of the frame, and you need that extra room to accommodate your pressed flowers, backing, spacers, and retainers. Most store-bought frames are too shallow.
7. UV-Protective Glass (Museum-Grade)
Conservation clear or museum glass – $20–80
Optional but highly recommended. Regular glass ($5–25) will let your flowers fade much faster, even with no direct light.
8. Thin Spacers
Foam, wood, or matboard strips – $5–10
Spacers sit between the glass and your flowers, giving them room to breathe and preventing compression. They’re invisible from the front, but essential.
9. Wooden Retainer for the Back
Bass, pine, or any non-abrasive wood, narrow enough to not be seen from the front – $5
This secures all layers in the frame from behind so nothing shifts or warps over time.
10. A Pin Nailer or Small Nail Gun
23g for best results and invisible brads, but 21g works – $40–150
This one’s a must. Without proper fastening, your flowers will eventually shift or fall out. Trust us—tape won't cut it. You'll need to secure the retainer with small nails.
11. Heavy-Duty Hanging Hardware
Two sawtooth picture hangers, and hopefully you already have a drill and screwdriver – $4
Two sturdy hangers spaced wide help distribute the weight of your finished frame evenly and safely.
12. A Lot of Time and Patience
4+ hours of hands-on time, stretched out over 1–2 months – Priceless?
Pressing, drying, arranging, designing, gluing, framing—it’s all a labor of love. And like anything beautiful, it takes time.
The DIY Route: Worth It?
If you love a project, feel confident working with delicate materials, and have the tools—or want an excuse to buy them—go for it. It’s a rewarding experience and a beautiful way to stay connected to your wedding flowers.We recommend you explore our blog for some insight on ways to press different flowers, and continue reading about how to make a pressed flower frame from your bridal bouquet.
But if you'd rather skip the time investment, the tools, and the trial-and-error, we’d be honored to handle it for you.
At For Keeps Florals, we’ve fine-tuned the art of wedding flower preservation so you don’t have to. From microwave pressing to UV-framed finishing, we do it all in-house using a combination of time-tested and professional techniques. You can browse all your options in our pressed flower frame shop or learn more about our process on the wedding flower preservation page.
Final Thoughts on The Ultimate Wedding Preservation Kit
Whether you’re building your own or handing it off to the pros, there’s something magical about turning your bouquet into a lasting piece of art. A true wedding flower preservation kit involves more than people realize—but that’s what makes it so special. The real adventure is pressing and designing the actually display, but often working out the best framing options is the most difficult and tumultuous part. Hopefully this guide has effectively showed you the contents of the ultimate wedding flower preservation kit, and helped you decide whether you want to attempt this rewarding adventure yourself.
Keep in mind that there are many cheaper pre-made glass on glass framing options available, and many with flexible backs that make framing super easy, but to get true UV protection and an artisanal presentation, we feel custom wood framing is a must. And if you ever want a second opinion, or decide you’d rather relax and let someone else do the work, we’re here.
