Written by Managing Editor Michelle Cox-Vergara

Not many wedding items last after the wedding day. There are photographs and videos but the cake is cut, the food is eaten, the music has faded… What is there was a way that you could preserve your gorgeous wedding flowers in a way that you could see them and cherish them DAILY?!

Today we are so excited to share a local artisan that offers an amazing way to preserve flowers from your wedding or special events for (hopefully) a lifetime. About a month ago I chatted with Tina Bupp, the owner of Bupp Woodworks & Designs, about her unique flower preservation process. I personally love the idea of repurposing your wedding florals and only WISH I still had my own wedding bouquet to preserve. Enjoy this interview and definitely check out her amazing work!

Tell us about yourself, Tina!

I am the owner of Bupp Woodworks and Design and started the company 5 years ago. I have always had the passion to create and loved drawing, painting, and doing crafts as a child. I studied fine arts in college and also have many years experience of running a small business. Working with many different art mediums over the years, I never really found my true passion. Being a gardener, I loved the idea of being able to dry flowers and leaves, always pressing wildflowers in random books in my house.

A few years ago, my husband and I started experimenting with epoxy resin, making river tables, and I instantly fell in love with how versatile resin is. Preserving pieces of nature forever was an instant hobby I became addicted to working with. I made resin art for fun, selling online and at local craft shows, and the demand followed. Once people saw what I could create, they were asking me to make them custom keepsakes for special moments in their lives including memorials, anniversaries, and weddings. I love being able to create sentimental items for people that they will cherish forever. Now for over the past 5 years, I have perfected the art of preserving flowers and creating crystal clear resin keepsakes that will last a lifetime. I absolutely love being able to work with nature and beautiful flowers every day.

Explain the process of flower preservation.

Flower preservation is a delicate process, that if done right, can truly allow your wedding bouquets and flowers to live on forever. Its a great way to repurpose your flowers that remind you of your special day instead of just throwing them away. There are several different methods we use to dry the flowers to create the wedding keepsakes. Some of the pieces that we offer are flat or thin in relation to a flower bud and petals or leaves must be pressed in order to fit the molds. When we are using the entire flower for a 3D type keepsake, we must carefully trim the flowers and apply a special drying powder to retain their beautiful colors and shapes. We monitor the flowers as they dry, but it is not an overnight process. In fact, it takes several weeks for the flowers to fully dry and vary on species as well as size.

Once we have dried the flowers, we then create a layout or design that best matches your style and represents your bouquet. A resin mixture is then slowly applied over a course of several days or weeks depending on the thickness and volume of the piece. This is a process that cannot be rushed as the resin is a chemical reaction where proper mixtures must be utilized and many layers must be poured. With couples once-in-a-lifetime wedding flowers, we only have one chance to make these pieces the best that we can and we take our time making sure they come out perfect. Resin can be tricky to work with, so the more experience a flower preservation artist has, the better. It is definitely an art form that takes a few years to master. The keepsakes should come out crystal clear with minimal bubbles, and vibrant colors still in the dried flowers, looking as if they are frozen in time.

What items can you make my flowers into?

Our business can turn your wedding flowers and bouquets into many different keepsakes and functional art pieces. We're always trying to expand our designs, add-ons and customization features while not making it too overwhelming for our couples. To get the best representation of your bouquet, we offer large floral block pieces such as various sized squares, hexagons, bookends, large clear acrylic serving trays, large wooden serving trays, and even river table furniture.

When it comes to add-ons, we are always adding more! We currently offer over 20 additional items to choose from to display your flowers from ring holders, bookmarks, candle holders, coasters, a variety of gemstones and crystals, letters, jewelry dishes, vanity trays, necklaces, ornaments, and more! We are always trying to expand our offerings and give our customers the best possible options for every budget.

If a couple is interested in flower preservation, what should they do to prepare for that before their wedding day?

Engaged couples have plenty on their plates leading up to the wedding day that we try to have our process as easy as possible. Typically, our clients or couples will find us ahead of time and pay a deposit to book their upcoming wedding day, whether it be a few months away or a year away. If we have availability, we can accept a rush order, as in an upcoming wedding within a week or less. It is always recommended to save your spot as soon as possible, as we can only handle so many bouquets per week. They will then choose which keepsakes they want made, and have a personal consultation with us to finalize everything.

The day after the wedding, the newlyweds, a friend, or a family member either drops off the flowers locally to us or follows through with the detailed packaging information we send to the client to have them safely shipped to us. It is very important that fresh flowers arrive to us 1-4 days after an event, so that they are in the best condition to be preserved. We also accept previously dried flowers, artificial, silk flowers, or other mementos.

After we receive the bouquet, the drying process begins. All the newlyweds have to do at this point is sit back and relax while we work on creating their keepsakes over the next few months. This is where we get to have fun and bring these flowers back to life!

What is the timeline for a customer (send flowers, dry time, creation time, etc)?

It is very important that fresh flowers arrive to us 1-4 days after an event. Anything after that, and they will begin to break down, petals fall off, and they become too difficult to work with. The entire process of getting your wedding flowers preserved and turned into a piece of art from us is about 12-16 weeks

after we receive your bouquet. It takes about 4 weeks for flowers to fully dry or be pressed. We then work on a layout, and the process of pouring resin takes an additional 8-12 weeks depending on the size of the order. We do our best to complete orders as quickly as we can, since we know how excited clients are to see their keepsakes, but the delicate preservation process cannot be rushed. We promise it will be worth the wait!

Is there options for getting floral preservation to someone not local to Chicago?

We absolutely can work with wedding flowers and bouquets from outside of the Chicagoland area, accepting flowers from all over the United States. We've worked with bride and grooms as far as

Washington, Texas, California, Florida and all over the country and love working with new flowers from different regions. These flowers do need to be overnight shipped to us after the wedding as it is critical to begin the drying process as soon as possible to prevent wilting and browning of the flowers. We have a detailed process that we email to our clients going over our recommended process of sending the flowers in the mail. We have had great success with our customers being able to ship their beautiful bouquets and arriving to us in wonderful shape, allowing us to give them back the best keepsakes to allow their wedding flowers to live on forever. We also offer local drop off and pick up options for those in the Chicagoland area.

Tina, thank you so much for sharing your amazing products and processes with our community. If you are interested in learning more about flower preservation or purchasing an item after your wedding, for yourself or someone else, reach out to Bupp Workshops at the links below.

Bupp Woodworks & Designs
McHenry, IL
buppwoodworks@gmail.com
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Wedding Flower Preservation