A global pandemic has created such a sense of uncertainty when it comes to planning your wedding, and nowhere more so than choosing your flowers!

Our last fresh flower wedding was back in July, and it was such a whirlwind of cancelled plans, moved venues and very late changes. We were thrilled to find a last minute venue for the couple to hold their micro wedding and they were able to go ahead, but I completely understand why planning a wedding during this time can feel stressful and uncertain. Fresh flowers being perishable cannot be cancelled should you need to change your plans at the last minute. Not to mention we are currently experiencing floral supply chain issues resulting in shortages and an increase in flower prices of some varieties of between 20 and 40%, with this looking to last as long as 12 months or more.

My advice to all 2020 couples for planning your micro wedding is “plan for the worst but hope for the best”, and it’s with this in mind that Floretta has currently shifted focus to using preserved and dried flowers instead. Dried flowers are fresh flowers that have had the moisture removed through a natural dehydration process, such as hanging them upside down. Preserved flowers have had the moisture in the flower and foliage replaced with glycerine which makes them look and feel more like the fresh variety.

Preserved and dried flowers come in a gorgeous range of colours, shapes and textures and the best bit is you can keep them after the event! It won’t matter if you postpone, change venues or even want to use your flowers again for a second, post pandemic celebration. There is no expiration date for flowers that have been preserved. While many claim they will last indefinitely, their appearance actually depends on environmental conditions. Preserved flowers have a general shelf life of 1-3 years although they may last much longer, especially if handling is minimised, and they are kept away from heaters, air conditioning and direct sun.

Dried flowers can create the most unique wedding bouquets, buttonholes and arrangements and I just love the idea of giving them to your special people as a keepsake from the wedding. The colours also lend themselves so well to weddings with creams, whites, nudes, blush pinks, coffee and even greys making an appearance! There are still lots of varieties to choose from with favourites like gypsophila, hydrangea, roses and Australian natives all being well suited to drying.

It’s special bouquets and arrangements minus the stress and uncertainty that has already messed more than enough with your wedding plans.


Ms Floral Says: Great thinking, and I also love that this is a beautiful sustainable option for eco-conscious couples.

About: Floretta: Floretta is a Melbourne based floral design studio, selling artisan dried and preserved botanical arrangements for the home or corporate environment. Visit our online store here to view. We also specialise in wedding flowers (both fresh and dried). Click here for fresh wedding flowers and here for dried wedding flowers.