FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If you’re planning to preserve your wedding bouquet, one of the best things you can do is let your wedding planner know early in the process. At Stag Ridge Mercantile, we specialize in wedding floral preservation and have worked with many amazing planners who help their couples make the process seamless from keeping flowers fresh to getting them shipped to our studio. Here’s why your planner can be a huge asset when it comes to preserving your blooms: They Can Keep Your Bouquet in Tip-Top Shape Your planner is often the last person to see your bouquet before it is packed up or handed off. If they know it’s being preserved, they can: Keep it in water after the ceremony or reception Store it in a cool place to prevent wilting Make sure it's not forgotten when the night ends These small actions can make a huge difference in the quality of your pressed flower piece. Some Planners Will Ship It for You! Many full-service planners are happy to help you ship your bouquet directly to us. They can follow our instructions, reuse one of your shipping boxes and even schedule a UPS pickup. Don’t forget that we offer discounted UPS labels to make the process easy and cost effective. Just have your planner reach out ahead of time so we can set everything up. They Can Collaborate With Your Florist Some planners are deeply involved in the floral design process and can help you choose blooms that not only look amazing on your wedding day, but will also press beautifully. They can coordinate with your florist to: Choose press-friendly flowers Include special blooms for preservation Choose the freshest in-season flowers This is especially helpful if you are designing a custom pressed flower frame with ribbon, invitation pieces or additional floral elements. Preserve Your Wedding Flowers the Smart Way Preserving your bouquet is more than just a keepsake, it is a way to carry a piece of your wedding day with you for years to come. By looping your planner into the process, you’re setting your flowers (and yourself) up for success. At Stag Ridge Mercantile, we create pressed flower art that captures the beauty and emotion of your day. With the help of your planner, your bouquet can be carefully protected, properly shipped and beautifully transformed into a timeless piece of art. Planning to preserve your wedding bouquet? Tell your planner early and let us know how we can help make it easy!

Flower pressing is a beautiful tradition and if you love crafts, you might be tempted to press your wedding bouquet yourself. But when it comes to preserving something as meaningful and once-in-a-lifetime as your bridal flowers, it’s important to understand the difference between DIY flower pressing and professional wedding floral preservation. At Stag Ridge Mercantile, we’ve preserved thousands of wedding bouquets and know just how delicate the process can be. Here is what to consider before deciding which route to take. DIY Flower Pressing: A Lovely Hobby, But Risky for Wedding Bouquets Pressing flowers at home can be fun and rewarding for everyday blooms. But it comes with some challenges, especially if you’re preserving important flowers like a wedding bouquet. Common issues include: Browning or loss of color Petals that become brittle or damaged Mold or decay if flowers aren’t properly dried Lack of structure or balance in the final arrangement DIY is best for smaller projects or practice flowers, not for irreplaceable wedding blooms. Professional Floral Preservation: Built for Moments That Matter We use specialized drying methods, custom-built presses & color restoration to ensure your bouquet keeps its beauty. Each flower is handled with care and the final design is arranged into a custom frame that’s meant to last. We also help you include meaningful extras, like your invitation, a note or a piece of your bouquet ribbon making the finished piece truly personal. Leave the Important Flowers to the Experts We love flower pressing and encourage you to try it as a hobby! But when it comes to preserving your wedding bouquet, it’s worth trusting a professional. Your flowers deserve to be treated with skill, care and intention so you can enjoy them for years to come. Interested in preserving your bouquet with us? Get in touch to reserve your spot and learn more about our custom floral preservation process.

After your wedding day, one of the most important steps in preserving your bouquet is making sure it arrives to us safely and in great condition. At Stag Ridge Mercantile, we specialize in wedding floral preservation and treat every bouquet with the care it deserves, but it all starts with proper packaging and shipping. Here’s everything you need to know to get your blooms to us quickly, safely, and sustainably: Timing Matters: Send Within 4 Days if You Can To preserve your wedding bouquet beautifully, flowers must arrive fresh. Please ship or drop off your bouquet within four days of your event if possible. The sooner, the better! Flowers press best when they’re still vibrant and hydrated. We do accept flowers later than four days after the event, but we will ask to see their condition before we accept the order. Use Your Own Box — Reuse & Recycle! We believe in reducing waste whenever we can. That’s why we encourage you to reuse an old Amazon or shipping box for your bouquet. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just sturdy and large enough to support your flowers without bending the petals or stems. Tip: Almost everyone has a spare cardboard box laying around. Give it a second life by using it to ship your flowers! How to Package Your Flowers 1.Keep Flowers Fresh Store them in water until you’re ready to ship. Do not include a vase or water container in your box. 2.Wrap the Stems Wrap the bottom of the stems in damp paper towels to keep them hydrated. Cover the wrapped stems in plastic wrap or a Ziploc bag to prevent leaks. Secure with a rubber band or hair tie. 3.Trim If Needed If stems are too long for the box, trim slightly. Leave a bit of space between the flowers and the box edge to prevent damage. 4.Protect the Blooms Place the entire bouquet inside the box and surround it with packing paper to cushion it and keep it from shifting. Do not wrap the flowers in plastic for shipping. It traps the moisture and causes them to mold very quickly. We want to encourage air flow. Shipping Carrier Tips We highly recommend shipping your flowers through UPS or FedEx. Because of our remote location (we're tucked away on a beautiful Tennessee farm!), USPS is sometimes unreliable. To make things easier, we offer discounted UPS shipping labels. Just reach out at least one week before your event and we will send you a label. Tip: Please do not require a signature for delivery—this can delay your flowers from reaching us on time! Preserve Your Wedding Bouquet the Right Way Shipping your bouquet properly is the first step in creating a keepsake that will last for years to come. Whether your flowers are full of bright summer color or soft neutral tones, we’re here to transform them into custom pressed flower art. Ready to begin your wedding flower preservation journey? Reach out today to reserve your spot and request your discounted UPS label.

Your wedding bouquet is not just a bundle of flowers, it is a bouquet of memories. Every bloom tells a story, from the ones you carefully chose with your florist to the ones you held walking down the aisle. That’s why preserving your wedding bouquet is one of the most meaningful ways to hold on to the beauty and emotion of your day. At Stag Ridge Mercantile, we specialize in wedding floral preservation that transforms your bouquet into timeless pressed flower art a one-of-a-kind keepsake that lasts for years to come. A Keepsake You Can Enjoy Every Day Your wedding dress will be stored away and your photos might stay on your phone, but a preserved bouquet is something you can display in your home. It becomes a daily reminder of the love and joy you shared on your wedding day. Preserving the Flowers You Carefully Chose Your bouquet likely included more than just pretty flowers it may have featured blooms with meaning. Your grandmother’s favorite rose, the same flowers your mom carried or wildflowers that remind you of where you grew up. Preserving your bouquet protects those choices and keeps them alive in a lasting way. A Lasting Family Heirloom Pressed wedding flowers make a beautiful keepsake for you and a future heirloom for generations. Many of our clients frame their flowers alongside their wedding invitation, a ribbon, piece of their wedding dress or a meaningful quote to tell the story of their day. A Unique and Personal Gift to Yourself Floral preservation is a thoughtful way to treat yourself to something meaningful and personal after the wedding. It’s a lasting piece of your celebration and one that brings back memories every time you see it. Ready to preserve your bouquet? We’d love to create a custom floral frame that tells your story and keeps your flowers close, forever.

Our typical turnaround time is about 2-4 months from when we receive the flowers. This can change some during busy seasons or holiday seasons.

Preserved wedding flowers will last for years, when done correctly, will last for years. I personally have framed flowers that are over 100 years old. What separates our shop from other companies is we have a proprietary flower preservation and color restoration process that allows our flowers to maintain their color over time while looking very natural. Many shops do not do this and the flowers can turn brown in a few months.

All organic material can change color overtime. What separates our shop from other companies is we have a proprietary color restoration process that we follow that allows the flowers to look natural and help maintain their color over time. Other shops do not follow the same process that we do and the flowers will turn brown in a few months.