The design phase of any preservation piece has its own rhythm. Some pieces naturally come together more easily, while others require minor redesigning. There is no right or wrong way, it’s what is looks best to you. This preservation piece is something that will stay with you throughout your lifetime, we want you to be IN LOVE with the final product. This piece of art is a glimpse of time, captured forever. It is meaningful for couples to have daily moments reliving their wedding.
The size of your bouquet dictates the size of your preservation piece. Any bouquet that has more than 10 flowers should be displayed in a 16 x 20” frame. For reference, an 11 x 14” can hold between 4-5 reconstructed roses and between 10-12 flowers in total. A 16 x 20” can hold 30+ flowers, there is almost double the space available for design with a 16 x 20”.
Technically, it is more difficult to design a smaller piece. Having a complete representation of your flowers is challenging with limited design area. Artistically, it can be stifling to generate a design that confines my ability to create, especially when there are so many pretty flowers. It’s like going to a flower garden and being told I can only pick two flowers. No matter what, I’m always inspired by what comes out of the press! Whatever size frame you choose, every bouquet gets the same level of attention and care.
Once your flowers have been designed, I photograph and record them in various ways, highlighting your pressed bouquet with some flare and edge. This is a really fun part of the process for me! You are sent a design proof, and based on your input we will make revisions or begin the gluing and framing process. I design on a white background because it has a ruler for symmetry. Sometimes it can be hard to visualize your final piece this way. I can take a photograph of your flowers and generate an image on a colored background or transparent so that you can better see what your flowers look like. Every person perceives color and shapes in different ways, we are here to accommodate.
Your flowers will start to curl and are subject to the elements after they are taken out of the press. This is a very vulnerable time. Having your flowers pressed is a true assembly line process, the design and framing being the last. Once we start designing your flowers, we have limited to space to keep unconfirmed designs. When you receive your proof, it’s best for your petals to respond quickly. Typically, the design phase takes about 3-5 days and your preservation is ready for pick-up.
Right now, we are on the downside of designing for our October brides and are gearing up for November 2023 brides. If you are part of this group, your bouquet is coming your way soon!
A large part of Vancuterie’s pressed flower business comes from the Seattle area. Because of that sales volume, for our Seattle brides, we meet quarterly in South Seattle for pick-ups. The next pick-up date for our Seattle brides is February 17th. Time and location still to be decided.
We are delighted to extend a Valentine’s Day special: 15% discount on any preservation piece 11 x 14” or larger, including color correction. Please reach out to us if you have any questions. We are happy to walk you through the booking process! Stay tuned for updates. We are very active on Instagram @vancuterielove.