Holding On to the Memory: Preserving Funeral Flowers as a Lasting Keepsake

There’s something incredibly powerful about flowers. We use them to express love, to say goodbye, and to bring comfort in moments when words just aren’t enough.

After a funeral or memorial service, many people are left wondering what to do with the beautiful flower tributes. They start to wilt, and yet it feels wrong to just throw them away. That’s where memorial flower preservation comes in as a way to honour someone’s life and keep part of the day with you, forever.

What Is Memorial Flower Preservation?

It is the process of saving flowers from a funeral or celebration of life and turning them into a long-lasting resin keepsake. Whether it’s a rose from the coffin spray, a few stems from a bouquet, or even petals from a family tribute, those flowers can be carefully dried and preserved in clear resin to create something beautiful and meaningful.

Some of the most popular memorial pieces include:

• Resin shapes or hearts

• Paperweights and ornaments

• Bookends

• Tealight holders

Every piece is handmade, unique, and crafted with care.

Why People Choose to Preserve Funeral Flowers

Flowers at a funeral often hold deep meaning. They might have been chosen by someone close to the person who passed, or perhaps they were their favourite variety or colour. Whatever the reason, preserving them is a way to keep a tangible connection to that moment and to the person you’ve lost.

Some families:

• Keep the piece on a bedside table or mantle

• Create a gift for someone who couldn’t attend the service

• Share preserved blooms between siblings or relatives

• Use the keepsake in memorial corners or memory boxes

How the Process Works

If you’re considering preserving your funeral flowers, here’s how we work at JoanyBow Designs:

1. Contact us as soon as you can! Before the funeral if possible. We will guide you through how to send the flowers, or offer a drop-off if you’re close to Bromley.

2. Once we receive the flowers, we carefully dry them using silica sand, which helps them keep their shape and colour.

3. You’ll choose your keepsake piece and we can chat about designs or preferences.

4. The flowers are then arranged and set in high-quality clear resin, layer by layer.

5. Once fully cured, we finish the piece before carefully packaging it up to send back to you.

The whole process takes 12-16 weeks from receiving the flowers.

When Should You Get in Touch?

The sooner the better. Flowers preserve best when they’re still fresh, so ideally before or within a few days of the service. If you know you’d like to do this, even just mentioning it in advance gives us more time to plan.

You can book one of our memorial slots if there is one available on the date of the funeral without having to contact us in advance.

Choosing the Right Person to Trust With Your Flowers

This is such a personal thing, and I completely understand how important it is to get it right. When choosing someone to preserve your flowers, I’d always suggest:

• Looking through their past work to see their style

• Reading reviews or testimonials from other families

• Asking how they’ll care for and store your flowers

• Making sure they’re happy to answer your questions (and don’t rush you)

You should feel comfortable and cared for — not like you’re just placing an order.

A Thoughtful Way to Remember

Preserving funeral flowers is about more than just making something pretty. It’s about memory, love, and keeping a little piece of someone close to you. If you’re navigating loss, please know this: your feelings matter, your memories matter, and there are gentle ways to hold onto them.

If you’d like to chat about memorial preservation, ask questions, or book a slot please see our website and feel free to email us.