How to Transport Your Wedding Flowers for Preservation

Your wedding flowers hold sentimental value and preserving them allows you to cherish the memories for years to come. However, proper transportation is crucial to ensure your blooms arrive in the best possible condition for preservation. Whether you’re shipping your flowers to a preservation studio or delivering them in person, follow these expert tips to keep your bouquet fresh and beautiful.

1. Plan Ahead

Booking your bouquet preservation in advance ensures you have a clear timeline and guidelines from your preservation specialist. Most preservation services require you to ship or drop off your flowers within 24–48 hours of your wedding to prevent wilting and discoloration. At Wild Coast Flower Preservation, we recommend having the flowers in our hands within 5-days of your event.  This is the ideal window, but the earlier the better!  

2. Keep Your Flowers Hydrated

Fresh flowers last longer with proper hydration. Here’s how to keep them fresh before transportation:

• Use a vase with fresh water: If you have time before transport, place your bouquet in a vase with about 2 inches of clean water. Make sure all flower stems are touching the water. 

• Traveling on a plane, dampen stems with paper towels: Wrap the ends of your flower stems in a damp paper towel and cover with plastic wrap or a small plastic bag to retain moisture. Carry-on the bouquet for domestic flights. 

• Traveling in a car, use a vase, bucket or cooler: Place the bouquet in a vase of water, inside of a bucket(s) of water, or in a cooler with ice packs.  Avoid drenching the flowers in water. Only the stems should touch the water. Keep out of direct sunlight and always leave the AC running. 
• Traveling Internationally: Consider our Extra Large Express Flower Press Kit for transporting the bouquet in your luggage. Our 9"x12" flower press kit will hold over your wedding bouquet for up to 5-days in the sealing bag.  Follow the layering and sealing instructions below to bring home your wedding flowers in pristine condition.  

• Avoid misting: Spraying your bouquet with water can cause excess moisture, leading to mold during transport.

3. Store Flowers in a Cool, Dark Place

Heat and direct sunlight can quickly cause flowers to wilt. Until you're ready to transport, keep your bouquet in a cool, shaded area. A refrigerator set at around 40°F (4°C) can also help maintain freshness, but avoid placing flowers near fruits, as they release gases that can speed up the aging process. Be careful not to let the flowers freeze as they are no longer usable if they do. 

4. Packaging for Travel

If you are driving to a preservation studio, carefully place your bouquet in an open box to prevent shifting. Use tissue paper or soft cloth to keep the arrangement secure while allowing air circulation.

For shipping:

• Choose a sturdy box: Select a box that provides enough space for your bouquet without excessive movement. Once the full bouquet is packed inside, cut the box down to fit the flowers to form. Our YouTube tutorial on reducing shipping costs is helpful to watch if you're cost conscious. 

• Protect the flowers: Cut apart the bouquet and wrap each bloom in paper towel.  Bunchy flowers can be wrapped in bunches. The paper towel absorbs moisture and keeps each flower separate from one another. This helps avoid mold between flowers, and if mold happens in one, the rest of the box does not become contaminated.  Our handy packing video shows the paper towel packing method in full! 

• Avoid: Moisture and Plastic. Do not wrap stems in a damp paper towel, do not use ice packs or plastic of any kind.  Moisture trapped by plastic becomes a mold factory while the package is traveling through the hot mail.  Use paper and paper towel products only, and your flowers will stay dry/fresh longer. 

• Label the box: Mark it as “Fragile” and “Perishable” to ensure careful handling. Always include your order number, name on the order and your phone number on the package. 

5. Use Express Shipping Services

If you need to ship your flowers, opt for an overnight or next-day shipping service to minimize transit time. Ensure the package is sent early in the day to avoid delays and choose a weekday delivery to prevent weekend storage issues.

For ultimate convenience, we offer a prepaid, print-ready FedEx Priority Overnight shipping label for $130 covering box sizes up to 20x20x10.

6. Communicate with Your Preservation Specialist

Before shipping or dropping off your flowers, confirm all details with your preservation specialist. Provide them with tracking information if shipping, and ensure they are available to receive your bouquet upon arrival.

Transporting your wedding flowers properly ensures they remain vibrant and intact for preservation. By following these steps—hydration, storage, careful packaging, and fast delivery—you can guarantee that your special blooms are preserved beautifully for a lifetime.

Looking to preserve your wedding bouquet? Contact us today to secure your spot on our preservation calendar!