If you're reading this, you may have recently said goodbye to someone you love. We're sorry. There isn't a tidy way to begin a guide like this, so we'll simply say: the flowers from a funeral often carry far more weight than their petals would suggest, and wanting to keep something of them is one of the most natural feelings in the world.
This page is here to lay out, gently, what's possible. It isn't a brochure. It's an explanation, for the moments when you've started to wonder whether anything can be done with the flowers that came home from the service.
Funeral flower preservation is the practice of taking flowers from a funeral, wake, or memorial and turning them into a small, lasting keepsake — most often by setting them in resin, pressing them, or placing them inside an acrylic-fronted frame. It's something families do for themselves, and for one another, when an arrangement feels too meaningful to let fade.
We've been doing this work in the UK since 2023. Read at your own pace. There's nothing here you need to decide today.
What funeral flower preservation can hold
The honest first thing to know is that you don't need very much. Families sometimes apologise to us for sending "only a few flowers", as though the keepsake might be less for it. It won't. A small handful of meaningful blooms is plenty for most pieces, and a single stem is enough for jewellery or a charm.
Preservation can work with flowers from almost any part of the day. A few stems from a sympathy bouquet sent to the house. A rose taken gently from a casket spray before the burial. The wreath that hung at the chapel door. Petals scattered at the graveside, picked up afterwards and tucked into a tissue. The arrangements that arrived at the wake and were carried home in the back of someone's car.
You can also combine — a few blooms from the family wreath together with a stem from the wake, or casket spray flowers alongside a sprig of garden foliage. Many families gather what mattered into one bag, and the result is no less beautiful for the mixing.
Leaves, foliage, baby's breath, ribbon from a wreath, even a small label or card from a sympathy bouquet — these can sometimes be incorporated too. Just ask. We'd rather you mention it than wonder later.
Methods of preservation explained
There are a handful of methods used in the UK, and the right one for you depends much more on what you want to live with than on which is technically "best". Each holds the flowers differently. We'll describe them honestly so you can choose at your own pace.
Resin keepsakes
Resin preservation is the most popular route in the UK at the moment, and the heart of what we do at Artisan Palace. The flowers are dried carefully, then arranged and set inside clear casting resin in layers, so the petals sit throughout the piece rather than only at the bottom.
Resin keepsakes come in many forms — blocks and cubes for a shelf, paperweights for a desk, hearts that can be held in the hand, figure pieces like a robin or small dog, and jewellery (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings) that holds a petal or two against the skin.
Resin is solid and durable, doesn't need delicate handling, and protects the flowers from air and dust. The look is bright and clear — the flowers appear suspended.
Pressed flower frames
Pressed preservation involves drying the flowers flat under weight, then arranging them inside a frame. The result is two-dimensional and quiet — closer to a botanical illustration than a sculpture.
Pressed pieces suit families who want something for the wall, who like the gentler, antique look of pressed botanicals, or who have flowers that lend themselves to being flattened (roses, single petals, foliage, ferns).
Acrylic shadow boxes
A shadow box is a deep frame — at Artisan Palace, fronted with acrylic rather than glass — that holds a fuller, three-dimensional arrangement of preserved flowers. It's the closest thing to keeping the bouquet itself, mounted and displayed.
Shadow boxes are a traditional preservation method, and they suit families who'd like to keep more of the flowers together in one piece, rather than choosing a few stems for a smaller keepsake. They sit well on a mantelpiece, a console table, or a wall.
Memorial jewellery
Resin jewellery — a necklace, a ring, a bracelet, a pair of earrings — is the most personal of the options. A petal or two is set into the piece, often in a simple silver or gold-toned setting, and the result is something you can wear quietly, every day, without anyone needing to know what it is unless you choose to tell them.
For many families, jewellery is the most affordable way in, and the one that travels with them — to work, to a christening, to the next family gathering.
There is no hierarchy here. The right method depends on what feels right to you — on where you'd like to keep the flowers, on whether you'd like to wear them or display them, on what you can imagine on your sideboard ten years from now. If you're unsure, you don't have to choose alone. You can write to us and we'll talk it through gently.
If you'd like to read more about the wider range of options, our funeral flower preservation collection shows the pieces families ask for most often, and our resin jewellery range shows the smaller, more wearable options.
What if the flowers have already dried, or it's been weeks since the funeral?
This is one of the most common worries we hear, and the honest answer is that it's almost always fine.
Flowers that have started to dry on their own can still be preserved. So can flowers that have sat in a vase for two or three weeks. So, often, can petals you've kept folded in a tissue or tucked into a drawer for months. We've worked with bouquets that arrived nearly a year after the funeral, sent by families who simply weren't ready until they were.
Drying actually does part of the preservation work for us. As long as the flowers haven't gone mouldy or crumbled into powder, there's usually something we can do. Roses hold their shape well as they dry. Foliage often dries beautifully. Petals on their own — even loose, even slightly faded — can be set into resin or jewellery and look quietly lovely.
What doesn't work well: flowers that have grown mould (often from being sealed in plastic too soon), flowers that have rotted in water, or petals crumbled to dust. If you're not sure, send a photo. We'd rather tell you honestly what's possible than have you throw something away in case it isn't.
If you'd like to let flowers air-dry gently while you decide, lay them somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sunlight, and not in a sealed bag. They'll keep their colour reasonably well for weeks like this.
You can read more on this in our cluster post on what to do with funeral flowers, which goes into the practical care side in more detail.
The preservation process: what to expect
The preservation of real flowers is slow work, and we want you to know that upfront. From the time we receive the flowers to the moment your keepsake arrives, the process typically takes between six and nine months. That's the honest timeline of the craft. Faster isn't better here; it's a sign of corners cut.
Here's roughly how it unfolds, gently:
Drying. Each bloom and petal is dried individually, usually in silica, which draws moisture out while holding the shape. This takes weeks. Colours can deepen, soften, or warm — whites tend to shift towards cream, reds can darken — and that's natural character, not a fault.
Arrangement. Once dried, Julie sorts through every petal by hand and begins planning the piece. Some flowers are used whole, others opened up and laid flat. The aim is to keep the colours and shapes that mattered.
Design approval (for larger and bespoke pieces). Before casting larger pieces, we share a design so you can ask for anything to be moved, added, or held back. For smaller moulded items like tealights or charms, Julie uses her judgement on the arrangement — but for the larger keepsakes the design step is yours.
Resin set. The piece is cast in layers so the flowers sit throughout, not only at the base. Each layer needs time to cure before the next is poured.
Finishing. Once fully cured, the piece is sanded, polished, and finished by hand.
Photo updates throughout. You won't be left in silence for six months. You'll hear from us when your flowers arrive, during drying, when the design is ready, and at finishing. The waiting is part of it, but the not-knowing doesn't have to be.
We work this way because the alternative is rushing your flowers, and there is no version of that we're willing to do.
What it costs in the UK
We try to be open about pricing because asking feels harder when you're already tired. Here's a quiet overview of what families typically pay in the UK for memorial preservation.
Memorial resin jewellery — from around £25 for a small pendant or charm holding a single petal. This is the most affordable way in, and the option many families choose first, sometimes ordering several pieces from the same flowers so different family members can each have something.
Smaller resin keepsakes — hearts, small paperweights, charms, and figure pieces like the robin sit in roughly the £85–£150 range, depending on size and complexity.
Photo frames with preserved petals — pairing a favourite photograph with flowers from the day, generally £100–£180.
Acrylic shadow boxes — the larger displays for a fuller arrangement, typically £200–£400.
Bespoke and statement pieces — resin tables, large display blocks, and custom commissions are quoted individually and sit at the premium end.
Klarna is available at checkout if you'd prefer to spread the cost over a few months. There's no deposit system at Artisan Palace — pieces are paid for in full when ordered — but Klarna lets you split the payment if that's helpful.
Our full cost breakdown, including how memorial pricing compares to wedding pricing and why some pieces cost what they do, is in our guide on how much flower preservation costs in the UK. The same logic applies to memorial pieces — the cost reflects the time, the materials, and the hand-finishing, not the occasion.
Choosing a preservation studio for a memorial piece
If you're considering a preservation studio for memorial flowers, a few things are worth looking for. None of these are about us; they're about what we'd want a family member of our own to find.
Handmade by people who understand the sensitivity. Memorial flowers aren't ordinary product. The studio should treat them as such — quietly, carefully, and without rushing you. You shouldn't feel like a customer at a checkout.
Clear, honest communication. You should know what you've ordered, when to send the flowers, what the timeline looks like, and what's happening at each stage. Long silences in the middle of a six-to-nine-month process are hard.
Photo updates throughout. Seeing your flowers as they're dried, arranged, and set is how trust is built when you can't be in the studio yourself. It's also reassurance that the flowers you sent are the flowers being used.
An established team. Resin preservation looks simple from the outside; it isn't. Look for a studio that's been preserving flowers for years rather than months.
A design-approval step for the larger pieces. Before anything is sealed into resin, you should have the chance to see what's planned. For smaller moulded items this isn't always possible, but for larger and bespoke pieces it's an important reassurance — these flowers cannot be replaced.
At Artisan Palace we've been preserving flowers since 2023, with more than 2,000 keepsakes made and over 300 positive reviews from families across our Etsy and Shopify stores. Julie is the maker behind every piece. For larger pieces, you'll see the design before the resin is poured. For all pieces, you'll receive photo updates along the way. We mention all of this not as a sales pitch — there are several studios in the UK that do good work — but because if you're considering us, these are the things we'd want you to know.
Quiet questions families ask
How many flowers do I need to send?
Not many. For a piece of jewellery, a single bloom is enough. For a small resin keepsake — a robin, a heart, a paperweight — a small handful is plenty. Even for a shadow box, you don't need the whole bouquet; a representative selection of the blooms that mattered to you is often the better choice. If you're unsure, send a photo of what you have and we'll tell you honestly what will work.
What if my flowers are partly dried already?
That's perfectly fine. Partly-dried flowers can still be preserved beautifully, and drying actually helps the process along. As long as they haven't gone mouldy or completely crumbled away, we can usually work with them.
Can I send a small posy from the wreath instead of the whole thing?
Yes, and many families do exactly this. A few stems pulled gently from a wreath, casket spray, or larger arrangement is often more practical than sending the whole thing — and the keepsake won't be any less meaningful for it.
What if I want to add a photo or note?
For photo frames, a favourite photograph is part of the design itself. For other pieces, small mementos — a ribbon from a wreath, a sprig of a meaningful plant, a tiny note or label — can sometimes be incorporated. Mention it when you write to us and we'll let you know what's possible.
Can I have a group of small pieces made for different family members?
Often, yes. Some families order a small set from the same flowers — a robin for one sibling, a necklace for a daughter, a paperweight for a partner's desk — so that everyone who loved the person who's gone has something to keep. Just mention it when you order, so we can divide the flowers across the pieces sensibly.
Is it OK to wait a while before deciding?
Yes. There is no deadline. Some families order within days; some wait months or longer. As long as the flowers are kept somewhere cool, dry, and out of direct sunlight — and not sealed in a plastic bag, which causes mould — they will hold up for surprisingly long. If they've started to dry on their own, that's fine too. Decide when you feel ready.
Can you preserve dried lavender, rose petals, or a single stem?
All of these, yes. Dried lavender works beautifully in jewellery and small resin pieces. Rose petals — even loose ones — set well in resin. A single stem is enough for a necklace or a small keepsake. If it's what you have, it's what we'll work with.
What about flowers from a casket spray?
Casket sprays are one of the most common sources for memorial preservation. A few stems lifted gently before the burial, or rescued from the chapel afterwards, will work well. Foliage and ribbons from the spray can sometimes be included too.
Will the colours fade?
The colours change slightly during the drying stage — whites tend to soften towards cream, reds can deepen, and some petals may warm in tone. Once set in resin, the piece is well protected and the colours stay stable for years. The advice we'd give is to keep larger pieces out of strong, direct afternoon sunlight day after day, simply because no resin loves that, but normal daylight is absolutely fine.
What if I change my mind?
Get in touch and tell us. For larger pieces, the design-approval stage is your chance to ask for changes before anything is sealed. If something more fundamental shifts for you, write to us. We'd rather have an honest conversation early than have you live with a piece that isn't quite right.
If you'd like more on the memorial jewellery side specifically, our guide to a memorial necklace from funeral flowers walks through the smaller, wearable pieces in more detail.
A note from the Artisan Palace team
This part is from Julie, the maker at the studio.
When families write to us about memorial flowers, the most common thing I hear is some version of "I'm probably being silly, but…" — and then a question about whether the bouquet has waited too long, or whether there's enough, or whether what they want is allowed.
It isn't silly. None of it is. The flowers are often the last physical thing left from the day, and wanting to keep them — wanting to do something gentle and lasting with them — is one of the kindest impulses I see in this work.
What I wish more families knew is this: you have more time than you think; the flowers don't need to be perfect; a single stem is enough for something beautiful; and you're allowed to ask us anything before you order. We've been preserving wedding and memorial flowers since 2023, and the part of the job I take most seriously is the memorial side. Every set of flowers is treated as if they were my own.
If something here has been useful, we're glad. If you'd rather sit with it for a while before deciding, that's exactly right too.
— Julie
If you'd like to talk to us first
There is no need to place an order today, or this week, or this month. If you'd like to ask a question first — whether your flowers can still be used, whether a particular piece would suit what you have, or anything else — you can reach Julie at contactus@artisanpalace.com. We'll reply gently and in your own time. If you'd prefer to look quietly, the funeral flower preservation collection is here whenever you're ready.
If your loved one's flowers are still in a vase on the side, that's a perfectly good place for them to be. Whatever you decide next, the love behind them is yours to keep.
If you came to this page after a wedding rather than a funeral, our sister guide — the wedding flower preservation complete guide — covers the same craft from the other side of life's milestones.