No, as drying your flowers is part of our in-studio preservation process. We have perfected the art of drying flowers with both silica gel and pressed flower methods. We strive for excellence in preserving both the color and natural shape of your flowers!

However, if you cannot get your flowers to us 24-72 hours after the event, you may consider drying your flowers yourself and sending them to us at a later date. We can send you our very own flower drying instructions; email us at hello@sunbeampreservationworks.com!

Yes! If you have old, dried flowers from past events, we are more than happy to accept those and create something beautiful for you with them! We do ask that you email us at hello@sunbeampreservationworks with pictures of your dried flowers and which designs you'd like, to ensure that your flowers will work for your desired design. Some designs, such as the pressed flower frames, will only work with flowers that have been pressed and are thin enough to fit within the frame. Conversely, some of our serving trays do not have a depth that will accomodate dried flowers if they are very large and thick. So please do email us, so we can book the right design for you and your flowers!

Do NOT place your bouquet in the freezer or fridge! A household fridge is not good for your flowers and a freezer is too cold. Flowers that have been in the freezer will droop, rot and mold very quickly after thay have been taken out.

We pick the most beautiful and healthy blooms and greenery from your bouquet to include in your designs. We strive to fill your selected designs with as many of your flowers as possible. Remember - the larger the piece you book with us, the more of your flowers we can include in it. If you'd like to see many of the larger central flowers from your bouquet in your design, choose the larger size we offer. Check the design descriptions too - we have outlined in each description how many flowers and what type each size can typically accomodate. If you have any questions about choosing the right design for how many flowers you want in your piece, or if you'd like us to send back to you any of your unused flowers with your piece, feel free to email us at hello@sunbeampreservationworks.com.

Your extra flowers will either be discarded or added into our studio backstock of dried flowers. Upon request, we are happy to return any of your unused flowers back to you with your finished piece(s). Please email your request for this service to hello@sunbeampreservationworks.com with your name and order number.

We do not strive to recreate your bouquet, but rather to create an original piece of art that works with the natural shapes and textures of your dried flowers. You piece may not look exactly like your bouquet, but will be an artistic representation of your bouquet and reflect the memories of your day/event!

Your bouquet will go through a slight transformation process while it is being preserved. Some of the changes that may occur (but not limited to):

Red/deep-colored roses will get darker.

White flowers will turn into a more off-white or yellow color.

Translucent spots or “bruising” on the petalsmay occur. This occurs from petals absorbing natural oils from our hands. Bruising only appears after the flowers have been submerged in resin. To reduce this, try not to handle/touch/throw your flowers.

Some tropical flowers/greenery may not survive the drying process or may turn a brown color.

If you have any concerns or questions about specific flowers in your bouquet, feel free to contact us!

Dos:

Keep your flowers in water when they are not being used if possible and immediately after the event. Trim the ends after the event to ensure they're drinking in fresh water.

Try to keep your flowers out of direct heat or in a cool dark room.

Don’ts:

Try to avoid touching your flowers as this can result in extra oils from your hands being absorbed by the petals and causing translucent spots called “bruising.” Bruising only appears after the flowers have been submerged in resin.

We recommend NOT using your bridal bouquet for the bridal toss.

When shipping us your flowers do not put plastic or a bag around your flowers as this can act as a heat chamber.

Our studio is based out of Narragansett, RI, but we can ship all over the US!

We have a local drop-off option to accept flowers directly to our preservation studio in Narragansett.

In Summer 2025, we will be opening our second studio in Northern Virginia area.

At this time, we do not offer international shipping.

Once you have placed an order, you will receive shipping instructions attached as images to your email confirmation. We encourage you to save those images to your phone or star your confirmation email in your inbox so you can easily find those instructions after ordering! They are also linked at the bottom of this page as "fresh flower shipping instructions."

Detailed step-by-step instructions will be attached to your confirmation email after placing an order. But some quick tips are....

Choose overnight shipping for your fresh flowers! If they are dried, you may choose ground shipping.

Place a wet paper towel or water tubes on the bottom of the stems to keep them hydrated during shipping.

Securely pack your flowers in a box with tissue or packing paper to avoid movement and damage. DO NOT use plastic when packaging your flowers, as plastic can suffocate the flowers and act as a heat chamber.

Do not use an overly large box if you are wanting to be cautious of shipping costs.

Check out the shipping instructions linked at the bottom of this page!

If you have any questions or concerns about shipping your flowers, please feel free to email us at hello@sunbeampreservationworks.com.

It is important to take care of your flowers as best you can the day of the event. Don't stress though - it is quite normal for the flowers to be moved around & used as they are intended to be!

However, avoid touching the flower petals and throwing the bouquet if possible. Oils from our hands can cause bruising spots on the petals that you can only see once they're submerged in resin. Throwing the bouquet can also cause wilting and bruising of flower petals. If you want to do a bouquet toss at your wedding, we suggest buying a mini bouquet to throw instead, or even using a bridesmaid's bouquet.

Some bruising on flower petals is unavoidable and we encourage you to embrace nature's imperfections! However, handling your flowers gently will decrease the chances and amount of bruising.

Trim your flower stems after the event and keep them in water until the time of shipment or drop-off, and follow our shipping instructions for optimal flower condition! We suggest dropping off your flowers in a container of water if you are dropping them off locally.

Each piece is made with high-quality resin that is very durable and UV-resistant. They should still be handled with care though. Keep your piece out of direct sunlight for optimal protection. UV ray exposure can lead to ambering of your resin piece. To clean your piece, wipe it down with a microfiber cloth, warm water and mild soap. No harsh chemicals, cleaners, or scrubbers should be used.

Pro tip: If you really love the look of your resin piece in the sunlight, we suggest putting resin pieces in a sunny spot around the house for a few weeks or months, and then move them to a shadier spot for a while. This breaks up the time it is exposed to the sunlight.

The resin we use in our studio is clear, free of VOCs and very high-quality. It is specifcally made for floral preservation. Over long periods of time, the resin might develop a slight amber-like glow. This is natural and we encourage you to embrace it!

Disclaimer: resin ambering is an inevitable effect from the natural aging of your product. The best way to prevent this from happening is to leave it out of any kind of direct sunlight. We are not responsible for the natural effects of aging in your product.

You may clean your standing frame with paper towel and windex, as they are made entirely of glass.

For the gold floating frames that go directly on the wall: the front panel is tempered glass, so you may clean it with paper towel and windex. The back panel on these frames is plexiglass, so DO NOT use chemicals of any kind as it could corrode the plexiglass. Simply use warm water, mild soap, and a microfiber cloth or paper towel.

Yes - over time, your pressed flowers will fade slightly in color. White flowers will turn to a cream or yellow color. This is natural and we think it gives your frames a vintage look! We encourage you to embrace the natural aging process. If you would like to slow the process, keep your frames out of direct sunlight, as the UV rays cause fading.

If you are looking for your flowers to retain their color for as long as possible, we reccommend buying a resin piece.

Disclaimer: We are not responsible for the natural effects of aging in your product.

If you are looking to see your flowers keep their color for as long as possible, we reccommend going with a resin piece. The flowers will keep their color much longer in resin than they will in a pressed frame. Just be mindful that the resin itself may start to yellow slightly over long periods of time.