Hi Jayne,

I loooooove flowers, especially dried ones. If I could figure out how to incorporate dried flowers into my summer wedding decor, I would. But for now I wanted to ask the best way to keep my bridal bouquet around after the wedding. I am going to have someone preserve them for me, but I don't yet have my flowers picked out. I love all kinds, so I was thinking of keeping ones that dry particularly well on the top of my list. Suggestions?

~Terry

Hi back Terry,

Good question. I am an idiot and never preserved my bouquet and now I really wish I had. Then again, my flowers were white calla lilies and I'm sure they'd look like dried rigatoni by now. So it's smart of you to think about this before you even choose your flowers.

(Before I hand this question over to our expert panel, one quick thing - what again is wrong with incorporating dried flowers in your wedding decor? If you really like them, can't you make some pretty centerpieces, etc? I never got why brides feel pressure to fill their churches with armfuls of fresh flowers. But that's just me.)

Anyway - since I'm just a blogger and know approximately nothing about flowers, I consulted floral author Ellen Bowman of DryYourOwnBouquet.com about your question. She said "By far, roses are the most popular choice for a bride's bouquet. Luckily, they are also the easiest and most successful to dry and preserve. Keep in mind, though, that very deep red roses do tend to turn black. But which flowers preserve the best? After roses, it's lilies, stephanotis, daisies, ferns and ivy."

Thank you, Ellen! I guess I was wrong about the dry-ability of lilies. Hope that helped, Terry. As always - let me know what you end up choosing. Send photos!

~Jayne