Color Change and Color Correction in Flower Preservation
When preserving flowers from your wedding day, special event, or sentimental moment, it's natural to want them to stay as vibrant and beautiful as they were on the day you received them. However, as with anything from nature, flowers can undergo changes during the drying and pressing process. At Peachy Petals, we take pride in ensuring that your blooms are preserved as beautifully as possible while keeping them true to their natural essence. Let's dive into why some flower colors change, how we handle those changes, and when we use color correction to keep your keepsake looking timeless.
Why Do Flowers Change Color During Preservation?
Color changes in flowers are a natural part of the drying process. As flowers lose moisture, their pigments can shift, causing some colors to darken, fade, or even change hue entirely. This process is influenced by several factors:
Flower Type: Some flowers are more prone to color changes than others. For example, white and light pink flowers are especially sensitive and tend to yellow over time.
Drying Technique: The method used to dry flowers plays a significant role in how well their colors are retained. Improper drying can lead to dull or discolored blooms.
Environmental Factors: Light exposure, humidity, and temperature can also impact how colors hold up over time.
How We Minimize Color Changes at Peachy Petals
To combat natural color changes, we use specific drying techniques tailored to different types of flowers. These methods are carefully chosen to maintain the vibrancy and integrity of your blooms for as long as possible. Some of the steps we take include:
Customized Drying Techniques: Different flowers require different drying methods. We adjust our process based on the type of flower in your bouquet to achieve the best possible result. When it comes to preserving, sometimes we use foam, sometimes we use a special variety of paper, and occasionally even the microwave! We have spent a lot of time determining the best technique for each flower and the best way to preserve their color.
Proper Storage and Handling: I ensure that flowers are stored in controlled environments to limit exposure to factors that could accelerate color changes.
What Is Color Correction, and When Do We Use It?
At Peachy Petals, we aim to preserve your flowers in a way that keeps them looking natural. However, we do selective color correction at our discretion for flowers that are most likely to change drastically, such as white and light pink blooms. Here's how it works:
Selective Color Correction: Rather than painting over the entire bouquet, we use pan pastels to lightly correct only the flowers that need it. This technique keeps the bouquet looking natural and authentic.
Focus on Natural Beauty: We choose not to color correct every flower because we believe that part of the beauty of pressed flowers is their organic, natural appearance. Flowers are meant to look like flowers — not painted replicas!
What to Expect from Your Preserved Bouquet
While we take every precaution to preserve the natural beauty of your bouquet, it's important to note that some color changes are inevitable. Our design process is collaborative, so clients can see any color changes that may have occurred to their blooms before we finalize the frame. Some flowers are more susceptible to darkening or deepening in color during the drying process. This includes purple, red, bright pink, and taupe flowers, which may become more intense or take on slightly different shades over time.
Even after your frame is completed and properly sealed, flowers will naturally fade over time. This fading process is unavoidable, but it can be minimized with proper care. To help preserve the longevity of your keepsake, we provide a frame care card with each order. The card includes guidance on how to maintain your frame, such as keeping it out of direct sunlight and away from excessive humidity.
Our before-and-after images on our gallery and Instagram are excellent resources for seeing how flowers change during the pressing process. If you have specific concerns about your bouquet, we are happy to discuss them with you and show you examples from our portfolio.
Embracing Natural Beauty
One of the reasons we love working with flowers is that no two blooms are exactly alike. Even after preservation, your bouquet will remain a unique, one-of-a-kind keepsake that captures the beauty and sentiment of your special day. By focusing on natural preservation techniques and selective color correction, we aim to honor both the integrity of your flowers and the memories they represent.
So, if you're considering having your flowers preserved, rest assured that we are here to help you keep them looking their best for years to come. Have a specific flower or color you’re concerned about? Let’s chat! I would be more than happy to walk you through the process and provide examples to ease your mind.
