Frozen in Time
The Art of Turning Bouquets and Dresses into Keepsakes
DESIGNED BY MADDY LAROCK | PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL
In every wedding, two heirlooms are in the making: the bouquet carried down the aisle and the gown that follows close behind. Long after the music fades, preservation artists such as Eternal Blooms Keepsakes, Southside Cleaners and Elope Bride ensure those cherished details endure for generations.
BOUQUETS REIMAGINED
Eternal Blooms Keepsakes blossomed from a resin hobby into a heartfelt calling. Founder Deanna Towson, who also leads parent company A Hint of Resin, discovered floral preservation by chance after purchasing flowers at the Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market, unsure how she would save them. The result sparked a passion for transforming fleeting blooms into timeless art.
Her approach is intentionally slow and detail driven. Each bouquet is carefully deconstructed, dried and preserved through thin, layered resin pours that create clarity and depth while protecting delicate petals. Rather than rushing the process, she studies the bouquet’s movement and balance, recreating the way it was held on the wedding day. The result is more than décor. It’s a tangible reflection of a couple’s story.
One especially meaningful project involved a bride whose bouquet traveled home from Egypt and arrived fully turned after two weeks abroad. Through careful preservation, the blooms were revived into keepsakes, including a miniature resin pyramid holding a single rose, a tribute to the couple’s destination vows. Even the most weathered flowers, it seems, can be reborn with intention.
Brides are encouraged to choose flowers they truly love, but fuller blooms tend to preserve best. Most important, a next-day transfer after the wedding ensures optimal results.
THE DRESS THAT LIVES ON
While bouquets capture color and fragrance, gowns hold memory in every stitch. Family-owned Southside Cleaners, serving the community since 1954, cleans and preserves gowns in-house through a meticulous process handled by a single specialist. Dresses are treated to remove visible and invisible stains, carefully pressed, and boxed with acid-free tissue in windowed preservation chests, then protected in a muslin cover.
“Each bouquet is carefully deconstructed, dried and preserved through thin, layered resin pours that create clarity and depth while protecting delicate petals.”
Longtime employee Patsy is the in-house expert. She says gets a lot of dresses that have been in closets for more than a decade that she helps get refreshed for an upcoming wedding, and she also has soon-to-be brides come to her before their wedding to get everything set up for post-ceremony services. She mentions that it’s relatively straightforward to get yellowing fabric back to white, but accessories like sequins may have to be replaced to match the level of refresh.
The cost for most preservation services at Southside is several hundred dollars, depending on the specifics.
At Elope Bride, preservation guidance is part of the bridal journey. Brides receive preservation kits with detailed instructions and prepaid shipping, making professional care seamless. The team often reminds brides not to attempt DIY cleaning; delicate fabrics such as satin and tulle require expert handling to avoid watermarks, melting or fiber damage.
The payoff for proper preservation can be profound. One bride recently unboxed her mother’s 30-year-old preserved gown—still fresh, flawless and ready to be reimagined for a new celebration.
When flowers are frozen in time and gowns are safeguarded with care, love stories don’t simply end. They’re beautifully preserved.
