This Dallas Artist's Bridal Bouquet Preservations Are the Ultimate Wedding Keepsake

For Andrea Castaneda, pressing flowers began as hobby.

On her website, the Dallas-based artist explains how she started dappling in the old-school preservation process after receiving a bouquet from her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day.

“I’ve always considered myself creative, but it wasn't until experimenting with pressed flowers as a medium that I realized how far I can go,” she says.

Today, Castaneda’s pressed flower artwork is well-known nationwide. From original prints to commissioned bouquet presses, her business, Designs by Andrea, is so in-demand that she can barely keep up—in a good way.

In a recent interview with D Magazine, Castaneda shared a little insight into her process, though, understandably, most of her technique is proprietary.

When it comes to wedding bouquets, timeline, she explained, is critical. Flowers must be pressed within four days, which means brides must overnight their bouquets to Castaneda after the wedding. Fortunately, most shipping mishaps can be fixed. She has an inventory of flowers to replace anything wilted, damaged, or missing. Her team also enhances every petal and leaf to ensure the vibrancy of the colors.

In some instances, Castaneda and her team can even reconstruct a bouquet from photos.

Designs by Andrea served 400 brides in 2019, and this year, she told D Magazine that she hopes to double production. Brides-to-be who are interested in having Castaneda work her magic on their bridal bouquet, should book ASAP. Their 2020 schedule is half-full already!

Pricing starts at $415. Visit dbAndrea.com for more information.