Weddings are a celebration of love, a day filled with joy, and a moment in time that many wish to hold onto forever. For brides looking to capture the essence of their special day, preserving their bridal bouquet offers a timeless keepsake. Albina, an artist who specializes in transforming wedding bouquets into framed pieces of art, shares her passion and process for creating these beautiful mementos.
AN INTERVIEW WITH ALBINA MAGOMEDOVA...
'I am delighted to share about my hobby turned business.
My process can be broken down into two methods: flat pressing or whole preservation. The choice depends on the client's preference and the type of flower, as not every flower can be flattened. For flat pressing, I use an instant flower press that goes into the microwave and zaps the moisture out of the flower. If I am preserving flowers whole, then I bury them in silica sand, which is a natural absorbent that allows me to maintain the flowers' original shape. During the transformative art process, I spend time arranging the flowers until I find a composition I like. Working with flowers like roses often requires me to pluck each petal, press it individually, and then reassemble it during the transformation stage.
The bouquets often speak for themselves, reflecting the uniqueness of the bride and wedding couple. In my creative process of assembling the dried flowers, I aim to recreate the look of the bouquet or include pearl detailing for brides who wore pearls on their wedding day. Sometimes, I also incorporate the wedding ribbon to give the frame some extra flair.
I have always adored flowers and have been pressing them for six years now, creating various gifts for friends and personal creative projects. Last year, two of my best friends got married, and I preserved my friend's bouquet. It was my first bridal bouquet, and it turned out so beautifully that I knew I had to pursue this path and offer my services to brides in the GTA and beyond. A wedding day is such a sentimental event, and the bouquet is an important part of that day. It feels like a shame to throw it out when you can have it preserved forever to commemorate your special day. That's how my business, Flower Press & Frame, came to life!
My tip for brides would be to reach out ahead of time so we can figure out the best way to realize their vision. Also, ensure to keep the bouquet in water throughout the wedding day. With the busyness of photoshoots and cake cutting, a bouquet can easily be forgotten on a table for a few hours, and I've had to work on reviving them during the preservation process.
A bridal bouquet is a wonderful symbol of a wedding day. From selecting each flower style and color at the florist to taking photos with it alongside your groom, family, and friends, and walking down the aisle, your bridal bouquet accompanies you through it all. It's also a beautiful symbol of love, unique to each couple and fragile if not handled with care. To encapsulate all of that in an everlasting piece of floral art is a beautiful ode to your married life.
On a typical day of pressing flowers, you'll find me in the studio for many hours, entering the 'flower zone' with Gilmore Girls on Netflix or music playing while I work. My cat, Ponchik, occasionally lends a helping hand by inspecting and smelling the flowers.
In the future, I'd love to experiment with more abstract-style floral art arrangements. Working with resin is also something I'm interested in to create various keepsakes that meet all client needs.'
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