Shipping Instructions for Fresh Flowers
Important tips for shipping fresh flowers:
Getting them to us as soon as possible! Preferably within 4 days after your event.
Cut approx. 1 inch off the stems at an angle and keep them in water until your ready to post. Keep them cool but DO NOT place the flowers in a fridge or freezer.
We recommend using Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed before 1pm. You can pre-book a collection or take them to your local post office.
Don't leave the preparation until the morning after your event!
Do not use any bubble wrap or any plastic wrapping as it can make your flowers sweat and rot.
We don’t recommend posting on a Saturday - keep the flowers over the weekend in your care and post on the following Monday. Royal Mail do not deliver on Sunday and they will be in transit for longer without a sufficient water source.
Please send the tracking info on the day of posting via email (not text/whatsapp/instagram), so I am aware of the delivery the following day. If I do not receive this I can not guarantee I will be available for your flower delivery. Email - petalspreservedwithlove@gmail.com. A quick photo of the postage receipt is fine.
Packing Kit List:
The majority of this list is general household items, please recycle and improvise where you can.
Cardboard Florist Vase / Bouquet Gift Box (OPTIONAL - see DIY ideas at the very bottom)
Scissors
Kitchen Roll
Plastic Sandwich Bag (preferably zip lock)
Elastic Band / Hair Band
Old Newspaper (or similar paper for packing out)
Marker Pen / Felt Pen
How to send your flowers
Step 1: Find a box
Find a box the right size to fit your bouquet. If it is not quite tall enough trim a little off your stems to fit.
Make sure the box is not more that 60cm tall and weighs under 2kg or postage will increase and it will be sent with Parcel Force (not as reliable).
Clearly mark the box with FRAGILE and use a bold pen to draw some arrows pointing upwards marked, ‘THIS WAY UP FRESH FLOWERS.’
Step 2: Create a support for your flowers.
Put a cardboard florist’s vase in the centre of your box. You could improvise with something similar (see images at bottom of page), or you can buy one cheaply on amazon if you have time.
Step 3: Pack out the box
Screw up newspaper pages and stuff them around the edges of the box to hold it securely in place.
Do NOT use any bubble wrap or any plastic wrapping as it might make your flowers sweat and rot.
Step 4: Preparing the flowers
Carefully trim the edge of your flower stems at an angle to enable them to collect some moisture during travel. The bottom of the stems will have sealed up since your florist made the bouquet so you will be helping them to drink better.
Pop them in a vase and give them a soak in water. (Minimum 1-2 hours)
Once they have had a good drink of water, dampen some kitchen paper and fold it up around the BOTTOM of the stems to keep them moist for travel.
Do NOT spray or wet the flower heads as they may rot.
Step 5: Securing the stems
Put a sandwich bag around the kitchen paper and the bottom of the stems. This will stop the water from leaking all over the rest of your box. (You can also add kitchen foil wrapped around the kitchen paper before putting them in the sandwich bag as a bit of extra protection if you’d like.)
Use an elastic band to secure the plastic bag in place.
Step 6: Place in box
Put the bouquet carefully into the cardboard vase. It should fit quite snugly and not move around too much. Put some more newspaper in the vase if your bouquet is too wobbly.
Step 7: Pack out the box
Pack some more newspaper loosely around the sides and top of the bouquet.
Do NOT use cling film, bubble wrap or any plastic product around the flower heads to pad out the box.
Step 8: Leave your details
Ensure there is a note inside on top of your flowers clearly stating your name, email and phone number.
Please remove any charms or ribbon you would like to keep. I can not be held responsible for any sentimental items and I’m unfortunately unable to include them in the preservation.
Step 9: Take to Post Office or Pre-Book a collection
Flowers must be sent with - Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed before 1pm
Post to: 84 RUNNYMEDE ROAD, DARRAS HALL, PONTELAND, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE20 9HH
** MOST IMPORTANT STEP**
Email(not text/whatsapp) the tracking info on the day of posting petalspreservedwithlove@gmail.com. If I do not receive this I can not guarantee I will be available for your flower delivery.
A quick photo of the postage receipt is fine.
Step 10: Delivery Confirmation & Updates
Please use your tracking info to confirm if your flowers have been delivered rather than emailing. As long as you have sent me the tracking info to confirm you’ve posted them, you can assume they have arrived safely unless I get in touch with an issue.
Most days I’m busy working on your orders – drying flowers in silica, carefully removing them from the drying process, photographing blooms, creating designs, mixing and pouring resin, sanding and polishing pieces, applying top coats, photographing finished keepsakes, and packaging and posting orders.
Alongside the creative side of the business, I’m also the administrator, stock and supply coordinator, customer service team, bookkeeper, marketing manager, and social media manager. Most importantly, I’m also a wife and mum to two little ones.
As a small business run by just me, there are a lot of hats to wear, and sometimes it can be a challenge to juggle everything. I’ll always do my best to keep you updated throughout the preservation process, but if I’m not able to reply straight away, I hope you’ll understand that I’m likely busy creating beautiful keepsakes for my wonderful customers.
Ideas for packaging flowers securely
Useful Packaging Items available on Amazon:
Bouquet Gift Box to support your flowers in during transport
So you’ve sent (or about to send) your flowers – what to expect next….
Please take the time to read the order stages of the flower preservation process so you understand what to expect next. If you have any questions or wondering when to expect updates this guide will help answer those and save emailing.