Flowers are a big part of life’s most meaningful moments, from weddings and christenings, to funerals and memorials.
Beautiful flowers don’t come cheap, nor should they. They’re a beautiful and hugely personal choice, often reflecting a personal style or sending a subtle message.
They are fleetingly beautiful, and are often only enjoyed for a matter of days, or even hours. So for as long as humans have gathered flowers for adornment and decoration, we’ve struggled with a conundrum. How can we hold on to their beauty for longer?
What if you could treasure the flowers from your biggest life events… forever?
This was the question Kat Rosa and Sarah Cleaton set out to answer, when COVID-19 hit and their wedding floristry businesses both ground to a halt. With live events disappearing overnight, both florists were left floundering.
It was only when a loved one passed away that Sarah started looking at new ways of preserving flowers, with a view to creating a piece of floristry that could be treasured forever – even by loved ones who couldn’t attend the funeral.
Sarah discovered that flowers could be carefully dried and then preserved in clear resin, to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind 3D pieces of art. But she didn’t want to go it alone:
“I was so excited at the possibilities, but I really wanted to partner with someone who could share my philosophy and help me create something really special. I’d met Kat a few times and knew we shared a similar approach to business – we went from being competitors to business co-founders. I’ve never looked back,” says Sarah.
So in July 2020, Embedded Blooms was born.
Flowers in resin, what’s the deal?
This is flower preservation, but not as you know it.
Gone are the days where brides had to spray their dried bouquets with hairspray and hope for the best. Resin-preserved florals make a stunning piece of art for any home, and are a beautiful way to honour life’s special moments.
No two pieces of preserved flower art are the same – each is designed to capture the essence of an individual bouquet – the shape, colours and style.
For funerals and memorials, Kat and Sarah can also include a loved ones’ personal items, as a unique way to honour their life and memory.
For Embedded Blooms, flower preservation is a labour of love:
“Every floral cast takes around 12 weeks from start to finish – we carefully dry the individual blooms, before hand pouring them in resin for a perfect finish. It’s painstaking, but so rewarding,” says Sarah.
“It can’t be rushed, which makes it even more meaningful, especially for brides who are thrilled to receive their floral art a few months after the wedding, it’s a great way for them to reconnect with the memories of their day.”
A game-changer for Australian floristry
The concept of high quality flower art in resin is a new one for the Australian flower industry, and many people still don’t know this kind of flower preservation is even an option.
“It’s heartbreaking when we meet people who say they wish they knew about us when they got married, or when they lost a loved one and were looking for a way to create a meaningful memento,” says Kat.
“For those who have found us at the right time, it’s been exciting to see the reaction to our handcrafted pieces. And the fact that we can work with fresh flowers from anywhere in Australia has also been a real game-changer.”
The innovative fresh box system developed by Embedded Blooms means their customers can post floral arrangements from across the country for them to be turned into pieces of art.
Creative to their core, Sarah and Kat are always looking for new ways to improve their floral preservation offering, including new designs and custom moulds – so that flowers can be cast in beautiful 3D shapes, delicate trinkets and coasters, a ring holder, or even a decorative tray.
“Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves. Turning fleeting floral moments into pieces that last for years is such an honour, and every cast we unmould feels like a little bit of magic,” says Sarah. https://embeddedblooms.com
