This local artist will preserve your wedding bouquet forever in a beautiful piece of art

It would make a brilliant wedding gift.
A local artist is preserving bridal bouquets in a uniquely artistic way, creating a special keepsake of the big day that can be displayed anywhere in your home.
Laura Maquieira is originally from Spain and arrived in Cork seven years ago to work as an au pair in Coachford before falling in love with the city and deciding to stay.
Now based in Ballincollig, the pressed flower artist rediscovered her love for her craft during the Pandemic and quickly found that her pieces were in high demand among Cork brides keen to make their bridal bouquets last forever.
Her work is painstakingly intricate, with each carefully dried and pressed bloom gently arranged and secured in place over many hours in Laura’s studio, Eleme Creations.
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“I’ve pressed flowers all my life, but during the Pandemic, I started doing it more often. I grew my Instagram page (I currently have around 188,000 followers), so I decided to make it my career.” Laura told Yay Cork.
Prices depend on the style, the type of frame, and the size of the piece but the most popular package is the €230 A3 canvas, which includes the main piece, two smaller frames to give to family, and all the spare flowers and greenery to put in a vase.
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“My motto is that after planning for a long time the wedding day and looking after every detail, the flowers are the only thing that won’t last more than a few days.
“I believe that flowers can carry the good memories of that special day, memories that can be held forever. Preserving the bridal bouquet is growing, but it’s not quite popular yet.”
You can check out Laura’s website here.