Weddings & Preservation
Once a couple decides to preserve their varmala, the very next question is almost always the same: what size should we choose? It sounds like a small decision, but the frame size determines nearly everything downstream — how much of the garland can be included, where the piece can live in your home, whether LED lighting makes sense, and of course the budget. This guide lays out the standard sizes from 8x8 to 14x14 inches, the styles they suit, and how to match a frame to both your garland and your walls.
A varmala is bigger than people remember. Laid out flat, a typical garland holds anywhere from forty to well over a hundred blooms, plus foliage, beads and tassels. No frame preserves every single flower at full size — and it should not try to. Crowded frames read as clutter; well-composed ones read as art.
So every frame size represents a design decision:
Smaller frames (8x8, 10x10) hold a curated selection — the best-preserved roses, a few orchids, sprigs of baby's breath — arranged as a composition rather than a full garland.
Larger frames (12x12, 14x14) can carry a full garland coiled in its original circular form, or generous sections from both partners' garlands intertwined.
If keeping the garland's actual shape matters deeply to you, plan for the larger end. If you care most about the flowers themselves, a curated smaller piece often looks more refined.
The most compact standard format. An 8x8 block or frame suits a curated cluster of six to twelve blooms with a name-and-date inscription. It sits happily on a bedside table, bookshelf or vanity, and is the natural choice when the piece is meant for a private corner rather than a display wall. It also makes a thoughtful gift version — some couples commission a second small piece for parents from the same garland.
The 10x10 is the do-everything size: large enough for a substantial arrangement with an invitation card or photograph embedded alongside the flowers, small enough to work on a shelf or a modest wall. If you are undecided, this is the size that disappoints the fewest people.
At 12x12, the frame becomes a deliberate wall feature. There is room for a full section of garland in a sweeping arc, names and date in gold lettering, and breathing space around the composition — which is what gives preserved flowers their gallery-like quality. This size pairs beautifully alongside wedding photo frames in a bedroom or living room arrangement.
The largest standard format, and the one that can hold a complete varmala coiled in its circular form — the shape it had in the ceremony itself. A 14x14 commands a wall the way a painting does. It suits living rooms, entryways and the wall behind a bed, and it is the size where LED backlighting delivers its full effect.
The right frame is not the biggest one you can afford — it is the one that fits the wall it will live on and the story you want it to tell.
Size is only half the choice; format is the other half.
The solid block — flowers cast in a thick, frameless slab of clear resin with polished edges. Minimal, modern, and beautiful from every angle. Best for tabletop display.
The framed wall piece — resin casting set within a wooden or moulded frame, wired for hanging. The classic choice, and the most traditional-looking on a wall.
The table stand — a casting fitted to a base so it stands upright on a console or shelf. A good middle path when you are not ready to commit to a wall position.
Shaped castings — hexagons, circles and arch forms for couples who want something less expected. These fall naturally into bespoke territory; a custom order conversation is the right starting point.
LED-lit varmala frames have become enormously popular, and for good reason — but it helps to understand what the light genuinely adds.
Resin is a translucent medium. Lit from behind or from within the base, the casting glows: petals become luminous, the clear resin reads like lit glass, and the piece transforms after sunset into something closer to a lamp than a frame. Practical points worth knowing:
Warm white is the standard choice. It flatters reds, maroons and golds — the palette of most varmalas. Cool white can make warm-toned flowers look washed out.
Power matters. Most LED frames run on a discreet USB cable or adapter; consider which wall or shelf has a socket nearby before choosing placement.
Quality LEDs run cool. Properly fitted strips generate negligible heat and sit outside or beneath the casting, never embedded against petals — so the light poses no risk to the flowers.
LED suits larger sizes best. On a 12x12 or 14x14, backlighting has enough resin surface to glow through; on an 8x8 it can feel like a nightlight.
An unlit frame is timeless; a lit one is theatrical. Neither is wrong — it depends on whether you want the piece to whisper in daylight or perform in the evening.
Prices vary with size, flower volume, inclusions and lighting, so treat any figure as orientation rather than quotation. In the Indian market broadly, compact preserved keepsakes tend to begin in the low thousands of rupees, while large framed pieces with LED lighting and detailed inlay work can extend well beyond ₹20,000. The honest cost drivers are labour and time: weeks of controlled drying and multiple resin pours cost the same care whether the frame is small or large — larger simply adds material, casting complexity and finishing hours.
Before you decide, stand in your home and ask three questions. Where will this actually hang or sit — and how big is that space? Is there power nearby, if LED tempts you? And who is this piece for — the two of you in a quiet corner, or every guest who enters the living room? Answer those, and the size chooses itself. Explore the formats in our varmala preservation collection to see how each size carries a garland.
Message us on WhatsApp at +91 70960 36250 with a photo of your varmala and your wall, and we'll help you choose the size and style that fits both.
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Every piece in the journal began as someone's idea. Tell us yours — colours, keepsakes, occasions — and we'll pour it to order.
1 May 2026 · 5 min read