This question gets asked quite a bit and there seems to be conflicting answers. So here is the official answer to “can I keep my bouquet?”!
Yes…getting the bouquet off the island is allowed. None of the flowers used in our bouquets are locally grown. Local plants, flowers, vegetables or fruits are NEVER allowed off the island via plane or boat. But since nothing in the bouquet is locally, it’s completely OK.
Brides that are flying into/out of the island – you’re completely ok to fly off with the bouquet. Before you go through security, the customs agents ask everyone if they have any local fruits, veggies, etc. Just say no and keep walking towards security. If for some reason you find yourself being questioned, just let them know they are not local flowers and were flown in from flower wholesalers in the US. I recommend packing them in a reusable shopping bag (the cloth sided ones) as a carry on and putting it under your seat.
Cruise ship brides – here is the catch! If your ship will be returning to Florida, you will NOT be allowed to take the flowers off the ship. This is because of US Customs/Border Protection. Your ship will have stopped in non-US territories and there is no way for them to be sure that the flowers were not exposed to bugs, bacteria, etc. in other islands. They won’t just take your work for it that they came from the USVI. However, if your ship is returning to Puerto Rico, I have been told many times that brides had no problem taking the flowers off the ship and they had no trouble getting them through the airport.
I had a bride arrive via cruise ship and get her flowers all the way back to Scotland! Anything is possible!
One of the things that you will ALWAYS be able to keep is our seahorse charm that we put on every bridal bouquet. Many brides remake it into jewelry, a Christmas ornament, or keep it somewhere special to pass down to someone else on their wedding day…
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