Should I have real or silk flowers for my wedding?

Answer 1

It's up to you, but I chose silk because they are cheaper. I really don't see the point in paying that much money for something that will wilt and die in two days. With some flowers, the wiliting begins earlier than that. Nowadays, they have silk flowers that look very close to real.

Answer 2

It depends on how important flowers are to you. Are you a flower person? Do you get fresh flowers a lot? If you've always dreamed of a fresh picked type of bouquet then get the fresh. If flowers are not much of a concern for you silk flowers can be cost effective. I would suggest not the dollar store kind but some from a Joann's or Michael's type store or there are places on line that you can purchase bouquets and floral decor as well as fresh flowers. The choice is really yours. Think about your budget and what your priorities are and go from there. Which would be more cost effective, fresh or silk and are you willing to pay more for fresh if that takes away from something else like photography or your dress.

Answer 3

I'm going to have silks and dried flowers at the reception so I don't have to worry about any wilting. I found some really good silks at big craftstores like Hobby Lobby and you can't tell without touching that they are fakes. I ordered the dried online. The men's boutineers will also be silk/dried since its just berries and a calla lilly. I think if you got fakes from the dollar store then it could be tacky. Don't listen to people who tell you fakes cost as much as real....it's simply not true. Real flowers are great if you can afford them and want to spend that kind of money. My estimate for real flowers for my wedding was 4,000. I DIY'd them with the silks and the dried and it will cost me 800 for reception, 30 for the boutineers, and 100 for the boquets and mom's pins because they are real. It took some practice but they look exactly like my inspiration pic.

For my boquets though I wanted real. There were plenty of good fakes but I wanted to be a spoiled brat about that part.

Answer 4

I know most people want/have real.... but the more I think about it the more I want silk. They last forever so you can have your bouquet forever. My high school, still to this day, does silk bouquets and not wrist corsages.... They are gorgeous if you have them done well. Plus you can do them yourself WAY in advance and don't have to worry about them dying. They look just as good as real ones in pictures too.

Look how pretty:
http://www.rosesbydesign.co.uk/prodimages/cymbidium_orchid_bouquet_lg.jpg

As for centerpieces do what you want. I think that I will hardly do any flowers, just not my thing. I did see a cool thing where a single flower was submerged in water. I don't know if that would work with silk or not, but if it's only one flower/table then that's not a big deal.

I would do real rose petals on tables though. Fake ones look real fake in harsh light.

Answer 5

Silk was all the rage in the 80's....they looked great, didn't bruise and got to be keepsakes for the whole bridal party BUT I do think they looked kind of tacky back then too. Real fresh flowers are the way to go. Take really good picture of them and you'll have them in your memory forever. You can have a silk flower bouquet made ahead of time so you can see for yourself whether you like it or not. Definately go silk for the throw-away bouquet though. Congratulations on your up coming wedding!

Answer 6

I love flowers, I buy them all the time, so I couldn't imagine NOT having real flowers at my wedding. If you get them wholesale, they're not expensive at all. And besides, what would you do with all those silk flowers after the wedding?

Answer 7

Real flowers wilt. Silk flower photograph well. Why kill a living breathing life form for a few hours of pleasure.

Answer 8

It depends on your budget. If you are able to afford real flowers, and it is important to you to have real flowers, go ahead. However, be aware that wedding flowers tend to run in the $700 to $1300 range for modern weddings. Bridal bouquets alone can cost up to $150 depending on detail.

If you are having a budget wedding, or if you are not so concerned about real fresh flowers, I say go with silk, but make certain you find good quality silk flowers, and have them put together by someone with floral arranging experience.

In my case, I went with silk through a florist on Ebay. She worked with me for 2 weeks, sending emailed pictures and making changes to meet my vision for my flowers. The total cost including shipping was $200 for my bouquet, all my bridesmaids, all the bouts, corsages and 8 pew bows. The flowers are beautiful. They will not wilt/die and look droopy for the pictures. (Especially if you have a summer wedding, be aware that white flowers brown, and all flowers wilt in heat)

Now, again, based on the cost estimate I gave you above...if fresh flowers cost about $700, I saved $500 on my flowers. That is money I can either save, or spend somewhere else in my wedding.

Downsides of silk? They do not have a floral smell unless you spray them with perfume, and they are stiffer than real flowers, so it takes some work to arrange them properly. Just some things to keep in mind.

Sit down with your other half, and talk about your budget. If you need to keep your costs down, or if flowers are a minor concern on your list, go with silk. If you have the money to spend, and fresh blooms are important to you, go with fresh. :)

It is your wedding dear. Enjoy it.

Answer 9

My wedding is Aug 4 ,07 and mine and the bridal party boquets will be real but the centerpieces and everything else will be silk. All silk is not tacky.... there are some silks that look so real and beautiful. Good luck and congrats.

Answer 10

Real, when it comes to table settings & around the wedding site, but if you want to be able to keep your bouquet, and the bridesmaids, too, then I would suggest having someone who knows how to make them look real, use silk flowers.