What are the pros and cons of fresh and silk flowers for wedding use?
More weddings are using silk flowers these days. It is a cheaper alternative to using fresh flowers, and they will last long after the ceremony and reception are over. If you use silk flower centerpieces, you can have a guest at each table be the recipient of the arrangement. You can place something under one plate on each table so that that person will be the winner of that arrangement. It will be something for them to treasure and remember, while an arrangement of fresh flowers will obviously die within a few days. As for the bride, the use of silk flowers is something that she can keep forever also. Dried fresh flowers tend to crumble after years of being pressed. You can also mix it up — use fresh flowers for the ceremony and silk flowers for the reception. This will save on the cost of flowers but will also have something for the bride to remember — as long as an arrangement is also made for the bride. If you want to use silk flowers for the ceremony, make sure they look absolutely real, otherwise they will not work. That is the drawback to using silk flowers for anything — they have to look real and not come in fake colors or look like they are made by a manufacturer. However, beautiful silk flowers will look incredible in an arrangement, and you can save a lot on flowers by using silk ones, especially if it is a big wedding. Be creative — one bride used an Asian fan covered with flowers for her bouquet. Instead of using fresh flowers, the fan could have been covered with silk ones and nobody would have known the difference if they looked real. Focus on getting real-looking silk flowers and you will save a bundle. There are people (crafters) who make silk flowers as centerpieces for weddings. They will charge a lot less than a florist.
Fresh flowers are always the best option when showcasing flowers for a wedding. They look amazing and often smell great too. Quite frankly, it would be a faux pas to have a guest touch a silk flower. The only time it might be acceptable is if you are creating a backdrop of flowers that will not be physically touched by someone. For example, cherry blossom trees on a stage. Any tips for saving money on wedding flowers? Ask your florist what flower will give them the most “bang for the buck.” For example, roses are in full swing in the summer so that is a great choice! Peonies are readily available in the spring rather than the fall.
