Fake VS. Real Flowers?

[GarysBride]

So The FH is trying to get me to go with fake flowers for the wedding........ his reasons:
cheaper
already done way in advanced

I personally think that its a sin to have fake flowers period, wedding or not! please tell me what you think ladies.

 

[misysu2]

I''ve never been a big flower person, so I think you could compromise. I am planning on mixing real and fake. The bridal and BM bouquets will be made of real flowers, but the centerpieces will be made of silk trees. I know many will disagree with me on this one, but I think you could get the really important flowers real, and the "decorative" flowers fake.

 

[GarysBride]

.

 

[GarysBride]

thats what I was thinking too but unfortunately he does want to spend $235.00 on a brides bouquet... I must say that I agree on that. I want to do all my own flowers but he doesn''t want the added stress of doing that. I used to work at a flower shop so I know how to do all of my own flowers. but then theres the cost we were quoted $\2,239.00 for:

1 brides bouquet
3 BMs
9 corsages
10 bouts
9 simple centerpeices
and one arch piece

None of this is elaborate at all either!

and that price did not include delivery or set up!

All of my flowers are simple that I want too, White roses, Daisy''s lisianthius, Hydrangea, and stephanotis also I have the vases were using and I was still being charged $65.00 for just the flowers!!! I was also going to provide all of the satin ribbon for the flowers!

I mean is this normal???

 

[surfgirl]

Sweetie, you only get married once in life (hopefully!) so go with the real flowers. It DOES make a difference. If you really dont want to do real flowers then I wouldn't do any floral at all, just figure out another option...lots of candles perhaps? I'm probably the worst person to post on this topic as I loathe fake flowers and I adore real flowers but still...you dont have to do a ton of flowers, just your bouquet, his man flower, BMs? You can also do cheaper, less expensive flowers as well. In fact, though I'm not normally a fan of carnations, they look fantastic in all-carnation bouquets, tightly bunched together...and they're a very inexpensive flower to boot! And they have a wonderful spicy, clove scent...You could look into something like that...

 

[partyjewels]

I don''t want to spend tons on flowers either, so we''re not doing flowers at all for the center pieces, we''re doing lanterns with candles, the little pumpkin gourds, and fake fall leaves scattered on the tables. That way i can have them done ahead of time too!

We will have real flowers for the bouquets though, but Im thinking simple simple for those. If i can find the right blooms, maybe just like three big blooms with some filler for my bms, and a slightly bigger one for me? my mom said we need to do flowers for the church though and i keep forgetting about it!

If I could find silk flowers that look great to me, Id use those for the church flowers, or maybe just some pretty plants instead! I think that would save money, no? My issue with fake flowers is I can never find the kind I want, that look how I imagine. Ive seen plenty fakes that look great, but not the kind I''m wanting.

I say try and do a compromise. Do you need flowers for the ceremony venue? maybe you could get fake for that and then real for the bms, yourself and the guys bouts. Do plants or something with candles or picture frames for the tables if you dont want fake flowers for the reception but want to save on flowers there.

 

[zoebartlett]

I agree with Surgirl. For your wedding day, I definitely wouldn''t scrimp on flowers. You don''t have to use big arrangements or bouquets, but I think real flowers do make a big difference.

 

[MustangFan]

why can''t you buy from freshroses.com and do the flowers yourself or with brides maids??? It would work out a lot less than $230 for your bouquet. I was going to do fake, but saw someones pictures and when you have up close pics you can definitely tell (not so much far away), but I enjoy being creative so doing my own flowers doesn''t bother me.

 

[Pandora II]

I''m doing real flowers for bouquets, buttonholes, arch and pedestals, bowls of piled up exotic fruit for centrepieces and a mix of fake and real for all the pillars and garlands.

I really wouldn''t use fake for bouquets etc, but fake foliage for background decor is fine.

 

[basil]

Where are you located? That''s a pretty high quote. I''m getting similar (less bouts and corsages) for $1500, including tax, delivery, set up.

I''d shop around. You should be able to find a place to get a bouquet for <$200. And that''s the last place I''d skimp. I''d go for nonfloral centerpieces before I did fake.

 

[labbielove]

I could be mistaken, but if you are talking quality artificial flowers I don''t think they are necessarily any cheaper and in some cases even more $.

 

[neatfreak]

Please don''t go with fake flowers, they''re pretty tacky IMO unless you get super amazing quality ones, which will actually cost you more than fresh. The cheap fake ones just look soooo bad, I would much much prefer cheaper flowers instead like daisies or something over fake.

 

[ponderer]

shop, shop, shop...... I was quoted an outrageous (or so I felt) price for the personal flowers only (no centerpieces or other arrangements). I was so upset that we could not afford flowers that I came home crying. DH made me go to another florist after I had given up and what do you know.....everything was exactly half the price of the first florist, and just as beautiful.

If no one here can recommend a decently priced one in your area, ask your other wedding vendors. They can probably recommend some other florists.

 

[GarysBride]

Sorry ladies for not replying sooner! Thank you for all of your input the wedding is located in San Diego, CA. We are planning on going with non floral centerpeices for the reception I was able to find another florist who is more than half of the price for flowers were looking at one more option DIY but that will be time consuming and we don''t think we will be able to do it in the short time we have before the wedding.

Do any of you have any good ideas for non floral centerpeices? we already had planned and purchased candles for the table along with the flowers.

Thank you for the advice I really do not want fake flowers they seem so ugly/cheesy to me! I just wish the FH would see it my way.

 

[HappyAnniversary]

I was married 28 years ago and "silk" flowers were new then (at least to me). I used them for everything and it is the one thing I regret about the wedding and I am embarrased about it--I would only reveal this anonymously!!!! that''s how embarrased I am!!! It was an extreme lapse in judgement--- but at least I chose the right guy!

 

[rainbowtrout]

I''d go with real...personally I''m just not a fan of silk. I can see if impt people in the bridal party have allergies, etc, but other than that...

 

[somethingshiny]

I had to go with fake flowers due to my allergies (and the majority of my family). I don''t regret it, though. I use my bouquet (still) in a curio and the centerpiece flowers have been remade into home accents.

If you do fakes, though, get the good ones. There are lots that can pass for real flowers. JoAnn Fabrics has a wonderful selection as does Michael''s.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I have quite a few pictures of non-floral centerpieces as do I suspect a lot of the girls here.
Are you looking for something more traditional or modern? Are there any themes you have in mind?

 

[HollyS]

Date: 11/17/2007 1:02:48 AM
Author: GarysBride
thats what I was thinking too but unfortunately he does want to spend $235.00 on a brides bouquet... I must say that I agree on that. I want to do all my own flowers but he doesn''t want the added stress of doing that. I used to work at a flower shop so I know how to do all of my own flowers. but then theres the cost we were quoted $,239.00 for:

1 brides bouquet
3 BMs
9 corsages
10 bouts
9 simple centerpeices
and one arch piece

None of this is elaborate at all either!

and that price did not include delivery or set up!

All of my flowers are simple that I want too, White roses, Daisy''s lisianthius, Hydrangea, and stephanotis also I have the vases were using and I was still being charged $65.00 for just the flowers!!! I was also going to provide all of the satin ribbon for the flowers!

I mean is this normal???

I don''t know where you are living/getting married, but that seems high to me.

 

[DiamanteBlu]

I have not read the whole thread so I hope my response is not redundant!

We got married in early December [2nd marriage for both] in an old New England inn [DH in a black tux and I was in red satin strapless]. My boquet, the boutonniers, and the 3 bridesmaids were all fresh flowers. We dried my boquet and my daughter's and still have them. As far as the tables go, I got some long brass containers and had dried/silk/jeweled flowers, fruit, pinecones and greenery arranged in them. They are gorgeous - very Christmasy. I still have them on display around the house and use them as centerpieces around the holidays.

I think you should go fresh for the boquets, etc. but I have no problem with going with dried, silk, etc. for the tables. Thay can be gorgeous and you can keep them around.

DB

ETA I am looking for electronic pics!

 

[iheartscience]

Definitely go with real flowers for your bouquets and bouts. If you really don''t want fake flowers and hate them, don''t get them-you''ll always regret it. It sounds like real flowers are extremely important to you, so I think your fiance is just going to have to get over it!

 

[GarysBride]

Date: 11/18/2007 10:10:51 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy
I have quite a few pictures of non-floral centerpieces as do I suspect a lot of the girls here.

Are you looking for something more traditional or modern? Are there any themes you have in mind?

yes I would love some pictures of non floral centerpieces thank you! I would love to see both trad. and modern.

Good news I did some more shopping and I was able to get the price WAAAAAY DOWN !!! were only getting my bouquet and the 3 bms also 6 bouts and only 3 corsages. We took out the arch so now I'm not sure if we need something to replace the arch or not we will have a small table up there for our sand ceremony but is that enough???

 

[mintve]

sounds like you got it all sorted, but for what its worth, my sister had fake floral bouquets and bouts. They were gorgeous hot pink roses and green tulips. She has really bad allergies, so real was out of the question. She found really high quality silk flowers on sale and had her bouquets done months before the wedding.

 

[hopefulheidi]

I agree with MustangFan about the appearance of silk flowers in photos. I was thinking of going with fake flowers myself due to the same reasons you mentioned (namely cost savings and knowing exactly what you''re getting) but I saw some photos of fake flowers at a reception and it really turned me off so I''m trying to get creative. I''m hoping that no one will really notice that the flowers are missing

For my centerpieces I''m not using any flowers (other than freeze dried rose petals) and instead doing combos of Tree like centerpieces with mirrors, candles, and rose petals, and votive sets with mirrors and candles. I''ve got my mom all prepared to buy about 6 huge potted mums for the ceremony location and I''m planning on buying some wholesale roses to tie up a few bouquets.

I have a whole bag of nice looking fake flowers that I purchased before I changed my mind, and I may incorporate them here and there, but I''ve decided the only time I would be comfortable using fakes is in places where guests won''t be able to closely observe them (such as on an arch over the ceremony site or on a mantlepiece in the ball room etc.) I think fakes are a lot more believable from a distance and so I personally wouldn''t use them on the guest tables where my friends and family will have hours to look them over. It''s all a personal preference though

~Heidi

 

[mintve]

here is one pic I could find of silk bouquets on film

 

[mintve]

and one more

 

[Trelala]

I went to a beautiful wedding about 10 years ago where the centerpiece was a bowl of goldfish. It''s one of the poshest weddings I''ve been to, held at the country club at Pebble Beach. I think the bowl of goldfish rested on a mirror and there were short candles around the bowl. The candlelight was very romantic and atmospheric. It glinted off the water, the mirror and the goldfishie''s scale.

So for my own wedding, I was inspired to do something similar. We got a tall cylindrical vase, had glass marbles on the bottom, submerged one big silk flower, tossed in one red beta fish, topped it with a floating candle. It worked out pretty well. The glass cylinder magnifies the flower and the fish, making everything more dramatic.

 

[Hera]

Date: 1/5/2008 2:25:07 AM
Author: Trelala
I went to a beautiful wedding about 10 years ago where the centerpiece was a bowl of goldfish. It''s one of the poshest weddings I''ve been to, held at the country club at Pebble Beach. I think the bowl of goldfish rested on a mirror and there were short candles around the bowl. The candlelight was very romantic and atmospheric. It glinted off the water, the mirror and the goldfishie''s scale.

So for my own wedding, I was inspired to do something similar. We got a tall cylindrical vase, had glass marbles on the bottom, submerged one big silk flower, tossed in one red beta fish, topped it with a floating candle. It worked out pretty well. The glass cylinder magnifies the flower and the fish, making everything more dramatic.

What a unique and wonderful idea as long as the fish found good homes afterwards. As you probably know by now Beta fish cannot be in a tank or bowl together.

 

[partyjewels]

I know that garysbride is already married but incase anyone else is reading this for ideas, RE: the beta fish. Make sure your location allows this. Several places do not allow fish as part of the centerpieces anymore for various reasons. My sister had beta fish for her centerpieces, it was a tropical theme as they got married on an island and had the reception later. The vases were short rectangular ones that had a palm tree stenciled on one side, underneath each was a fourth of a braided straw placemat, scattered with shells. They also found these little plastic clam shells and put some beta fish food in it for the people taking them home, along with a little info sheet on how to take care of them as most people don''t do it properly. Out of all the fish that were on the tables my FI and I are the only ones who have managed to keep it alive! So please please think about who will be taking these fish home before you buy them!

 

[Trelala]

Both Heraanderson and Partyjewels make good points about educating guests who take home the betas. Like Partyjewels mentioned for her sister''s wedding, we also supplied guests with a little pamphlet on how to take care of the betas. We just took the info from Petco.

Since we had a small wedding, we were able to borrow most of the betas from FI''s tank and his siblings'' tanks. We did notice a major difference between the betas from his tanks, those betas were less inclined to hide under the silk flower. The betas from the pet store were much more shy!