Tips For Choosing Realistic Silk Flowers for Your Wedding
Planning to include silk flowers in your wedding? Use these tips to help you choose the best fake blooms on a budget!
Every budget-savvy bride-to-be knows that it pays to get creative when planning for the big day. The dress, venue, and caterers all add up fast, and you have to factor in the photographer and decor costs, too. Then, of course, there are the flowers. From the bouquet to boutonnieres to the arch, the centerpieces on every table, and the rest of the venue… the list goes on!
Flowers can be one of the biggest headaches for a bride, not just because of their cost, but also for the challenges of securing, storing, and transporting them. This makes artificial or fake flowers a popular alternative, with silk flowers leading the way.
There are untold benefits to silk flowers, and these fake yet realistic blooms have become increasingly popular in recent years. Read on to find out how to use these elegant, long-lasting faux flowers to add a touch of natural beauty to your special day without breaking the bank.
Calculating The Cost Of Wedding Flowers
It’s estimated that couples who choose fresh flowers spend an average of $700-$2500 on bouquets, arrangements, and other floral decorations. Given that the recommendation is that you spend 10% of your wedding budget on flowers, going the route of artificial blooms can help you save a considerable amount.
The average cost of a bride’s bouquet of live flowers is $160, while the upper threshold of the cost of a silken bouquet is $100. A report by the Bridal Association of America compared the average cost of wedding flowers, rating live flowers at almost double the cost of floral alternatives. Silk corsages cost between $5-$30 online, with centerpieces ranging in price from $20-$100 and cake floral decorations from $25-$200.
Types Of Silk Flowers
Today’s silk flowers are a far cry from the fake-looking blooms of the past. While you may still come across plastic-looking stems with polyester petals that look like they were cut out using a blunt pair of scissors, that’s no longer the norm. You can find high-quality silk flowers that look so realistic your wedding guests will be none-the-wiser!
Silk Flowers vs Latex Flowers
If you’re looking for the best artificial flowers, you’ll likely want to stick with silk. Many faux flowers are now made from rayon-silk blends or latex and painted and printed to look as realistic as possible. The materials used in their creation make it possible to include tiny details such as veins and textures so they are completely lifelike.
Latex flowers are the best option if you want a monochromatic white theme, but if your budget can’t stretch to these, the silk-rayon alternatives are excellent value for money.
Luxe Blooms on a Budget
Flower costs are based on a variety of factors, from location, season, rarity, and availability. Certain types of flowers can be incredibly expensive and simply out of the budget for your wedding florals. But by choosing a silk peony over a fresh one, you get the look for less! If you have your heart set on cherry blossoms, hydrangeas, calla lilies, tulips, or orchids for your flower bouquets, you might be better off going faux over fresh.
Faux Greenery
Another option you might want to consider is incorporating greenery into your wedding arrangements. Whether you’re looking for seeded eucalyptus or something with bigger leaves, you can get greenery sprays or even garlands to add texture to your wedding decor. The wonderful thing about greenery is that it works with so many different colors, so you can’t go wrong.
A Lasting Choice
One of the reasons we love flowers is for their ephemeral beauty. Sure, you can press your wedding flowers, but their delicate luster inevitably fades. Artificial flowers never lose their shine. Cotton, plastic, silk—it doesn’t matter what you choose, you can keep your wedding bouquet as a keepsake for years to come.
Flowers that never fade are also a bonus for the savvy bride, who can reuse, resell, or return the arrangements to recoup some of the initial investment. Brides can even rent silk flower arrangements for weddings from innovative wedding suppliers such as Something Borrowed Blooms!
Repurpose After the Big Day
And if you decide to buy pre-arranged faux flower centerpieces for your wedding, you could absolutely reuse them in your home décor after the big day. If you don’t have a green thumb, you can still get the look of real plants in your home! Place one of your centerpieces on your dining room table as a reminder of your special day. Or disassemble pieces and place them on your living room coffee table to add color to your space.
Season-Proof Savings
Another advantage of silk flowers is that they’re not subject to seasonal availability. When you choose silk flowers, every type of bloom is available all year round, no matter where you are in the world. There’s no need to worry about the cost of importing out-of-season blooms you’ve got your heart set on. Silk flowers are also ideal for brides or anyone in the bridal party that suffer from allergies.
The lack of seasonal dependence allows you to order your flowers months in advance, plus you don’t have to worry about a sudden seasonal issue arising and having to change your order. You also have the benefit of ordering your flowers months in advance, giving you the chance to get a discount.
Avoid A Logistical Headache
The vulnerability of live flowers can challenge even the most well-organized bridal couple or planner. Fresh flowers can wilt or incur damage in transit, leaving you with pricey blooms you can’t use. Many live flowers are shipped in from out of the country to a wholesale supplier, where the florist picks them up and arranges them before transporting them to the wedding venue. Fresh flowers also require water at all stages to keep them looking vibrant and lush.
In contrast, artificial flowers and arrangements of floral alternatives travel considerably better than their live counterparts and are a great deal heartier than live flowers, especially in the hands of any restless children who might be included in the wedding party. Plus, ordering them well in advance gives you plenty of time to arrange them perfectly if you’re DIYing your floral arrangements.
Faux Floral Factors To Consider
Silk flowers and other floral alternatives are considerably more versatile than the real thing, making planning and budgeting easier in many ways. You have more choices available for your venue with flowers that stay perpetually perky. Silk flowers come in an abundance of tones and shades that is far greater than found in nature, giving you more options for wedding colors. Whether you’re looking for pink, burgundy, or yellow, you’ll have plentiful options and aren’t limited in the same ways as with fresh.
Not everyone is a fan of faux flowers and floral alternatives. Artificial flowers lack the smell and feel of real flowers, and sometimes, realistic-looking silk flowers can end up costing as much as the real thing. Be sure to be budget savvy and do your homework about costs.
Tips for Choosing Realistic Silk Flowers
If you want scented flowers, try adding a few drops of floral-scented essential oils to your arrangements! Pro tip: do a small test first to ensure the oil doesn’t stain the petals. This is especially important if you want to resell them!
The stems of silk flowers are made of coated wire, so if you’re using them in a bouquet or in your hair, just remember that they could get uncomfortable after a while. Wrap the stems in a ribbon if you’re going to hold them for an extended time.
One tried and true way to ensure the faux flowers you’re considering are good quality is to examine the stems. The most realistic silk flowers have stems in a natural shade of green. You can spot a cheap-looking fake flower easily by the lime green stems. Be sure to skip any flowers you find that have a neon hue for the most realistic look.
Finally, always check the quality of the silk flowers you order. You want to save money, but you certainly don’t want to end up with poor quality, cheap blooms that ruin your big day. If you’re ordering online, request a sample, or at the very least, close-up images of the arrangements.
Where to Shop for Realistic Silk Flowers
DIY or Pre-Arranged Silk Wedding Flowers
If you’re looking for single stems or flowers by the bunch to arrange yourself, check out these retailers:
Afloral
Get faux and dried florals for your DIY wedding arrangements from Afloral!
Ling’s Moment
Visit Ling’s Moment to view wedding decorations, accessories, and so much more!
Etsy
Visit Etsy to view faux floral arrangements or loose stems to arrange yourself from various sellers.
Nearly Natural
Check out the finest quality in faux plants and silk florals from Nearly Natural!
Where to Rent Silk Wedding Flowers + Arrangements
Want the savings and convenience of faux flowers but don’t intend to repurpose your arrangements after the wedding? Don’t want to deal with the hassle of re-selling after the big day? Then renting your wedding flowers is for you!
Something Borrowed Blooms
Rent and return silk flower arrangements for weddings from Something Borrowed Blooms!
Using Realistic Silk Flowers for Your Wedding
Depending on your budget, vision, and expectations, silk flowers may well be the right fit for your wedding. Use these tips to save you money and still have the floral decor of your dreams. Your silk wedding flowers can cost less and be beautiful too!
📌 Pin This! 📌
Related tags:
