Real or Silk Flowers?

[bjmy1975]

:confused: I was just wondering how to choose between real or silk flowers for the boquets? What's everyone else doing?

[cuddles1984nc]

Hey, that's a good question, one that I could use an answer to also. I can give you a little advice on it tho. Silk flowers almost always look just like real flowers anyways, so if you're on a tight budget, silk would definately save you the money. If you want the smell and the real flowers, that's another thing. I'm not sure if I made sense or helped, but I tryed. :-) Also, does anyone know a place where you can get cheap, nice silk flowers???

[bjmy1975]

the whole reason I am currently kicking this idea around is because Michael's (craft store) has their silk flowers at 40% off. That makes the flowers like $1 or less.... a lot less. They even make arrangments there or the have step by step instructions on the internet. I'm debating trying to make them my self. The groom trusts me, but I think the mother of the groom my have a fit. :mad: I want the kids in the wedding to be able to keep thier flowers. Not to mention I want to keep mine and I don't have $200 to preserve it.

[tammie91704]

the whole reason I am currently kicking this idea around is because Michael's (craft store) has their silk flowers at 40% off. That makes the flowers like $1 or less.... a lot less. They even make arrangments there or the have step by step instructions on the internet. I'm debating trying to make them my self. The groom trusts me, but I think the mother of the groom my have a fit. :mad: I want the kids in the wedding to be able to keep thier flowers. Not to mention I want to keep mine and I don't have $200 to preserve it.


I don't know if this helps, but I've been in two weddings in the past 2 years both weddings had silk flowers. :) I loved the fact I was able to keep the flowers for about 3-4 months then it just be***e a problem. mad: I have nowhere to put them. I'm getting married in Sept :D . I went with real flowers.

[Kim&Jared]

here's a great online place to get silk flowers, they look great compared to all the other palces on line, and I'm sure they are even better in person. My mom really wants to have silk flowers because she did, and I wasn't sure how i felt about it in the beginning, but I plan on getting silk, and ordering them from this site.

http://www.somethingspectacular.com/

[bjmy1975]

I just think that silk flowers are more fesible for me. I have a flower girl and a couple teenagers. And I just think that they may want to keep their flowers. Besides, I can't figure out how to preserve a real boquet. Most everyone I've talked to has just dried their's, but I don't really have anywhere to keep it. Plus all of the flowers that I have tried to dry have fallen apart. Any other ideas? :confused:

[JennyZ]

If I may offer my advice. I am from California and recently moved to Indiana, where the tradition is to use silk. In California this would be unheard of. But before you think I am a snob, understand that you can't get the same effect of real from silk. Also, the ones that look great, people wind up touching and asking are these real? When it all comes down to it, most people say they want to keep their flowers, but where do you keep them? If you want to keep the budget down use real flowers sparringly. I am getting married in August and I am using silk flower petals for the aisle and what the flower girl will throw. No one will notice the difference. We went to the dollar store and cut the petals off of the large bouquets. Silk greenery is being used to supplement the real flowers in all of the boutinerres and bouquets. But real flowers are being used on the cake and on the centerpieces. My flower budget is now being held to $200. Oh, also the best way to preserve your flowers from your special day is to dry your bouquet and then take only a few petals and some ribbon with a beautiful picture and frame it with some other wedding memorabilia. You will never have room for the whole bouquet and if you do most of the time it is storred in some dust covered box that you might find in 10-15 years. I hope this helps!

:confused: I was just wondering how to choose between real or silk flowers for the boquets? What's everyone else doing?

[bjmy1975]

You know... you have a really good suggestion about drying and making a picture sort of thing. And the nice thing is that I could actually use my flowers and make one for each of the girls and the mothers and they could all have one. So far I love the idea. Thank you so much... besides the groom's mother is saying that she'll pay for the flowers just so we get real ones... :) That owuld be sweet.

[elizawilson]

Disagree! Silk flowers are definitely the way to go. Much easier, cheaper, no hassle dealing with a florist, plus a florist can give you a price but then increase the price later. If you buy your flowers yourself it is much better - Michael's craft store is the best place and great selection.

[kittycarial]

Disagree! Silk flowers are definitely the way to go. Much easier, cheaper, no hassle dealing with a florist, plus a florist can give you a price but then increase the price later. If you buy your flowers yourself it is much better - Michael's craft store is the best place and great selection.
My mom is arranging my flowers. I decided that instead of paying alot for a couple flowers, I could get a beautiful arrangement for much less with silk flowers. They make silk flowers look so real now a days. We decided on a nice hydrangia arrangement.

[nle5]

I am getting married in March 2006. I have plenty of time to do the silk flower arrangements for the whole wedding. I plan on picking up the supplies for all of the floral arrangements as I have extra money and then getting together with anyone who wants to help make the arrangements. When we get together we will have a lunch and make the arrangements at my mother's house. We did this for my brother's wedding and all of the arrangements turned out really nice. Too bad I wasn't using the same colors!! Also, there is a spray that you can spray on the floral arrangements to make them smell like real flowers.

[kittycarial]

My mother, who is arranging my flowers went out the other day to Michael's and spent $100.00. I wonder, if my flowers cost $100.00, how much would real flowers cost?

[bjmy1975]

I can tell you that if your mother bought roses at Michael's, she saved some money if they were on sale. If you bought 24 roses at 1.19 would be like $29 and real would cost you at least $75-100. I would still like to use slik for our wedding as I belive that my fiance's mother dropped at least $900 on real flowers for his sister's wedding that got a lot of negative comments. The church arrangments were too big. :mad: There were ferns in the boquets that shedded on everyone. :mad: I threw my boquet away on MONDAY morning. I couldn't have watered the thing if I tried after all the glue they put on the holder. Some of my bridesmaids asked if we were gonna have flowers like that because they didn't like them and they want to keep their flowers after the wedding. On top of all of that, there was something that I was alergic to in the arrangements, and the allergy plugs my left ear. :mad: I'm not gonna spend the best day of my life asking the pastor to repeat himself because I can't hear him. So we are currently at an impass that will get ugly. I want all silk, but may compromise for just silk boquets and live flowers for everywhere else. However, my mother doesn't want to pay for that either. I don't know what will come of it, but we have plenty of time to calmly discuss it. :rolleyes:

[wedindec]

Always real!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bjmy1975]

To answer my own post, I think we are going with silk. I found a link on another message board and their flowers look awesome. I'm gonna order some samples in October. If anyone is interested I'll post a link to the company. They are really nice in their email response and reply quickly.

Annie & Co (http://annieandcompany.homestead.com/home.html)

[deb3903]

Did you girls know that you could buy your flowers direct from the grower and have them shipped in from California?

I had an open house the day before my wedding (90% of the wedding was out of town guests). I'd done a lot of the prepping of the flowers the day before and my friend (who had taken a class once) led about 15 folks in making my flowers. It was a real bonding experience and everyone really liked it. I could NOT have done it on my own, but I just let people know that it would be an optional activity at the party and people loved it - even some of the guys.

We used 2G roses (www.freshroses.com). I had 225 fresh long-stemmed roses in my wedding colors, with greenery, baby's breath etc for exactly $318. (add in a little extra for florist wire, ****, etc.)

Not only did I have real bouquets, but for the price of a cheap centerpiece, I had a dozen beautiful roses in a vase on each table!
Again, this is only an option if you have some time and help right before your wedding.

Deborah (check out my business)
Walk down the aisle to your OWN Bridal Processional composed for the occasion: www.weddingcompositions.com

[loveatfirstphp]

I think silk flowers are even more beautiful than real flowers, but sometimes it depends on the flower. I bought mine a Michaels because they have such a good selection and they are usually on sale.

[lori625062979]

I bought my flowers at AC Moore while they were having a 50% off sale which they do often. I have also heard if you buy the flowers and supplies from there they will arrange them for FREE. My mother used to be a florist for many years so I've gotten lucky in that department.
You may also want to consider the time of year when thinking of doing silk or real since if it is around a hoilday such as Valentines day you will be paying top dollar for roses or in May around Mothers Day the prices are insane or like me the day after Thanksgiving! I didn't want to spend Thanksgiving Day arranging flowers so going with silk you can make them as earlier as you would like. I have NEVER been a fan of silk flowers but let me tell you silk flowers have come along way the roses I bought you would swear they were real they even have the imprefections and thorns. Plus silk flowers are much easier to work with. I bnought these burgandy roses that are the most beautiful roses I have ever seen and I spent most of my young life in a flower shop.

[buckcastillo]

I am using silk flowers as well for my ladies and fresh ones for my fiance and I. If you go to most craft stores like Michaels and I think ACMoore they provide you with free flower arranging... And sometimes they have amazing sales on their flower arrangements. I made my own bouquets and bouts for my bridesmaids and groomsmen (4 of each) and I only spent 14 dollars on all the flowers! I plan of wrapping them with a bow and on the bow writing the girls names on it with a special marker. That way they know which belongs to who and they can keep them for memories. Good luck with your decision.

[kristineg]

:confused: I was just wondering how to choose between real or silk flowers for the boquets? What's everyone else doing?


It also depends on the time of year versus what flowers you want. I am getting married in May 2006 and want Callas. but try to find those that early. they are june/july flowers. Now, I want purple callas, but they only come in mini size. the girls are wearing amethyst and carrying white callas, but they only come in the large size. so...if i go with silk the colors are adjustable whereas in real you can't do that. plus the timing of them.

[reecey]

I'm definitely going with silk. I'll have real plants as well, but the flowers will all be silk. This gives the bridesmaids something to keep, won't get flower fuzz on their dresses and I don't have to worry about them wilting or rely on a florist to get them there on time. I'm ordering my bouquets a couple months before the wedding so I'll have them here. I'd much rather have them and not have to worry about them :)

[bjmy1975]

I'm definitely going with silk. I'll have real plants as well, but the flowers will all be silk. This gives the bridesmaids something to keep, won't get flower fuzz on their dresses and I don't have to worry about them wilting or rely on a florist to get them there on time. I'm ordering my bouquets a couple months before the wedding so I'll have them here. I'd much rather have them and not have to worry about them :)

That was alot of what my mother and I talked about. The girls want to keep their boquets and they can't afford to preserve them. I want roses and the weather is so unpredictable in August in Wisconsin that it could cause them to wilt fast. The florist we have reserved did my future sis in laws wedding and well the flowers were pretty (Expensive) they didn't last too long. We are looking into the silk options at www.annieandcompany.com. We have smaples on oreder. I am still playing with the silks from micheal's. I made one last week that my MOH loves. It's got 22 roses in it and it cost less than $30.... for fresh that would cost $125 from our florist. I think we are for sure going with silk. We have plans a-d.... annie, me, micheal's, and the florist for fresh flowers. :D I have all our bases covered!! Except the mother in law!! ;)

[sweetpea]

In planning my wedding I talked to several other, just married brides. Some used real and some did silk. I have decided silk for several reasons. First of all, cost was A LOT less and i won't have to preserve them. Second, I have a young daughter and a young niece that will be in the wedding. They are each carrying baskets and dropping real petals. Then after wedding they will have the flower arrangements to play with! We are also giving our centerpieces from the cake table and head table to my mom and his grandma as gifts. I'm fortunate that one of best friends has decorating experience and all seems to be going great! One thing you may want to check on is the church. Some only allow fresh flowers on the altar and you may not be able to do silk. Good luck! :)

[Kelly1Mickey]

We plan on using silk flowers for some decorations at the ceremony, but our bouquets will be real. If anyone is a member of Sam's Wholesale Club, you can get 200 roses for about $150. We are going to do that and make our own bouquets.