real vs fake flowers

brandym22 · August 2011

So the last board on flowers got me thinking... "wow.. I am going to have a lot in flower costs" I have my bouquet, my 5 girls, plus the boutineers, and all my centerpieces are flowers,. I got white vases that I want to fill with pink & cream flowers. My MOH is so against fake/silk flowers... but its not her wedding now is it? Will artificial flowers as centerpieces look totally cheap0 I will plan to use real ones for the bouquets and bouts- or, should I do just the opposite? Please tell me your thoughts.

12kWedding · August 2011

My date isn't for a long time, so I go back and forth on this. I think I'll wind up going with costco's wedding packages - it's a very reasonable price for real flowers and you don't have the hassle of diy.

Look it up on costco's website. They have different packages that are much less than what florists charge. The only downside is that you can't really personalize the flowers , so if you're looking for something unique, this probably isn't for you.

The really realistic looking silk bouquets often cost about as much as real ones. I've only looked at ready made silks since I'm not crafty, but if you are willing to get crafty that's probably the cheapest way to go.

acaponi87 · August 2011

Here are a couple more options:

if you enjoy DIY--
http://jonesdesigncompany.com/flowers/rolled-paper-flowers-tutorial/
I love the look of these and there are so many different options. I love the idea of having flowers that are non-traditional (polka dot for example). There are so many options when you work with paper. I've actually made these and I am THE ABSOLUTE WORST CRAFTER so if I can do it you can do it.

Birch "flowers"--
This was just recently shared on my wedding month board. I am in love with them...if you click on the sellers page they have TONS of options.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67396787/160-pcs-birch-wood-shavings-crafted

larzhope · August 2011

IMHO, good quality fake flowers cost just as much as real flowers, and you can spot cheap fake flowers from a mile away. Chat with a florist about some cheap options, or consider DIY and buying in bulk from Sam's Club, Costco or 50flowers.com

Just to add, my florist is amazing and was $1000 less than the next lowest quote, so there are good prices out there!

abbeylynne06 · August 2011

I always prefer real over fake. They just look better, IMO, even when you are using high quality fake. And, like PP said, I don't think you'll notice a real price difference between fake that looks good and real.

There are other ways to save money on flowers while you're using real: choose seasonal flowers, skip the bouts, don't do bouts/corsages for the moms, maybe alternate centerpieces so half are candle based and half are floral, and so on... you can make real flowers do-able!

RFPaull · August 2011

I'm doing all fake flowers (purchased some from afloral.com and will probably do more from Hobby Lobby/Michael's/JoAnne's)... I wanted to have my hand in designing my bouquet (and I wanted to keep it forever without the cost and hassle of preserving it).

Anyway, price out both options and see what works best for you! Personally, I don't think anyone is going to care whether you have real or fake so, it's entirely up to your personal preferences!

tabathajamoll · August 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_michigan-detroit_real-vs-fake-flowers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:88Discussion:771839b4-17ff-441b-bf17-1d405c23eb76Post:816cbab9-8ea4-4962-ac14-c8bf4a473e1d">Re: real vs fake flowers</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm doing all fake flowers (purchased some from afloral.com and will probably do more from Hobby Lobby/Michael's/JoAnne's)... I wanted to have my hand in designing my bouquet (and I wanted to keep it forever without the cost and hassle of preserving it). Anyway, price out both options and see what works best for you! Personally, I don't think anyone is going to care whether you have real or fake so, it's entirely up to your personal preferences!
Posted by RFPaull[/QUOTE]

HAve you recieved your flowers from alfloral.com yet? I was looking at their website and the pics look nice, but how do they look in person?

songbrd410 · August 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_michigan-detroit_real-vs-fake-flowers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:88Discussion:771839b4-17ff-441b-bf17-1d405c23eb76Post:33485d0b-bc3c-4b30-944c-a68b75c8561f">Re: real vs fake flowers</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>IMHO, good quality fake flowers cost just as much as real flowers, and you can spot cheap fake flowers from a mile away.</strong>
Posted by larzhope[/QUOTE]

This.

I originally looked into fake flowers, and in the end it was gonna cost the same, if not more, for fake flowers versus real ones. Just make sure you shop your options. I paid $1110 for my bouquet, 7 bm bouquets, 2 fg pomanders, 4 corsages, 5 bouts, 17 centerpieces, and flowers for an 18 person head table. That's a sizable order for a pretty awesome price. I know girls who spent that amount on the bouquets alone.

It also really helps if you allow the florist to just work with what is in season. This will really keep your costs down.

RFPaull · August 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_michigan-detroit_real-vs-fake-flowers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:88Discussion:771839b4-17ff-441b-bf17-1d405c23eb76Post:4623d0ce-8c41-4744-99d3-22e932ed1ced">Re: real vs fake flowers</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: real vs fake flowers : HAve you recieved your flowers from alfloral.com yet? I was looking at their website and the pics look nice, but how do they look in person?
Posted by tabathajamoll[/QUOTE]

I did receive them. I ordered them on a Saturday (I was out of town) and when I got back Tuesday evening, they were already there. FI couldn't remember when they arrived - either Monday afternoon or Tuesday earlier.

I'm pleased with the quality. I bought a lot of stuff from the Closeout section (which helped keep costs down). Do they look/feel completely real - no, but I'm okay with that! All the flowers I ordered look just like the pictures (right down to the coloring which is really impressive) and seem as good (if not better) than what I've come across in stores. I mostly bought hydrangeas and roses - So, I can mostly speak to the quality of those. :-)

I ended up with a TON of flowers (including 5 already made bouquets that I plan to add to for my bridesmaids) for $125 including shipping.

Milsey32 · August 2011

While everyone says that really good fake flowers are similar in price to real ones... you can at least try to sell the fake ones to make some money back... (I'm not trying to say one is better than the other - just giving my two cents!)

tabathajamoll · August 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_michigan-detroit_real-vs-fake-flowers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:88Discussion:771839b4-17ff-441b-bf17-1d405c23eb76Post:3d7fb977-e261-4731-a45e-090ae7bf35b6">Re: real vs fake flowers</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: real vs fake flowers : I did receive them. I ordered them on a Saturday (I was out of town) and when I got back Tuesday evening, they were already there. FI couldn't remember when they arrived - either Monday afternoon or Tuesday earlier. I'm pleased with the quality. I bought a lot of stuff from the Closeout section (which helped keep costs down). Do they look/feel completely real - no, but I'm okay with that! All the flowers I ordered look just like the pictures (right down to the coloring which is really impressive) and seem as good (if not better) than what I've come across in stores. I mostly bought hydrangeas and roses - So, I can mostly speak to the quality of those. :-) I ended up with a TON of flowers (including 5 already made bouquets that I plan to add to for my bridesmaids) for $125 including shipping.
Posted by RFPaull[/QUOTE]

How large or small were the pre-made bouquets? I read the reviews and many people said they were pretty, but small. so small that they needed to buy 2 or 3 bouquets to build a decent size.

RFPaull · August 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_michigan-detroit_real-vs-fake-flowers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:88Discussion:771839b4-17ff-441b-bf17-1d405c23eb76Post:f97c42d9-31f9-4647-97b9-8e82aeb57e08">Re: real vs fake flowers</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: real vs fake flowers : How large or small were the pre-made bouquets? I read the reviews and many people said they were pretty, but small. so small that they needed to buy 2 or 3 bouquets to build a decent size.
Posted by tabathajamoll[/QUOTE]

I bought 5 of the burgendy hydrengea bouquets. They are about 8 inches across at their widest point. I think they're the perfect size for my bridesmaids (though I do plan to take the greenery off them and add a white rose (so they are the opposite of my bouquet - which I plan to make with a giant red rose surrounded by white hydrengea)! I could see how some might think they're too small for a brides bouquet, though.

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