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I am not a girl with a green thumb. In total, I can identify maybe a half a dozen different varieties of flower (Rose, Daffodil, Tulip, Daisy, Iris . . . er . . . Carnation?), so when we first started talking about the botanical side of our big day, I really didn’t have a tonne of ideas.
I knew I wanted to have some flowers in the picture, but I didn’t want a tonne, and in terms of priority, as we are on a budget, I definitely wanted to keep things reasonable price-wise.
So it seems as though we’ve reached a floral fork in the road - do we go with the real thing or do we fake it up and purchase some pretty silk blooms?
I’ve looked into both and I’m still torn. On one hand, the feel and the smell of the genuinely grown blooms is pretty amazing, but on the other hand, we might be able to do it cheaper (not to mention ahead of time) if we do our bouquets and bouts with fakes.
What do you think? Should we go with blooms that are cultivated or that come from a craft store? If we did go fake, where is the best place to buy from?
I vote real. Nothing beats real flowers. Fake flowers look just that, fake.
If your on a budget then think about what flowers will be in season for your wedding or think of creative ways to use what florists call filler flowers. People always shun things like carnations but group them close together and they look lovely, same with babies breath, I once saw a bouquet that was just a huge cloud of babies breath and it was stunning.
Ugh sorry I just could babble all day about budget friendly wedding idea.
We did half and half. The centerpieces were rented along with our linens, chairs, and table settings, but my ceremony flowers: bouquet, 3 bouts, and two wrist corsages were real.
When we went to check out what the rental place had to offer, I asked them where they got the flowers for a particular table because they were want I was looking for. Turns out they were fake…and rentable. I liked how it worked out and it meant I was able to avoid having to think about centerpieces and they looked so real.
I vote real - do candles, branches, berries, etc — they can still look elegant and won’t break the bank.
It depends on what flowers you were thinking. Gerber daisies are gorgeous and inexpensive. Silk flowers can many times be more expensive than real flowers. Maybe do half half. Either way you go while staying within budget, would be fine. I think silks are just as beautiful.
I vote real! There are sooo many great frugal options for doing REAL flowers (not to mention costco…etc) My wedding is in Kingston Ontario and we are using both a florist (for bouquets, bouts, flower girl wreath, alter arrangements) but are doing the centerpeices ourselves…when I used to be my on my Department Council we looked at fakies for dances and such…they were more $$$ than real!
Go real! Did I already mention that? LOL
I’m wanting to go half and half. fake for bouquets and such, that way I can keep them if i want and they wont weigh as much.
but acording to the florest ive talked to, real looking fake ones cost just as much sometime more. :/
I vote for a combination of real and fake. I’m finding that as long as you don’t put them right next to each other, it’s fine. Also - if you go with higher quality silks, it shouldn’t be as obvious. I’ve found some really great stuff at Homegoods stores. Check them out!
I’m also doing a mix of real and fake. I’d like to do hanging pommanders for the ceremony, but my florist informed me that they have to be done pretty close to “go time” and that they are quite labor intensive, so since they will be hanging high anyway, I’ll DIY them with fakes ahead of time.
There are lots of fake floral options that actually look real, but from what i hear they dont actually cost less than real flowers BUT if youre going the DIY route, can save you a lot of headache because they can be arranged days, weeks, months beforehand.
I say go with what makes you most comfortable. If you end up hiring a florist, then she should be the one worrying about things dying…but if youre going to do it all yourself, then fakes, or at least some fakes, might end up saving you a lot of hassle! I cant wait to see what you decide!
there are many ways to cut flower costs without going fake… for example, we are planning on doing live potted plants (we are growing them ourselves) on the tables which will double as favors… hopefully this will give us the cash to do a nice bouquet/ bouts which is what you will see in most pictures anyway.
I say go REAL if it matters to you. We are cutting flowers at our reception location and using them there. Me and my wedding coordinator will be doing arrangements the day before the ceremony. They will eventually be composted there as well.
I do know a lot of people that used/or are using fake flowers and have heard nothing but rave reviews for Angels Accents.
Definately do real. I was thinking of having fake flowers and then my dad and I priced some and they were as expensive, if not more, as real flowers. Flowers aren’t too hard to DIY if you aren’t worried about them looking perfect. I would suggest going to a farmer’s market or something and getting some cut flowers, then making your bouquets and centerpieces yourself.
I wanted to do half & half (silk for the attendants, real for the centerpieces and bridal bouquet), but my fiance didn’t understand that there are really good fakes out there and insisted on real. Now I kind of wish we weren’t spending so much on flowers, but they’re already paid for so I’m just going to enjoy them.
You, of all people, must have noticed that bouquets and bouts don’t have to be flowers. Come on!
There were awesome bouts in a MSW about a year ago, made of leaf patterns cut out of vintage fabrics. Mrs. Blueberry, I think it was, made her bouquet out of beads and wire. And I believe you might know a cartoonist you could get to draw you some bad ass flowers.
This is a wedding angle where you can think way, way out of the box.
we’re doing candle centerpieces (3 cylinders of varied height with a floating candle and red half-marble thingies in the bottom) to add warmth to the room (november new england wedding), and real flowers for the bouts, corsages, my boquet and 2 bms. we’re spending $350 for all of it at the best shop in town (it’s also not a major city).
we chose non-floral centerpieces not just to save money but we felt candles would add more to the feel than flowers would.
Saving $$ on flowers
According to a press release a friend of mine received, Steven Buckwald, owner of New York City-based Surroundings Flowers & Events, is offering high-end flowers to the public at wholesale prices. The company will beat quotes from high-end florists by 20 percent. And brides can save an additional 20 percent if they arrive with a proposal in hand.
Buckwald has a 7,000-square-foot building in Harlem which he has turned into a flower warehouse to serve his 30-year-old floral and event business. He has two satellite shops in Manhattan, at 1236 Lexington Avenue between 83rd and 84th streets and in the Apthorp building on Broadway between 78th and 79th streets.
Surroundings Flowers & Events bypasses traditional flower shops and deals directly with the growers and farms around the world.
For more information on other wedding-related issues, please visit my blog at http://www.weddingscoops.blogspot.com.
Thanks.
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Mrs. Hummingbird, Toronto Age and Occupation: 25, Publishing Coordinator Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Videogame Designer/Cartoonist Engagement Date: May 4, 2007 Wedding Date: June 28, 2008 Blogging Since: September 18, 2007 Venue: A garden wedding followed by a tented reception on Mr. Hummingbird's father's property. About Me: I’m a pop culture loving, vintage obsessed foodie living in Canada’s biggest city with my fantastic fiancé and our lovable fluffy cat Bettie. I’m stoked to marry my best friend and to throw what I hope will be the most fun and colourful party of our lives.
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