Wedding Blog
It’s finals week for me, which means a week full of some major procrastination. Luckily, I exempted 2 finals, and only have 1 left. The test isn’t until Friday, so I’ve been getting lots of wedding planning done in the meantime. I wish studying for a test was as much fun as planning for a wedding! Ah, in a perfect world…
Anyway, I was out scouting the floral section at my local Michaels and Hobby Lobby, when I made a very big decision. I am going to use as few real flowers in our wedding decor as possible. I know, I know! Some of you are thinking I’ve gone completely bonkers. But trust me, I’ve thought long and hard about this. I’m just not a flower person. Plain and simple. Because of this, I see no reason to spend tons of money on something I’m not into (and neither is Mr. Lab).
My decision was aided by the fact that silk flowers have come a LONG way in recent years. I was able to check out some of the new “true touch” peonies I wrote about earlier. I honestly wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between them and real peonies unless I was either told that they weren’t real, or if I smelled them (and I hope we’re not inviting any creepers to our wedding who would walk up and sniff my flowers!). I would have bought some right then and there had they been the right cream color. Instead, I ordered the flowers for my bouquet from Fiori Belli. My bouquet only cost $80 shipped, and will last forever! Because the blooms are so big, I probably won’t need all the flowers to make the bouquet (I’m ordering 1 set of 6 stems each of cupped and full-blown blossoms). I might use extra stems to make a hairpiece, or in other decor. Now I have to start thinking about the ribbon for the handle of the bouquet!
As for the other floral details of the wedding, I have a few ideas in mind. I’m using either Wedding Decor Online or Psalm117 on Etsy for our flower girl pomanders (that they’ll get to keep!). I am making my BMs’ bouquets, but haven’t decided on the flowers I want to use. And for the ceremony, I may go the same route as Mrs. Cherry Pie and line our aisle with mason jars filled with flowers. This may be one of the few places we’ll use real flowers. If we do, we’ll reuse them in the reception space. I don’t know whether we’ll use shepherd’s hooks, or just ribbon to hang the jars yet. Which one do you prefer?
Mrs. Cherry Pie’s mason jars & dahlias
Photo by Piknik Studios
Using ribbon will be cheaper and easier.
Source
Is anyone else using fake flowers for the majority of their floral decor?
|
Share this post: Faux Florals: My Flower Details
that’s a pretty smart plan. i’m actually leaning towards no real flowers in the decor myself. much rather spend the money on something else.
and i’d be interested in seeing a final picture of your bouquet. i was looking at those myself once upon a time and would love to see how it turns out. as for your question, i prefer the hooks. it just looks more stable.
Love both options. I think the hooks are a safer bet though… I feel like the ones on the chairs could easily be knocked off.
Have you thought about hanging vases from CB2? I really wanted to use them but it won’t work in our chapel.
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=583&f=3672
They go on sale quite a bit.
Using faux flowers will save you so much money, and you can have whatever flowers you want, no matter what’s in season! As long as they look real in the pictures–that’s what really matters!
I seriously considered faux flowers, but was ASTONISHED at the cost. The real ones cost as much as the fake…but I would be able to assemble everything weeks in advance and save the labor costs to the florist…great idea. I wish I was crafty enough…
I have not really given it too much thought, but I will not be incorporating flowers that much into the wedding besides the bouquets, bouts and some for the head table decor.
I have searched the idea of faux flowers, but like FutureMrsMorgan said, they can be just as expensive, if not more depending on what you get.
Good for your for making it work for you!
I priced everything out and it ended up being cheaper for me to use 90% real flowers. I think it’s a great idea , my SIL is highly allergic to bees and knows her flowers will be faux.
We are doing all silk flowers since me, mom and my sister are all really allergic to the real ones. We got ours at Michaels when they had 50% off stems and got a buttload of stems for about $100!! I’m sure we will have more than enough for what we need, and I plan on putting the extras to use around the house after the wedding
Those peonies are insanely real looking! I think using faux flowers mixed with real ones is a great money saving idea. I love some of the flower initial wreaths i’ve seen and I’m considering doing a little DIY project with fake flowers…
I will be using a mix of both. Fresh flowers for 50% of the centerpieces (the other 50%, on alternating tables, will be candles etc.) and fake flowers in places that people wont be reaching out and touching; like my floral monograms, those are fake.
I am also not a big flower person even though they are lovely so I am incorporating flowers mostly just for the bouquets, bouts, and corsages but they will be made from silk flowers. It worked for our budget but so far I am loving the results.
I’m planning to use fake flowers too. My flower choice (hydrangeas) probably won’t be available locally in November. Michael’s & Joanne’s have some great looking selections in blues & I’ll be able to keep my flowers forever!
A chinese florist in chinatown gave me REAL flowers (300 roses, 1 huge bouquet, 10 boutonnieres) for $600. Best deal ever! I think my bouquet was also $80 but it wasn’t peonies it was more than 2 dozen roses & greenery…that was the only complain, it was too heavy! 
Wow, I’m really impressed with the fake peonies. I think this is a great idea, can’t wait to see more
i’m not having florals at all, but using red tissue pompom “flowers” with placecards to add a pop of color to the tables 
We used Psalm117 for our flower girl pomanders! She was so great to work with, and they look fantastic. Since they are being used by 2-year-olds, I thought the fake flower route would definitely be a better option.
Those peonies look awesome!! If flowers aren’t that big of a deal, I see nothing wrong with going the “fake” route. It looks like I’m the odd one this subject…we are going ALL OUT with flowers. We are having an outdoor ceremony with lots of flowers (columns at the altar, on the aisle chairs) and a centerpiece on every table as well as scattered around the bar area and in the bathrooms. I never considered myself a big flower person, but once I saw how beautiful it made everything look I was hooked.
Good luck with your flowers - I’m sure they will look beautiful!!!
I love the look of shepherds hooks!! I just found some tonight that are 42 inches tall and have these weird looking hummingbirds on them (which i’m going to take off, sand where they were and repaint them) I found them at the dollar tree!! I only have 6 so far, but I’m going to be looking at the other stores in my town and the Seattle and Spokane area :]
Shepards hooks are my favorite, but I think the ribbon ones would be much cheaper. I’ve looked into buying shepards hooks and they aren’t that budget friendly!
I don’t plan to use any real flowers at all. I hope to make a ton of paper flowers or fabric flowers…or both.
As far as your plan, i really like the hooks. I just think they’d be safer on hooks.
I love the hooks. But I also have a crush on Mrs. CP’s wedding so I might be biased…
MISS LAB! I ordered those same peonies, 6 of each! Actually…I ordered them because of one of your prior posts, lol. Aren’t they incredibly gorgeous? I love them. Word of advice - I took some close up pics of them with my digital camera (10 megapixels) and you could kind of see the pattern of the silk…mind you that was with the standard flash in harsh lighting. My photographer said they photograph beautifully overall, and for the very close up shots, they can use lighting and blur tools to offset any weaving you might see. The Fiori Belli ones are just so beautiful-Id recommend them 1000 times over. Cant wait to see the finished product!
I considered it a long time, until I found out how cheap ordering the flowers from Sams or Costco were. My wedding coordinator said she’d made bouquets and decorated with these flowers before and has the refrigerator to keep them cool for a few days, so II went with that. I made my own pomanders out of fake flowers for the little girls though and they came out really beautiful. Along with many others on here, I’m so in love with all of Mrs. Cherry Pie’s details and will be stealing - I mean using many of her’s. I’m using hooks and spray painting them a cream color. Then we’ll move the jars with the flowers in them to the reception for the table decorations.
I love both the shepard’s hooks and just the ribbon, but I agree with Soontobe; the hooks are probably a bit safer. I used them in my ceremony and bought them super cheap from Joann’s at the end of summer. I think I bought 8 black wrought iron one’s for around $20. If you do go that route, remember to buy them by August, or it will suddenly get very hard to find them!
I would go with the shepherd’s crooks. You can buyt hem 40-50% off from JoAnn Fabrics or hobby Lobby and it’s much more affordable!
You can also rent them from a florist.
What kind of chairs will you have lining the aisle? I think that’s an important detail that can influence the hooks vs. ribbon decision.
I am using all artificial flowers. You’re right, they have come a long way in the last few years. There are lots of warehouses and floral supply stores that sell the artificial flowers at a greatly reduced price. Especially for anyone looking to DIY their flowers, this is a great option! Love to see photos when you’re done.
Personally it like the hooks more b/c then the person sitting in that chair doesn’t need to worry about hitting the arrangement
@Miss Joey: I was looking for something like this, thank you
I think that’s smart, especially if the flowers aren’t something you’re really into — better to focus on what IS important to you. Really, really love the hooks — ribbons are pretty as well, but the hooks just give such a great look.
@tea: I’ll definitely have photos once I get the flowers in and do my trial run!
@Miss Joey: Those are really pretty but not quite the style I’m going for. I really want to incorporate my mason jars in as many places as possible. I’m glad that Frenchie got inspiration!
@FutureMrsMorgan: Some fake flowers can be crazy expensive. Even the peonies I have here are a bit more expensive, which is why I limited them to my bouquet only. I’m planning to do extensive research on the best prices before making each purchase as I go along!
@mrspaetz: I thought about the tissue pomanders but decided against it for the outdoor ceremony…just in case there’s any mist…or the dreaded rain!
@alshv2: Yay! I’m glad to hear someone had a great experience with them!
@Miss Mint Chocolate Chip: Okay, brb. I’m checking out my Dollar Tree store, lol.
@KellyV: Yay again! So glad you like them. I’m still nervous about mine and can’t wait for them to arrive. You’ve eased my mind a lot!
@bree72: That’s the story of my life. Any time I don’t NEED something, I see it everywhere and as soon as I need it, it’s no where to be found!
@Miss Bruschetta: I’m hoping to do mahogany chivari chairs. Currently pricing them out. I basically want chairs that will blend with the surrounding instead of sticking out.
| Visit our sister sites | Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Fertile Thoughts Infertility Support |
Mrs. Labrador Retriever, Athens/Savannah
Age and Occupation: 24, Student/Sports Reporter
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Physical Therapy Assistant Student/Future Dr. of PT
Engagement Date: December 31, 2008
Wedding Date: November 2009
Venue: Whitfield Square/Savannah Station
About Me: I'm working on my second degree from UGA (Go Dawgs!). I'm a self-proclaimed attention-w****. If it involves a camera, I'm in front of it! You'll never meet a girlier tomboy than me. I can go toe to toe with any guy on the subject of college football, and lift more than any girl in my gym, all without chipping a nail. I hope to someday be the only person you want delivering your sports news. My FI and I are the loving parents of three Labrador Retrievers (one of each color) and are planning a "Southern Romantic Charm" wedding in the beautiful, historic city of Savannah. I'm not extreme in anything except moderation... and wedding planning.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
Latest Gallery Pics