While there is something undoubtedly bridal about real flowers in your wedding decor, they’re also incredibly expensive, frustrating, and inconvenient compared to fake blooms.
It’s no wonder so many brides are giving up real blooms in favor of the craft store Floral Department.
After all, fake flowers never wilt. They’re easy to arrange.
Sometimes, they can even be much cheaper.
Can’t decide if you should use real or fake flowers in your wedding? Read on and you’ll learn why faux is the way to go.
Do you have to use real flowers in your wedding?
Of course not! It’s your wedding.
You can use real flowers, fakes ones, or a mixture of both.
Alternatively, you can ditch flowers altogether and use things like brooch bouquets or vintage book centerpieces, if you want.
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Disclaimer: I Was a Flower-Free Bride
Our wedding was flower-free (real and fake), save for some faux baby’s breath the venue already had in their decorations.
Most of our decor consisted of Mason jars and fairy lights or candles, which was still just as lovely. We also had bouquets made from brooches, courtesy of a crafty and generous aunt.
Flowers aren’t my thing. I kill every last plant I touch.
That’s right: I have the black thumb. Honest to God—I once managed to kill a cactus.
I love flowers, though. They’re elegant. Something about them makes any event so much more special.
And they now come in so many colors and varieties, regardless of location or season, it’s a snap to find some that fit your wedding aesthetic.
However, if I were to redo my wedding, I would probably add some flowers to the tables. I’ve been to so many weddings since then, it gave me centerpiece envy.
Anyway, on to the star of this post: faux flowers, and why you should use them in your wedding.
Reason #1: Real Flowers are Insanely Expensive
The average cost of wedding flowers is a shocking $2,411, according to a survey by The Knot in 2018.
The figures are a little skewed, of course: the brides in that survey were actually working with budgets of $30,000+ on average, and the data mostly reported on flowers provided by professional florists.
Still – couples are shelling out a lot for real blooms, often as much as $700 or more for weddings with budgets at or under ten grand.
If you’re using real flowers and arranging them yourself, the price will be much better—but still on the higher side, depending on what varieties you want, how elaborate the arrangements are, and how many you’ll need.
With real flowers, you’re making an arrangement. With fakes, you’re just crafting. And I’m better at crafting.
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Reason #2: DIY is More Doable with Fakes
If you’ve ever tried making your own floral arrangements, then you know it ain’t easy.
Stalks break. Petals bruise. You cry in frustration, and then the salt of your tears kills the plant on contact.
(No? Just me?)
In all seriousness, it’s harder to work with real flowers because they’re more fragile. You’re also under pressure to keep them flawless, because you’ve paid more for them.
With fake flowers, however, pretty much anything is fair game.
Spray paint them. Douse them in enough glitter to rival the Vegas strip.
Twist them, cut them, and – more importantly – pop out to the store and buy more, in the event that you mess something up.
My mom put it best: with real flowers, you’re making an arrangement. With fakes, though, you’re just crafting.
I’m better at crafting. Much better. So for me, there’s no contest.
Reason #3: Literally No One Will Notice, Anyway
I’ve attended too many weddings to count, at this point. All had gorgeous centerpieces, many of which were unique and perfectly fit the overall feel of the wedding.
Granted, I only remember about four of them in actual detail – but I do remember them all being lovely.
That’s Reason #3-A not to stress over real or fake flowers: very few people, other than yourself, will remember your centerpieces.
That might be a hard pill to swallow. After all, you’ve been worrying over these things for weeks. You researched vase heights, composition, and prices until you thought about it in your sleep.
Don’t be disheartened: the centerpieces are still important, but as a contributor to your wedding’s overall look. People will notice the décor as a whole.
They just…probably won’t remember the exact details.
Reason #3-B: These days, fake flowers can look incredibly real.
Seriously: these aren’t your grandma’s flowers.
Back in the day, fabric mattered – a lot. Silk, rayon, cotton: each had unique properties in terms of how they laid, felt, and held dye.
Even then, most flowers came out looking obviously fake.
That’s not the case today. With synthetic fabrics and dyes, you can find realistic versions of virtually any flower you can imagine.
I personally love Hobby Lobby for fake flowers. They look the most realistic out of any craft store’s selection, in my opinion. Michael’s is a great resource, as well, and also sells pre-assembled bouquets like these.
Most guests won’t be able to tell your flowers are fake unless they touch them—and even if they do, 99% of them will not care, nor judge you for it.
Reason #4: Keep Them Forever
If the thought of throwing out your centerpieces or bouquets makes you cringe, never fear: faux flowers last a lifetime.
Of course, you can get real flowers pressed between glass for a gorgeous display, but one benefit of fake flowers is that you can keep them without any special care. Other than some dusting, they’ll require no maintenance.
This is especially wonderful if, like me, you’re a procrastinator: you won’t have to rush when the wedding is over to press and preserve.
Another bonus: you can pass them on to future brides.
In fact, one of my friends used our brooch bouquets in her wedding. The bridal one, which featured cerulean gems, was her Something Borrowed and her Something Blue.
Another friend used the same centerpieces from her cousin’s wedding. They were mostly white flowers, so the bride simply swapped the accent flowers for her own.
Reason #5: Resell Your Arrangements After the Wedding
I hate clutter, and I love eBay. (Selling on it, that is.)
We didn’t buy too much décor for our wedding – but once it was over, I still hated seeing boxes of signs and jars I knew we’d never use again.
My solution was to sell all the similar items as lots on eBay.
For anyone new to online selling, “lots” are groups of objects sold in the same listing.
When it comes to wedding supplies, it’s far easier to sell a group of something than it is to sell the items one by one.
Candlesticks, vases, tablecloths: all of it is more valuable in lots than individually.
Selling all your flowers in groups on eBay, Craigslist, or wedding-specific sites like Recycled Bride is a great way to recoup a little cash following the big day.
To maximize bids, sell them in groups/lots that aren’t mixed. For example:
- All centerpieces in one lot
- All boutonnieres in another lot
- Bouquets
- Any floral hairpieces
- Miscellaneous floral décor
The exception to this kind of grouping would be if you have a truly unique floral piece, like faux-flower initials for you and the groom (sell each separately), or garlands that specifically go with a photo backdrop (sell it with the other backdrop supplies).
If you aren’t sure how to group items, peruse other brides’ listings first.
Even better: look at listings that have already ended and sold.
This will give you a better idea of what buyers search for, and the groupings they’re most interested in – which will then maximize your earnings.
You’ll also get a reduction in post-wedding blues by knowing you’re helping another bride prepare for her dream day!
Reason #6: Less Stress Closer to Your Wedding Day
I’m all about simple.
I hate complicated things, because there’s almost always a simpler way to accomplish the same task.
This is the secret reason I will always advise a bride to use fake flowers over real ones. Always.
Fake flowers are just easier. They’re simpler. You can buy them months ahead of time, learn how to craft with them, and have your arrangements finished before you’ve even sent out your invitations!
Fake flowers are just easier. And when you’re a bride, easy means a lot.
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The first problem of many with using real flowers: you’re limited in your selection.
Depending on your region, the season your wedding will happen, and your florist’s stock, you might not be able to get a specific bloom.
And speaking of bloom, that leads to another issue: there’s no guarantee your flowers will be open by the time the ceremony occurs.
(If you’ve never blow-dried flowers in a desperate attempt to make them bloom just minutes before a ceremony, consider yourself lucky.)
Someone has to pick up the flowers, then carefully transport them.
Most likely, some will bruise; some will break.
My least-favorite problem: you’ll have to store the flowers in water or a fridge, if the wedding is still many hours (or an entire day) away.
That’s a lot of stuff to do for some flowers.
I’ve got nothing against real flowers, or the brides who choose to use them. I just didn’t want that kind of stress, or even more to-do’s the day of the wedding. Flowers were the very last thing on my mind.
And, chances are, they’ll be the last thing on yours.
Fake flowers don’t wilt. They can be delivered right to your Alaskan doorstep in the dead of winter, if you want.
You’ll never have to sit on the floor of a church with a freaking hairdryer, trying to get fake lilies to bloom.
Instead, you’ll have your flowers finished and ready to go weeks before the wedding. Your girls can even use their bouquets in the rehearsal, if you want.
Even if fake flowers suddenly became more expensive than real ones (and some are), I’d still choose faux, every single time. They’re just easier.
And when you’re a bride, easy means a lot.
Sorry, Florists
I want to emphasize, again, that I’m not against real flowers.
They’re beautiful, fragrant, and add life to spaces in a way only live plants can.
And I have immense respect for florists, who create gorgeous arrangements I could never accomplish.
And for me, real flowers still have their place: Valentine’s, congratulatory bouquets, funerals – I will never, ever send someone fake flowers.
But when it comes to weddings, real flowers just seem like one more unnecessary expense and headache after another. Maybe that’s just my black thumb talking, though.
Sure, real flowers don’t have to be pricy. There are local florists who charge very reasonable fees, or will help you plan arrangements that work with your budget.
Some real-flower brides still go the DIY route.
You can also ask a family member with experience to help, and get real flowers from home and garden stores.
Even grocery stores or friends’ gardens are fair game, when you’re hunting down a bargain.
But if you’re limited in your options, pressed for time, or—like me—just want to keep things simple, faux is a no-brainer.
Did (or will) you use fake flowers, or are you a staunch supporter of real? Tell us why in the comments!
