Flowers - Real or Artificial?

Real! Cant beat the smell of a room full of fresh flowers! Cost? Hmmm all I can say is it pays to shop around! x

Depends really on the style and flowers you would like as to the cost of fresh ones and also whereabouts you live. Pricewise, if you go for the most realistic artficial wedding flowers, there isn't a hugh amount of difference in cost. One of the main reasons why people choose artficial over fresh is because they want to keep them. The comment I hear most from customers is "if I'm paying X amount of pounds for flowers, I want them to last more than a couple of days" Fresh prices vary on the time of year ie., they are most expensive at peak trading times such as leading up to Valentines, Mothers Day, Easter, Christmas. Some flowers have 'bad' seasons for example peonies, this means stock is in short supply so prices are high. Exotic blooms such as orchids, lilies, and certain varieties of roses are classed as luxurious blooms so will cost more than seasonal flowers. If you go to florists shops which are out of town as opposed to town centre, the prices will be slightly less as the overheads won't be as high. There are lots of different designs together with prices on my website to give you some ideas of the various styles available although all mine are artificial as I no longer do fresh flowers so this should give you a rough ball park figure. Hope that helps!

I am looking to have the same amount of flowers as you, bride, 2x BM, 7x button holes, top table long and low and 5x centre pieces and have budgeted £500, my florist said she could work with any budget and should all be fine, a lot depends on what you want i.e. roses cost more than carnations, shower bouquets cost more than hand-tied etc but if you've no specific 'flower-type' requirements then can spend less quite easily! Although I'm yet to have my consultation with my florist so can't say for sure, maybe some OM can help you here!

I'm having artificial as my mum is a retired florist and wants to do my flowers, so I do not want her worrying about my flowers the day before my wedding hence the artificial choice. Also we are going to buy all the flowers and then do them together over a couple of weeks, means I get to see my bouquet from start to finish! Also I suffer with bad Hayfever!

I'm having fresh flowers as follows:

Shower bouquet of orchids and freesia

Bridesmaid bouquet is a posy of orchids and freesia

Two calla lily buttonholes

A top table arrangement of calla lillies and orchids

Six fishbowl centrepieces each with a different yellow flower at it's centre, e.g. Carnation, tulip, chrysanthemum, etc.

Yellow rose petals to be scattered on six tables, and also for the flower girls basket

All this in May for £380

EDIT: £280 - just checked my spreadsheet...bargain!

Hi,

I too have decided to go for some artifical flowers to save costs.

I ahve made the bridesmaids bouquets myself from foam flowers which cost me about £12 for all 4 bridesmaids bouquets. (There's a flash if you search for DIY bridesmaid bouquets)

I think I will get fresh flowers for my bouquet and am budgeting about £50 for this.

I am planning on also doing the table centres using the foam flowers and attmepting a DIY job.

For me, I couldn't justify the cost of fresh flowers. But for some people it may be an important part of the day - just not my bag really!

I am having artificial so I can keep them, I do not want to be shelling out a fortune for flowers that look almost the same but will die after a few days! Plus it means I can get them early and not have to worry about it in the run up to the day.

Our venue are including our centrepieces, so I only need my bouquet, posies for 3 bridesmaids, one flower girl posy/basket (haven't decided which yet) and 6 button holes. They are costing me £107. Budgeted £250, so I'm more than pleased with that quote ?

Artificial flowers have come on fantastically over recent years, although photographically, I really prefer natural flowers as the light transmission through the petals can be beautifully captured.

Smell wise, again I like the natural option, although some florists do add a natural type smell to some of the artificial flowers.

Peter

I am having artificial flowers for my table decorations as i am getting married in the middle of August so i don't want wilting flowers. I like that we get to keep them after as well. Have even had friends say they want to buy an arrangement after as they like them so much. Think its a nice keepsake. I will be having fresh for my bouquet and buttonholes though.

Cost wise, it is cheaper to have artificial but for good quality ones the savings isn't huge. So far i have spent roughly £250 but that is for 5 different types of flower (3 lots of each per vase.....i have huge centerpieces lol!) and i am having 9 tables! With fresh ones i think price varies with the type of flowers you want. It's all down to personal preference and at least with artificial you can make them up in advance.

to be honest i agree with rainbow florsit, it all depends on what flowers you want in either fresh or artificial as sometimes there isnt much difference in price, the foam flowers ie roses are very realistic tho and are maybe on the cheaper side of the top quality silk ones.

I make both fresh and artificial flowers i have 1 bride that is having a fresh bouquet for her and then artificial ones for the bridesmaids but the artificial are so good that you can't really tell the difference, i know it is a mind blowing desicision, but if you decide on artificial flowers wherever you get them from make sure you ask for a sample or go to see them prior to ordering.

I aslo have another bride that bought cheaper silk flowers and when they arrived she threw them away this is whay i say ask for a sample or go and see them first.

hope that helps a bit?

Real.

We paid about £360 for all our flowers which were fresh roses and fresh orchids.