Real v Artificial flowers

This is true. (I'm a florist) The wholesale markets close on Christmas Eve morning at 7am and don't re-open until after the New Year. This is because the auction houses are also closed so they have nothing to sell to florists - hence florists have no stock to do weddings. Really depends when your wedding is? If it is actually Christmas Eve and it falls on a weekday, the florist will be able to buy your flowers a couple of days before and, provided you choose hardy flowers i.e., ones that don't wilt easily, they should be fine for Christmas Eve. However, if it's a wedding that falls after Boxing Day, then the flowers will be past their best so this is why silk is a good alternative.

With silk flowers, there is a huge choice available but it is worth getting either recommendations or buying a sample buttonhole first as it is pretty much a case of you get what you pay for. If you are looking for silk flowers that look as close to the real thing as possible, then there isn't a huge amount of difference in the price to fresh ones but the advantage is that you can keep them forever.

Hi I decided to go with artificial flowers as I didn't want the hassle of worrying about whether they would wilt on the day (summer wedding). I have to say I am very impressed. The quality of flowers is fab and they look so real. I have mine all put up in a box ready for my big day and don't have to worry about them now.

I used sarahsflowers.co.uk. They were really good and even changed the colour of the ribbon etc to match my colour scheme. I would definately recommend a look.

Hope that helps x

Thank you both of you that's really helpful. Its something I hadn't really thought of to be honest when we booked the wedding. Its the 30th December so I'm going to have the same problem with all the florists. I have already considered silk flowers, so I guess that makes the decision easier. I'll order some samples first.

I'll have a look at that one now Shelly, thanks! x

I was a bridesmaid 2 years ago to my friend, Sarah, who was getting married between Christmas and New Year's. She had a very particular idea as to what she wanted - mainly sunflowers! (We tried telling her that sunflowers might not be available... but she was determined to get some!) She ended up going with a contemporary fabric bouquet with sunflowers and loved it. It wasn't silk flowers, but it was satin-y ones, and it looked really gorgeous.

I'm getting married next year and am having a fabric flower bouquet too. I'm getting mine from runwildbouquets.co.uk. Don't know if that helps? x

My friend ordered artificial calla lillies from eBay (I think they came from China in the end) and they were amazing! The bridesmaids had white ones and she had deep red/purple ones. Looked fantastic in the pics and in the flesh. And we all still have them in vases at home which are lovely.

I have the same problem, I'm getting married at the beginning of January. I'll be watching this post for more recommendations of where to get quality silk flowers from!

I'm having silk/foam 1 because I get really bad hay fever so does OH ( wee look beautiful on spring/summer days :/) and 2 because the cost!

I went through a seller on eBay who makes all her own called sues flowers. I got 1 teardrop bouquet, 2 bridesmaids, 1 flower girl bouquet , 6 button holes and 2 causarges for £140/£150. Err tone who has seen them is amazed at them. There were in a box in my living room and the usher came alto ins a few months ago and asked why I had my flowers already, thinking they were real! At that point I knew I'd made the right choice.

Hi :-)

I'm having artificial! Mainly because I didn't want any bouquets to wilt, also the cost of real flowers put me off. I love the idea that my BM's/FG would have something to keep so this swayed me :-)

I'm using a woman who I seen on Facebook and lives near my family in Edinburgh (her page is called Little Miss Vintage Bouquet). Her flowers look fab and she does any design you want. She also does brooch bouquets and can wrap your stems in pearls which look so pretty.

Hope that helps :-) x

I am having an heirloom/keepsake bouquet with foam flowers and brooches. The lady has a Facebook page called Not 2 Shabby - Heirloom Blooms. Her prices are really reasonable too.

Thanks for all the recommendations and ideas, I'm going to have a look at them. I already had an idea of a winter bouquet in my mind just hadn't anticipated that I couldn't get any real flowers at all. Good job, I asked now rather later And if it works out cheaper, even better! If anyone has got any flashes that they are willing to share, I'd love to see them x

Ooo - you could have a bauble bouquet - very seasonal!

Maria I hadn't thought of that! That's a brilliant idea! x

If budget and availability are not an issue, I'd still opt for real flowers. But I've been on a wedding with artificial flowers and they looked so fab and chic in person, especially on photos!

I was considering artificial flowers, but my OH loves buying me flowers, and the smell calms me down, so I've gone for real flowers for the bouquets. I was also debating artificial flowers for the centerpieces - I want them to be Japanese ikebana and was expecting to have to make them myself - but we popped into a local florist today, and I happened to mention to her that I'd like Japanese-style centerpieces. Not only did she know what they were (bonus - most of the other florists I've spoken to have just given me a blank look), but she studied it in collage and is really enthusiastic about getting the chance to do it again! So now it looks like we'll be having real flowers for the centerpieces as well.

The difference between a qualified florist and not Ikebana is part of the 3 year floristry course at college and is fascinating to learn and create. I too haven't done any since I was at college but I thoroughly enjoyed that part of the course.

love it!

MadamRed that's brilliant news, bet you are really excited now. Just shows what difference it makes when you get someone really interested in their work.

Thanks. Yes, I'm really excited now. Feels like it's really coming together. It's great to have a supplier who seems to be as excited about my wedding as I am ?

Btw, I'd also like to vote for a bauble bouquet - it sounds amazing! In fact, I went and did some googling to find pictures (now slightly jealous I'm getting married in the Spring so I can't do this). Sorry they're so big:

OMG!! I absolutely love that top one! ? its amazing. This is the best bouquet I've seen!

Thank you, thank you, thank you xx

Ooo - I really love the top one too! It's so pretty the combination of flowers and baubles. Good Googling!!