Do you prefer real flowers or silk flowers for a wedding and reception?

This could be either an inside OR outside wedding, etc.

Do you prefer real flowers or silk flowers for a wedding and reception?
I'll get thumbed down like crazy but.....





I prefer silks (high quality ones, not dollar store) for a number of reasons:





1. I can have any flower and as many as I want without worrying about the smell being too powerful. I've been to weddings that competely reek of floral and you have to take breaks outside just to get air.





2. No worries about wilting, are they in season, are they at their best blooming period?, etc.





3. I can shop sales and get them dirt cheap and don't have to pay a florist to arrange them.





4. After the wedding I have the option of a keepsake or I can re-sell them to recoup some of my money





5. They come in "unatural" colors. For instance a dusty blue hydrangea doesn't happen in real life but in Silk World anything is possible





6. Nobody is allergic to silk flowers so I don't have to worry about runny noses and sneezing guests (or my HTB lol)
Reply:does the word TACKY spell it out for you
Reply:I absolutely love flowers so I prefer real if possible.
Reply:Chose to go with real because it's special for that one day!


However, there's nothing 'wrong' with using silk - can be just as beautiful.
Reply:Real flowers due to the fragrance. Cosco has flowers and they are reasonable.
Reply:Real flowers are just so much more classy and beautiful for such a special occasion.
Reply:real flowers are a must for me!!!! i hate silk flowers because i think they are gaudy looking. to me a wedding should be with fresh flowers. it just seems to make for a beautiful reception with fresh flowers in empire vases on the tables.
Reply:real is always better but they are expensive
Reply:Real most definitely. Silk flowers just don't look that good to me.
Reply:My daughter had real flowers at her wedding. It made for a much prettier effect. I'd go with the real.
Reply:Real is always better. Yes, silk will last but you can always dry out the real flowers. It will be nicer that way, even if it costs more.
Reply:Hi. I love flowers, so I prefer real. That being said, if you can't afford real, I think 1 or 2 simple flowers (gerbera daisies, roses, tulips, etc.) in a vase at the reception looks much nicer than a big huge bouquet of silks.





If you are thinking of silks, make sure to price them. Yes, possibly they are cheaper. But the ones that are "realistic looking" can be as much as buying the real thing. Also, you can special order wholesale flowers (lots cheaper than from a florist) on many sites. You can also get flowers cheap from Walmart and Costco. Just a thought......





Yes, I prefer real.
Reply:depends on your budget and you! our family weddings have been a mixture of fresh flowers and silks, and it really is a personal preference.


if you are thinking of doing your own bouquets then silks are easier to work with. and you can save yourself a lot of money by making your own bouquets sweetie. its relatively easy and you can do them a month or more ahead of time if you want to. you can get all the supplies you need at a craft store such as michael's or even joann's.


boutinierres and corsages are generally fresh flowers but the rest can be silks, your bouquets, your floral arrangements, your centerpieces, can all be silk flowers if you wish.


have a look at some good quality silks before you make up your mind, and like i said you could easily make your own bouquets if you use the silks. good luck and happy wedding!
Reply:I'm using real, but not a whole lot of them for my wedding. I'm having a florist make an archpiece and a long centerpiece for our head table, then buying the rest of the flowers I need in bulk. I will use these flowers to make the bouquets (simple dome-shaped ones), boutenniers, and centerpieces for some tables (just put some flowers in vases I already have). The website theknot.com even has step-by-step instructions for making bouquets and bout's. This is very manageable if you don't want something ornate and extravagant. I'm spending under $300 for all these flowers.





Good luck!
Reply:Silk always looks prettier!
Reply:i just ordered silks from afloral.com


i have to say that when i put them together and made the bouquets i was MORE than happy with how they came out.


you can't tell they are silks till you are up close to them.





real is nice and all but wayyyyyy tooooo expensive for my blood.





these silks are awesome.





i'll be happy to email you pics if you want to see how mine came out- nataliexoxo@yahoo.com
Reply:Real! I had real at my wedding and you can't beat that look or smell!
Reply:silk, we had silk flowers and the best part is i get to keep them... and they are cheap...:)
Reply:I don't hate silk flowers like a lot of people on this board do, I believe with a good amount of hard work they can look just as nice as real.





But when the choice is given to me I always prefer real. The smell, and the feel of them can not be replicated.
Reply:Real
Reply:Real flowers. I think fake flowers are cheesy!
Reply:I always prefer real flowers. I have never seen any realistic-looking silks. Unless you are getting exotic flowers, most fresh flowers are cheaper than many silks you find.
Reply:If you can afford them, real is always better.

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