Advice on doing my own decorating for my wedding and Are silk flowers too cheap or ok to use?

Is anyone doing there own decor for the wedding? I am trying to save money by doing my own decorating but don't know where to start. Also is anyone using silk flowers for all there floral needs?

Advice on doing my own decorating for my wedding and Are silk flowers too cheap or ok to use?
Even though this article suggests to "consult an expert"- it offers some tips as well:





What is an appropriate flower arrangement for a wedding?


http://homegarden.expertvillage.com/expe...





Hope it helps a little.





Congrats! :)
Reply:While I'm a huge fan of real flowers, some of the silk arrangements can look lovely. I would opt for simple and elegant in whichever you chose. Check with bridal supply stores in the area some actually will rent centerpiece arrangements and then you will just have to worry about your flowers. My sister in law rented arrangements for the tables, but purchased real flowers for herself %26amp; bridal party. That was a very lovely mix. Good luck.
Reply:You don't need real flowers. If you use artificial flowers (especially for your bouquet) you can keep your bouquet for the rest of your life, so that you can show your kids and stuff.





Some flowers are really nice and look real if you pick the right ones. Look at Gerbera Daisies!





As for the decor, look at the linens, the chair covers (which are something the bride can choose to use or not), what you want your centerpieces to look like, drapes, wall decorations, etc. It's your wedding, make it you.





Congratulations!
Reply:Please use real flowers. Fake flowers are cheap and tacky, do not cut your expenses this way. I also think you should use a professional for the rest of the decor as well. Your wedding day is not the time to be frugal.
Reply:If you have a "party" store in your area, check them out. They have EVERYTHING you need for wedding decorations, including silk flowers, all kinds of ribbon, paper products, table cloths -- I love the party store for all KINDS of decorating ideas.
Reply:my daughter and i both used silk flowers for her wedding it allowed us to save money, make them up ahead of time and my other daughter is getting married now and we are doing the same thing, in fact she went and priced them and compared the looks of them at a craft store and a dollar store, guess what the dollar stores looked nicer, but do your own comparisons, really it's a lot cheaper, and the greatest thing is you get exactly what you want and know they are done ahead of time, no florist disasters, all of the flowers at the church, and reception were done by us also, both girls saved a fortune compared to a florist, money that could be spent on things that we couldn't do or for a honeymoon, we also did the candy bowls and candles for the tables and church, one of my daughters didn't go with the traditional wedding cake, what she did was have just about every kind of cheese cake you could think of and had them all on pedestals at different heights, so pretty and so yummy, everyone loved it, good luck and have fun use you imagination there are many more things than flowers that you can do if you set your mind to it
Reply:I'm a firm believer in living within a budget and using creative ways to do that. I also believe that people shouldn't try to do something just because it's the most popular way to do it. The wedding industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and wedding prices are so much higher than a comparable item that is not for a wedding. You can get two prices for most venues. One price is for a banquet/family party/dinner. The other price is for a wedding, and of course the wedding is higher. People are making big money off of brides.





But back to your question: Silk flowers are perfectly fine to use if that helps you to have the wedding you want. They won't be the same as real, but you already know that. Just look at individual flowers and find the ones that look real, and you can pull it off.
Reply:Silk flowers are the best for budget! but real flowers are more elegant. However, if you have allergies or a strict budget then you should go for silk and save your nose, or some money for something that you could use more, like the dream dress!








Also, congratulations on your wedding and best of luck.
Reply:I'm doing my own decorating, and some of the silk flowers you can get look so close to the real things its amazing. Like because my husband and I are getting "re-married" next Halloween we are doing pumpkins and stuff on the tables and what not but we are going to be saving money by doing silk flowers and such. Best of luck!
Reply:If you are doing silk, stay with whites or other realistic colors. Some silks are horribly bright, too fake looking. If you have round tables (seat 6-8) stay with a small, low centerpiece which keeps cost low too. Great source for do-it-yourselfers: http://save-on-crafts.com/index.html
Reply:i will be using silk flowers for all but my bouquet (because i want just a simple nosegay, and the flowers are symbolic for my fiance's fraternity and my sorority, so i think that it is important that they are real...but anyway...lol) but i think that not only are they more cost efficient, but they look better at the end of the night. :) i will use them on my cake between the layers, and for the small amount that will be on the tables. great use of budget! and good luck!
Reply:Real flowers are a must!