To answer the question of what’s better for wedding flowers – silk flowers or fresh flowers, you have to ask yourself what you really want. If you want to have a green wedding, silk flowers are a good bet because they don’t use any water to grow them, they don’t cause any pesticide or fertilizer runoff, and they’re reusable.
In fact, they’ll last practically forever, and if you store them out of direct sunlight they’ll look just as beautiful as the day you bought them. Plus you can be sure that silk flowers won’t set off anyone’s allergies or attract bugs. That’s certainly something to consider if you’re having an outdoor affair. And, if you’re trying to be have your wedding on a budget, silk flowers are less expensive than fresh flowers. Silk flowers are convenient, too. You can order them well ahead of time because they don’t need to be refrigerated, and they’re easy to transport and lighter than fresh flowers. Since it’s possible to order them ahead of time, it’s easy to exchange them or change them if the arrangements that arrive aren’t exactly what you envisioned. Silk flowers seem to have it all: convenience, low cost, durability, beauty, and a low carbon footprint.
Then again, there’s a school of thought that insists that silk flowers are tacky and just not traditional enough to be appropriate for a really class wedding. I see the validity in that point of view, too. There’s really nothing like the look, feel and gorgeous aroma of an artfully arranged wedding centerpiece on every table at a reception. Going with fresh flowers adds a touch of class to any affair no matter how casual or unconventional it may be in other ways.
Aside from aesthetic considerations, one of the advantages of going with fresh flowers over silk flowers is that you have a much bigger pool of wedding vendors to check out, so if you have the time to do some comparison shopping, you can find some really good deals, especially now. With the economy being squeezed in every direction, many people are cutting back on things like flowers, and a lot of florists are willing to cut you a deal, especially if you can pay in cash. Plus, they really are more luxuriant than silk flowers.
They’re also more appropriate if the person you’re marrying is the sentimental type because fresh flowers can evoke all sorts of positive emotions that will be the source of happy memories for years to come. Finally, if you really have to preserve some of your wedding flowers arrangements, you can always have them freeze-dried or dried and pressed to save them in your wedding memory book.
