Fresh vs. Faux Flowers

Many newly engaged couples begin the wedding preparations with stars in their eyes, but within a few short weeks, those stars are replaced with dollar signs.  The reality of what is truly affordable versus what their heart envisions begins to set into their minds.  At this point, the frugal bride (or groom) is born.  I applaud the frugal bride and groom in every way.

Entering a life-long journey with someone need not be weighed down with baggage full of debt acquired before the adventure has even begun.  That said, I encourage the frugal couple to beware of the allure of sacrificing the reality they dream of for an artificial version at the same price-the faux flower [a quality silk flower is sometimes 5x more costly than its equivalent fresh flower].

Many times, when a lovestruck couple begins to look at the numbers from their floral consultations, the question begins to arise as to whether they should have fresh flowers or faux (silk) flowers.  If the bride is like most brides, and  is honest with herself and others, she will admit that she has always longed to walk down the aisle with a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers.  She can even smell the scent of flowers wafting in the air as she envisions this dream. Unfortunately, when presented with the floral expenses, many brides feel that their dream is unattainable, and thus begin looking for alternatives to fresh flowers. It needn’t be this way!

If a bride wishes to have fresh flowers in her wedding, she can still have this dream fulfilled without breaking the bank.  How is this possible?

One way to keep floral costs at a minimum is to choose flowers that are in season when the wedding is to take place.  If the wedding is to be in December, the bride should be given options of what is available to her in the winter season and year round.  A florist should be well acquainted with this information and should have it available during the consultation.

Another way to scale the costs back is to identify the flowers based on a  financial scale.  Which flowers are less expensive than others?  Can any of the expensive flowers be ordered in bulk to help reduce the cost? Are any of the more expensive flowers larger and can thus eliminate the need for several smaller less expensive flowers?  One large hydrangea might cost a bit more than other smaller flowers, but it only takes a few hydrangeas to make a stunning display.  Therefore, the hydrangea might end up being the less expensive choice. Your floral designer should be able to assist you with weighing your options and costs.  A good floral designer can look at the budget, hear you verbalize what you want, and then offer you cost effective solutions that can help you stay within your numbers and yet achieve, as close to possible, the look of what you really want.

Remember that reality is your best friend.  If the budget will not allow for a certain flower to be included in mass quantities, throwing caution to the wind and increasing the budget is probably not your best decision. A great decision is to work with your floral designer to achieve the look in your dream while keeping your financial interest at the heart of the matter.

Although I am not promising you will be able to afford 5,000 dendrobium orchids on a shoestring budget, I am saying that the world is full of floral beauty, and many of the costly flowers are attainable or have a suitable, cost-effective substitute. With a skilled floral designer, there is no need to settle for faux flowers when your heart longs for fresh!

Article Submitted by Joanna Lantrip of JJ Zetta Floral Design