Fresh, Dried and Silk Wedding Flowers

Fresh, Dried and Silk Wedding Flowers for Your Wedding Centerpieces and Wedding Theme

There is no doubt about it: wedding flowers take one of the highest priorities when planning your wedding.

Your wedding flowers not only help to carry the theme of your wedding, but their display and aromas add to the tone of the wedding.

In addition to this, the wedding bouquet is one of the most prized of all wedding accessories. So much so, that some brides-to-be create TWO bridal bouquets: one to keep and one to throw.

There many options for brides today with their choices of wedding flowers to use. Years ago, silk flowers looked artificial and cheap. Today, silk flowers can actually be more expensive than fresh flowers.

You need to consider not only the look of the wedding flowers and what they add to the overall theme of the wedding, but also how you plan on keeping them in the future. For example, fresh flowers can be preserved but do show age over time whereas silk flowers always look ‘fresh'.

While shopping for your wedding flowers, it is also important to have fun with your friends and be creative. There is no reason why you and your bridal party (or others) cannot create incredibly beautiful and elegant wedding flower centerpieces, boutonnieres and bouquets instead of paying the high cost of wedding flower arrangements through a florist.

The Pros, Cons and Uses of Fresh, Dried, and Silk Flowers for your Wedding Day

Dried Flowers are usually used as filler in the arrangements of wedding flowers and candles. Dried flowers include:

Baby's Breath.

Potpourri.

Assorted natural flowers that have be colorized and dried.

The Pros: Dried flowers keep almost indefinitely, can have an aroma, and can ‘fill in the gaps' in flower arrangements with additional and unusual colors. They are also used to create wedding candles.

The Cons: They flake and shed easily.

Fresh Flowers are traditional wedding flowers and the first choice for most couples due to their ‘romantic' appeal and fragrance. Popular fresh wedding flowers are:

Roses.
Gardenias.
Gladiolus.

The Pros: Dewy, fresh wedding flowers are beautiful, can naturally fill the air with fragrance, and can blend very well with a wedding theme, especially if they are local varieties.
The Cons: Fresh wedding flowers can be difficult to keep fresh, wilt easily in warm weather, can cause allergic reactions to carriers, wearers and guests, and will cost some money to dry in order to keep forever.

Silk Flowers are an option for wedding flowers and, today, look identical to their fresh flower counterparts depending on their quality.

Roses.
Tulips.
Lily of the Valley.

The Pros: Silk flowers can mimic fresh flowers with artificial ‘dew', last for many years, do not cause allergic reactions, look ‘fresh' any time of year and in any climate, and can be used later for arrangements in the couple's home to remind them of their wedding day.
The Cons: Silk flowers must be artificially treated to emit a fragrance, can be more expensive than fresh flowers, and do not degrade as well as fresh wedding flowers (are not as environmentally friendly).

Other Options for Wedding Flowers

Fresh and silk flowers can be mixed together for all arrangements and themes.
Use silk wedding flowers for decorations, reserving the fresh flowers for the wedding party to wear and carry.
If you live in the countryside, local flowers can be picked and arranged just prior to the wedding ceremony.
You can carry candles or arrangements made with battery-powered lights instead of wedding flowers.

Additional Resources for Wedding Flowers

How to Arrange Flowers

Arranging Flowers Like a Pro

Flower Arranging Ideas