Your wedding is a milestone event in your life, and you’ll remember it for a long time. So naturally, you want to make sure that everything about it feels just right. And of course, that includes your wedding flowers.
Picking just the right flowers takes time, but it starts with a simple question: Should you use real or artificial flowers for your big day? Windows on the Water is here to help you break down the pros and cons of each option, helping you choose what makes the most sense for your situation.
The Case for Using Artificial Flowers at Your Wedding
Even though real flowers have been the traditional preference for most weddings, artificial flowers have been gaining in popularity. There are a few reasons why, including:
Potential Cost Savings
Generally speaking, artificial flowers tend to be less expensive than their counterparts. In fact, according to some estimates, the costs compared to real flowers can be half or less. Those cost savings can then add to your other wedding budgets like your venue, menu, and more.
The Durability of Artificial Flowers
While real flowers will wilt after a few days, artificial flowers last forever. You can pick them out with plenty of time to spare before the wedding and avoid the stress this step might otherwise add to your big day. After it’s all over, you can keep key pieces of your bouquet and decorations as a keepsake to remember how special the day truly was.
Resiliency
With real flowers, you always run the risk of a bloom wilting or otherwise wearing down as your big day goes on. That’s not the case for artificial flowers, which will be as reliably beautiful at the end of the night as they were when you first put your eyes on them.
Increased Options
When choosing artificial flowers, you tend to have a larger variety to choose from. That’s because seasonal or climate concerns don’t have to enter the equation. Silk remains silk, no matter whether you’re getting married in summer or winter, heat or cold.
Health and Allergen Concerns
The last thing you want is for anything in your wedding to go sideways for one of your guests. Having an allergy, for example, can turn what others consider the beautiful scent of real flowers into a nightmare of an allergic reaction. None of that concern exists with artificial flowers, which are typically hypoallergenic and remove any concern of a negative and involuntary allergic reaction.
The Case Against Using Artificial Flowers at Your Wedding
Of course, real flowers still continue to be the popular choice for most couples tying the knot. There’s a reason for that, as well; despite their advantages as outlined above, artificial flowers still come with a few shortcomings that are important to keep in mind as you make this important decision for your big day.
Lack of Authenticity
Let’s face it: for some people, having the “real thing” just matters more. If you have decided to decorate your wedding with flowers, it’s an easy conclusion for some to make that those flowers should be real. You might prefer real flowers simply because every part of your wedding should be authentic, which is a perfectly valid decision to make.
No Natural Fragrance
There is little that can replace the beautiful smell of fresh-cut roses, especially when multiple of those roses come together with other flowers to create a symphony of smells. Artificial flowers simply cannot compete with that fragrance, although some decorators can add essential oils to the decor that look to replicate it. Still, the scent of your venue’s flower decorations won’t be quite like the real thing.
A Lack of Natural Elegance
For some, using artificial flowers just doesn’t elevate the wedding venue enough to be worthy of their big day. Much of that is personal preference, of course. But, if you feel that way, it makes more sense to be honest with yourself early in the process rather than making a decision about your decor that you might be unhappy about later on.
Make the Best Choice for Your Wedding With Help From Windows on the Water
In the end, the various pros and cons of artificial flowers all come down to your preference. There are plenty of good reasons to choose for or against this option, but it all depends on exactly what you want your big day to feel and look like.
Of course, that’s a big decision to make. Fortunately, you don’t have to be on your own with decisions like these. That’s because Windows on the Water is more than just a wedding venue. When you book a package with us, you get a personal consultant who can help you with every aspect of your wedding planning, which includes how you might want to decorate your venue. Contact Windows on the Water by calling (609) 208-9475 or request information online to start planning an unforgettable wedding experience.