By Darcy Wallace
One of my favorite parts of a wedding is the flowers. I love seeing the arrangements, bouquets, boutonnieres and the centerpieces. Although that is one of my favorite things to see at a wedding, it also proves to be one of the hardest items you have to decide on and put together for the wedding. Whether you go with fresh flowers or silk flowers they both have there advantages and there disadvantages.
Fresh Flowers: Good news first! One of the best things about having fresh flowers for your wedding is that they photograph beautifully, they have a richness that is captured by the camera and they are breath taking beautiful. Most fresh flowers smell wonderful. The scent of fresh flowers is a very welcoming scent for all of your guests to enjoy as they walk in to either your ceremony or reception. This is only good news to the brides who do not want to keep their bouquets. If you use fresh flowers they will not last so you will not be able to keep your bouquets, unless you preserve them which can be very costly.
If you are a bride who is budget conscious and would like to stay under your budget and do not mind a few extra steps then there is another option for you! Buy your flowers in bulk. This is a way to save you a lot of money, however remember when your flowers arrive; they are only good for about 48-56 hours, if refrigerated correctly. To refrigerate properly, fresh flowers cannot be in the same refrigerator as food especially fruit and they cannot touch the sides of the refrigerator walls, so you must cover them. You can use a trash bag to cover the petals. You want to cover them with something very light so they can still breathe, but that will also provide enough coverage so that the blooms do not have direct contact with the walls. And don't forget them in water. They have to be kept in fresh water with flower food. Although this may sound painful to deal with, it's really not as bad as it sounds. When you order in bulk they provide flower food. All you need is enough vases or good size buckets to hold all the flowers, not to mention a clean refrigerator or two. For those of you who want to save your bouquet of fresh flowers, there is a way. Fresh flower preservation is becoming quite a hit, however it can be expensive, but from the reviews I have read, extremely worth it. Read up on it by searching on the Internet, search on Flower Preservation.
Silk Flowers: Starting with our good news again, silk flowers are less to maintain. Less maintenance is an awesome benefit for the easy-going brides who do not really have to have real flowers. Also for those who just do not want the hassle, for those who are allergic to fresh flowers or for the ones who want to keep they're bouquet without paying for the pricey preservation job. Another wonderful plus for our brides and bridesmaids who are allergic to fresh flowers, silk flowers do not have any scent at all which means no one has to deal with red eyes, hives, or any allergic reactions that could happen. Some florists do work with silk flowers, and silk are easier to work with, most of the time. Talk to your florist and get her advice on which she prefers, look at her sample pictures because those will provide wonderful examples of what she is capable of doing for you and it also helps you get a better idea of her style so we can avoid any surprises the day of the wedding.
On the down side, silk flowers do not photograph quite as nice as fresh, however they come close if you use higher end silk flowers. If you choose to go with silk flowers do yourself a favor and purchase higher end silk flowers and then put the bouquets together yourself. It is not hard at all and it will save you money in the end. This is also a fun way to get your bridesmaids and lady family members together for some "girl time". Putting flowers together is so much more fun in good company. With a few friends to help you'll be done with the arrangements in no time.
Darcy Wallace is a writer for WeddingsAreFun.com and has many years of experience as a wedding consultant. The Weddings Are Fun online store specializes in elegant bridal accessories. This article on Wedding Flower Tips For Brides is one of many services offered to bridal couples. Other services include wedding candles and bridal apparel, wedding favors, invitations and trusted personalized service which are available at Weddings Are Fun.
One of my favorite parts of a wedding is the flowers. I love seeing the arrangements, bouquets, boutonnieres and the centerpieces. Although that is one of my favorite things to see at a wedding, it also proves to be one of the hardest items you have to decide on and put together for the wedding. Whether you go with fresh flowers or silk flowers they both have there advantages and there disadvantages.
Fresh Flowers: Good news first! One of the best things about having fresh flowers for your wedding is that they photograph beautifully, they have a richness that is captured by the camera and they are breath taking beautiful. Most fresh flowers smell wonderful. The scent of fresh flowers is a very welcoming scent for all of your guests to enjoy as they walk in to either your ceremony or reception. This is only good news to the brides who do not want to keep their bouquets. If you use fresh flowers they will not last so you will not be able to keep your bouquets, unless you preserve them which can be very costly.
If you are a bride who is budget conscious and would like to stay under your budget and do not mind a few extra steps then there is another option for you! Buy your flowers in bulk. This is a way to save you a lot of money, however remember when your flowers arrive; they are only good for about 48-56 hours, if refrigerated correctly. To refrigerate properly, fresh flowers cannot be in the same refrigerator as food especially fruit and they cannot touch the sides of the refrigerator walls, so you must cover them. You can use a trash bag to cover the petals. You want to cover them with something very light so they can still breathe, but that will also provide enough coverage so that the blooms do not have direct contact with the walls. And don't forget them in water. They have to be kept in fresh water with flower food. Although this may sound painful to deal with, it's really not as bad as it sounds. When you order in bulk they provide flower food. All you need is enough vases or good size buckets to hold all the flowers, not to mention a clean refrigerator or two. For those of you who want to save your bouquet of fresh flowers, there is a way. Fresh flower preservation is becoming quite a hit, however it can be expensive, but from the reviews I have read, extremely worth it. Read up on it by searching on the Internet, search on Flower Preservation.
Silk Flowers: Starting with our good news again, silk flowers are less to maintain. Less maintenance is an awesome benefit for the easy-going brides who do not really have to have real flowers. Also for those who just do not want the hassle, for those who are allergic to fresh flowers or for the ones who want to keep they're bouquet without paying for the pricey preservation job. Another wonderful plus for our brides and bridesmaids who are allergic to fresh flowers, silk flowers do not have any scent at all which means no one has to deal with red eyes, hives, or any allergic reactions that could happen. Some florists do work with silk flowers, and silk are easier to work with, most of the time. Talk to your florist and get her advice on which she prefers, look at her sample pictures because those will provide wonderful examples of what she is capable of doing for you and it also helps you get a better idea of her style so we can avoid any surprises the day of the wedding.
On the down side, silk flowers do not photograph quite as nice as fresh, however they come close if you use higher end silk flowers. If you choose to go with silk flowers do yourself a favor and purchase higher end silk flowers and then put the bouquets together yourself. It is not hard at all and it will save you money in the end. This is also a fun way to get your bridesmaids and lady family members together for some "girl time". Putting flowers together is so much more fun in good company. With a few friends to help you'll be done with the arrangements in no time.
Darcy Wallace is a writer for WeddingsAreFun.com and has many years of experience as a wedding consultant. The Weddings Are Fun online store specializes in elegant bridal accessories. This article on Wedding Flower Tips For Brides is one of many services offered to bridal couples. Other services include wedding candles and bridal apparel, wedding favors, invitations and trusted personalized service which are available at Weddings Are Fun.
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