Should You Have Real or Artificial Wedding Flowers?

While real flowers have always been considered the traditional route for weddings, more and more couples are opting for artificial wedding flowers. There are several reasons for this change in trend, with the most popular being that artificial flowers are often less expensive than the real McCoy.

So, which is the right choice for your big day? Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of natural and artificial flowers to help you make a decision.

Why Choose Real Flowers for Your Wedding?

Most couples tend to opt for real flowers for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the scent of fresh flowers can fill a room and create a really romantic atmosphere. Secondly, real flowers often look more natural and ‘just-picked’ than their artificial counterparts.

Another reason real flowers continue to be popular is that there's something about them that just feels more special. Perhaps it's the fact that the blooms will only last a few days, and their fleeting existence will forever be tied to your wedding day. Or maybe it's because real flowers have been used in weddings for centuries, and something about tradition appeals.

Either way, real flowers can also be a great way to inject some natural colour into your wedding décor. While artificial flowers are available in a wide range of bright colours, they often don't look as genuine as the real thing. If you're going for a rustic or vintage-inspired wedding, real blooms in earthy, natural tones can help create the perfect look where their fake counterparts might look out of place.

That said, there are some obvious drawbacks to using real wedding flowers.

What Are the Drawbacks of Using Real Flowers for Your Wedding?

Firstly, there's no escaping the fact that real wedding flowers can be expensive – especially if you're opting for a more luxurious flower like roses. You're likely to spend hundreds, if not thousands, on flowers alone – especially if you're incorporating flowers into your centrepieces, bridal bouquets, wedding arches, and buttonholes.

Another downside to real flowers is that they're notoriously tricky to keep looking fresh and perfect for your big day. If you're not careful, your flowers can end up wilting in the heat or drooping in the cold.

Real flowers are also more likely to cause allergies, so if you or any of your guests suffer from hayfever or other pollen-related allergies, it might be best to stick to artificial blooms.

So, those are some of the pros and cons of using real flowers for your wedding. But what about artificial flowers?

Why Choose Artificial Flowers for Your Wedding?

Many couples choose artificial wedding flowers because they're a more cost-effective option. You can often find good-quality artificial flowers for a fraction of the price of real blooms. And, because they're not as delicate as real flowers, you won't have to worry about them wilting or drooping on the big day.

While price is an important factor, the biggest driver of couples making the switch is the vast improvement in quality over recent years. Today it can be difficult to tell the difference between natural and artificial flowers.

Artificial flowers are also much more versatile than real flowers. For example, you can buy pre-made bouquets or centrepieces, which can take much of the stress out of your wedding planning. You can also choose to have your artificial flowers made up in any colour scheme or style you like – even if that's something that's not in season or available as a real flower.

Lastly, artificial flowers last, in theory, forever. So you can take advance delivery and store them (making your wedding setup easier) while keeping them afterwards to create lovely displays in your home. You can even fly them out to a destination wedding without worrying about them wilting or becoming damaged in transit!

What Are the Drawbacks Associated with Artificial Flowers?

If you're going to use artificial flowers for your wedding, it's important to be aware of some of the potential drawbacks too. Firstly, while they might be cheaper than real flowers, the initial outlay for high-quality artificial flowers can still be significant. If you want flowers that look as though they could be the real thing, be prepared to spend a bit of money.

Secondly, while they're more durable than real flowers, artificial flowers can still be delicate, depending on their construction materials. So if you're using them for your bouquet or centrepieces, make sure they won't get knocked over or stepped on. Another issue is that, while you can still add perfume to artificial flowers, they don't tend to smell as lovely as natural blooms.

Lastly, some (but not all) of the materials used to make artificial flowers are not the most environmentally friendly. If this is important to you, do your research before buying to ensure the flowers you're interested in are made from sustainable or recyclable materials. Paper is probably your best bet, whereas you might want to avoid latex or foam-based flowers.

Can You Have Both Real and Artificial Wedding Flowers?

Yes, of course you can! The beauty of weddings these days is that there are no set rules – you can do whatever you like to make your big day unique. So, if you want to use artificial bouquets in small pots for your table centrepieces while carrying a natural bouquet down the aisle, that's fine.

If you're still undecided about whether to go for real or artificial flowers (or a combination of the two), why not talk to a wedding planner or professional florist? They'll be able to give you advice on which type of flowers will work best for your big day, based on your venue, budget, and style.

Final Thoughts on Choosing Your Wedding Flowers

For some couples, it has to be real flowers or nothing. While for others, the recent marked improvement in artificial flowers' quality and enhanced durability means they're happy to "go fake."

While there are undoubtedly pros and cons to both natural and artificial flowers, your decisions regarding your wedding flowers should be entirely up to you. With such a wide range of beautiful blooms available (both genuine and artificial), there's no reason why you can't have the perfect flowers for your big day – whatever that might entail!