Eventfully Yours

Real Flowers vs. Silk Flowers-Part IV

photo credit: Timeless Moments

Real flowers are beautiful, but sadly that beauty is fleeting.  From the moment they are cut, shipped, and used in your floral design, they are slowly dying.  The edges start to turn brown and wilt almost immediately.  Silk flowers last, well it seems like almost forever.  Affording you a keepsake for years to come.

Real flowers can also become a keepsake through a process called freeze-drying.  A company that specializes in this process in the Cleveland area is Timeless Moments.  According to their website, "very simply, freeze-drying is a preservation process for fresh flowers that maintains the natural shape and vibrant color of the botanical."   The freeze-drying process itself takes 14-18 days. This does not include the time to pre-treat, post treat and design. The average keepsakes freeze-dry and design process is completed in 16-20 weeks.  As shown in the photo above your bouquet can be preserved along with the groom's boutonniere and even your invitation. 

Floral preservation costs vary from company to company and depend on the process used.  It is also wise to contact a preservation company well in advance of your wedding date due to the fact that they are certain steps that must be taken to ensure that your flowers are prepared for the process.

In the end it is all about the look and feel that you are going for with your wedding.  Do your homework and whatever you chose, make sure it is what you want.

Real Flowers vs. Silk Flowers-Part III

As our discussion of real and silk flowers continues, I find that now most brides to be are opting to create their own floral designs.  Why?  Because it can save you money.  A word to the wise:  According to Carley Roney, The Knot's Wedding Guru (my own title for her) in the book, The Knot's Wedding Book of Flowers, keep it simple, sweeties!  (not her exact words, but you get the picture).

Make sure you know what you are doing.  Keeping designs simple will aid in things going smoothly.  Large over the top designs are best left to the professionals.  Heaven forbid, you end up with something that screams, "(insert your name here) made this to cut costs (ie. looks cheap)!"

Silk flowers have a definite advantage over real flowers due to the fact that you can create your items well in advance.  On the other hand, real flowers are perishable and thus must be worked with as close to the event date as possible.  In other words, more like the day before, which depending on the size and scope of your event could pose a HUGE problem.  Be sure to enlist the help of family and friends!

Next week will wrap up this topic when we talk about the longevity of each category.

 

Real Flowers vs. Silk Flowers-Part II

photo credits: lillies: freefoto.com orchids: gardening.resourcesforattorneys.com

Allergies
It's a no brainer, if you are allergic to real flowers (pollen, certain scents, etc.) then silks may be the way to go.  Check with a local florist first to see if they are able to offer a real alternative that is not offensive to you.

Some pollen free or low pollen count choices include lilies, orchids and tea roses.  There are also hybrids out there that are allergen free.  The best thing to do is give the flowers a trial run prior to the big day to make sure there will not be an allergic reaction.  The last thing you want, especially if it is your wedding day, are photographs of you with swollen eyes or a puffy face.

Tune on next Friday for Part III - Labor (especially for you DIYers)

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Real Flowers vs. Silk Flowers-Part I

             

While speaking with one of my brides the other day she mentioned that to save money on flowers she wanted to use silk (or artificial) flowers for her centerpieces.  I hear this line of reasoning all the time and felt it warranted some blog posts to get some facts out there.  First, we'll focus on price.

Price
Real flowers can be expensive.  The type of flower and time of year can greatly affect the price of your favorites.  Silk flowers can be less expensive, but buyer beware, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.  Sure the dollar store down the street has silk flowers, but they look like they cost a dollar.  Depending on the type of flower and quality of the brand, an arrangement of silk flowers can get pricey. 

Take for instance, our two anemone bouquets above.  The one on the left is real from Martha Stewart Weddings.  The one on the right is a silk flower bouquet from Hibiscus Floral that comes with a hefty price tag of $190.00.  If you are willing to use a different real flower, it may end up more cost effective than silks.

Tune in next Friday and we'll discuss Part II - Allergies

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