Thoughts on Silk Flowers

[DisneyDream88]

Thank you! That really helps to know that they do silk flowers as well. Were they around the same price as the real ones? Or did you end up saving money through them?

 

[Swmhc]

They were about the same cost as the real ones. I actually paid an upcharge because I had a larger bouquet than the escape package provided, but they use high quality silks, so there isn't much difference in pricing. I just had DPS do them because I didn't want to mess with hauling them down on the plane with everything else. Everyone thought they were real and like I said there was no preservation cost to keep them looking fabulous for years to come.

 

[tinklynn]

I am wondering if anyone here has ever used silk flowers for a wedding, or is thinking about it. I would love to hear opinion on using silk flowers for weddings.

I am considering using silk flowers for my wedding in Disney, this is a recent notion but with reason:

1) I can make them with my girlfriend who is an ex-pro-florist in NJ, then bring them to Florida and thus save them FOREVER... which I know for a fact my lovable, sentimental and hoarding DF would LOVE

2) they are cheaper (i would want to get the best possible but still think they would be cheaper)

3) i have never been a fan of flowers at weddings. i get it, and do think they complete the look but, i feel that the fact that they are soooo over priced for the wedding takes all of the beauty out of it. Plus for me I am more into sculptural design and candles for a centerpiece.

I just don't want it to seem cheap and lame. I think I could do something nice with them, and I have seen some beautiful silk flowers, but I just have this 1970's silk flower horror fear in my head ( if that makes any sense).

OPINIONS AND ANALYSIS PLEASE! LOL I love my Disney family here, ya'll rock my world!

speaking as a life-long florist, the only times i see people considering silk flowers are when there are allergies involved or if they want to go cheap.
i've done a number of silk weddings, and it's just not the same. real flowers have a different feeling to them. i always scratch my head when people say that they don't want them because they'll die in a few days...but have no trouble spending 125 dollars per guest on a meal that will be digested, flushed, and forgotten long before the flowers wilt.
flowers are one of the main things people do remember about your wedding. while they may not remember specific types, they definitely remember the beauty and ambience that they bring.
you say that you wish to use the nicest silks available. there are some pretty silks out there, but if you plan on using the nicest ones, plan on spending close to double on what you would spend on real flowers.
it's funny...my brother has some severe allergies, so when i did his wedding we used silks. his bride was so excited that she would get to keep them "forever". well, within 6 months she was getting rid of them, because they were just dust catchers.
whatever you decide, have a great wedding day!

 

[PrincessSamtastic]

I thought about using silk flowers, but I can't really make up my mind. I guess it can go both ways, you choose fake flowers because you don't want to drop tons of money and have them thrown away, but what are you going to do with fake flowers besides eventually throw them away? I think it all comes down to what you want, either or could work and look beautiful. Ultimately you'll still be spending money on something that will either be thrown away or packed up and put in storage/thrown away eventually.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

It is just my humble opinion, but I just don't think that there is any substitute for the look, feel and smell of real flowers. I loved my floral at my recent VR and have the photos of it which I can keep forever. As I am not a fake flowers girl, I would display a silk flower bouquet in the house anyway as I only ever have fresh flowers. I can never see the point in having fake anything when you can have the real thing!!! As I say, it is just me and I guess I am old-fashioned, but I think that fresh flowers make a wedding and it was my one disappointment in the recent Royal wedding - the complete lack of flowers, both personal and in the Abbey!!!

 

[tinklynn]

It is just my humble opinion, but I just don't think that there is any substitute for the look, feel and smell of real flowers. I loved my floral at my recent VR and have the photos of it which I can keep forever. As I am not a fake flowers girl, I would display a silk flower bouquet in the house anyway as I only ever have fresh flowers. I can never see the point in having fake anything when you can have the real thing!!! As I say, it is just me and I guess I am old-fashioned, but I think that fresh flowers make a wedding and it was my one disappointment in the recent Royal wedding - the complete lack of flowers, both personal and in the Abbey!!!

you are completely right about not being able to really substitute anything for fresh flowers. they do make the wedding.

the royal wedding actually had a ton of flowers, it's just that the abbey is so humongous that it pretty much swallowed them up. and they were in white and green as well, so no big color splashes. i did love her bouquet, although it probably rivaled diana's cost-wise. (lily of the valley ain't cheap!)

 

[tinkerbell 766]

I agree that the Abbey is big (the television pictures don't really convey how big it really is) but I still don't think there was enough floral!! I agree that the flowers that were there were all white and green and didn't stand out too much!!! I really thought it could have done with a splash of colour. I didn't like her bouquet (for the same reason - I really think some colour would have been nice). All in all I was very disappointed in the floral, although I loved the rest!!!

 

[Ellie_N_Carl]

speaking as a life-long florist, the only times i see people considering silk flowers are when there are allergies involved or if they want to go cheap.
i've done a number of silk weddings, and it's just not the same. real flowers have a different feeling to them. i always scratch my head when people say that they don't want them because they'll die in a few days...but have no trouble spending 125 dollars per guest on a meal that will be digested, flushed, and forgotten long before the flowers wilt.
flowers are one of the main things people do remember about your wedding. while they may not remember specific types, they definitely remember the beauty and ambience that they bring.
you say that you wish to use the nicest silks available. there are some pretty silks out there, but if you plan on using the nicest ones, plan on spending close to double on what you would spend on real flowers.
it's funny...my brother has some severe allergies, so when i did his wedding we used silks. his bride was so excited that she would get to keep them "forever". well, within 6 months she was getting rid of them, because they were just dust catchers.
whatever you decide, have a great wedding day!

And to the recent posters that are in favor of real flowers.

First I agree there is no subsitute for having the real thing. The colors can never match to what nature can do. The smell of real flowers is like nothing else we can create in a lab.

but as one person mentioned... it comes down to what we want. I want photography. That is my passion and has been all of my life. I got my degree in it, so that is my major focus. Secondly I love food, and my DF loves it even more then I do. We are not spending $125 per person, I can tell you that much! We just dont have that kind of money.

If money were no object this post most likely would not have even happened. Becuase I would have had real flowers, had them preserved or had a duplicate set made in the finest fakes. and not just for me but for my girls too.. buutttt.... I have not won the lottery yet so that is out of the question.

Pulling the flowers out from the DFTW budget has gotten it down to where we want it to be. Granted we will still need to pay for silks or whatever we end up doing but I know with the "guestimate" that my sales lady gave me, we just can't do that and have the photography I want.

I think when we go for our planning session is when the decision will be made. I am glad I am getting all of your opinions here because I will take those thoughts with me. If we can work it out that would be wonderful but if not the main thing is I have him in my life.

Tinklynn - I do infact have lots of allergies. Zyrtec usually helps but I didnt even think about that aspect. I think certain flowers I will be more allergic to then others, so I will keep that in mind if it happens that real flowers are in my wedding. And thank you for the wonderful wedding wishes!

 

[beatlesblonde]

I used silks for all our floral, I purchased the materials and my mother-in-law made my bouquet, my bridesmaid's bouquet and all the boutonnieres. I think for all of them I spent under $200.

 

[Jilian]

Here is what I've come up with on my own. I think I maybe spent $80 total on everything, it would have been less but there was lots of trial and error (and wasted materials).


IMAG0377 by Jilians Pics, on Flickr


IMAG0367 by Jilians Pics, on Flickr


IMAG0371 by Jilians Pics, on Flickr


IMAG0369 by Jilians Pics, on Flickr

They aren't completely finished - I cleaned up the stems a bit more and got rid of the tie in the bottom of the bouquet but I don't have updated pics. I used real touch instead of just silks. You can get some great pricing if you take advantage of Michael's sales combined with their weekly coupons!

 

[KStarfish82]

I used a woman that created beautiful tropical arrangements using silk flowers. I would advise all brides to use her! Since I hate the waste of clipping real flowers, mixed with allergies and the humidity of FL, this was the best option. I also was doing the MK Photo Shoot a week later, and could not see paying $100+ for a refresh.

Here is the site:

http://plumeriasweddingflowerboutique.com/ (I'm the first bride on the cover page)

These are some of the flowers used in various places:

Good luck with your decision!

 

[tinkerbell 766]

I totally agree that it is all down to what is important to you!!! Clearly, it is important to you that you keep your flowers, as you say that if you had real flowers, you would have them preserved or make silk replicas of them. Obviously then, it makes far more sense for you to have silks from the outset. That is obviously the right choice for you. I knew I would never want to keep my flowers as I am just not one for having silk flowers in the house and only ever have fresh. It's just an oddity with me. I just don't like silk fowers.
The two things of greatest importance to me at my recent VR were photography and floral. Because I had my VR at the Swan, I was able to use outside vendors for both and scout around for reasonable prices.
I think in your situation, silk flowers are the best choice for you. I am sure they will be lovely whatever you decide!!!

 

[BecBennett]

I am in the process of planning our July 2012 wedding at Disney and am really thinking about silk flowers for the ceremony and to line the aisle. Does Disney not have silk flowers? I've been looking at multiple places to find things but I'm not in Florida so I don't know what they have.

Yes they do, mine were silk provided by Disney

speaking as a life-long florist, the only times i see people considering silk flowers are when there are allergies involved or if they want to go cheap.
i've done a number of silk weddings, and it's just not the same. real flowers have a different feeling to them. i always scratch my head when people say that they don't want them because they'll die in a few days...but have no trouble spending 125 dollars per guest on a meal that will be digested, flushed, and forgotten long before the flowers wilt.
flowers are one of the main things people do remember about your wedding. while they may not remember specific types, they definitely remember the beauty and ambience that they bring.
you say that you wish to use the nicest silks available. there are some pretty silks out there, but if you plan on using the nicest ones, plan on spending close to double on what you would spend on real flowers.
it's funny...my brother has some severe allergies, so when i did his wedding we used silks. his bride was so excited that she would get to keep them "forever". well, within 6 months she was getting rid of them, because they were just dust catchers.
whatever you decide, have a great wedding day!

I actually disagree with this. Sure if flowers are important to you, then yes you can't substitue with fake, but if they're not that important then fake is a great way to go. Personally, (other then my own for obvious reasons) I can not think of one wedding I've been to where I can remember what flowers there were. I'm not a florist though, so I don't pay as much attention to flowers

And to the recent posters that are in favor of real flowers.

First I agree there is no subsitute for having the real thing. The colors can never match to what nature can do. The smell of real flowers is like nothing else we can create in a lab.

but as one person mentioned... it comes down to what we want. I want photography. That is my passion and has been all of my life. I got my degree in it, so that is my major focus. Secondly I love food, and my DF loves it even more then I do. We are not spending $125 per person, I can tell you that much! We just dont have that kind of money.

If money were no object this post most likely would not have even happened. Becuase I would have had real flowers, had them preserved or had a duplicate set made in the finest fakes. and not just for me but for my girls too.. buutttt.... I have not won the lottery yet so that is out of the question.

Pulling the flowers out from the DFTW budget has gotten it down to where we want it to be. Granted we will still need to pay for silks or whatever we end up doing but I know with the "guestimate" that my sales lady gave me, we just can't do that and have the photography I want.

I think when we go for our planning session is when the decision will be made. I am glad I am getting all of your opinions here because I will take those thoughts with me. If we can work it out that would be wonderful but if not the main thing is I have him in my life.

Tinklynn - I do infact have lots of allergies. Zyrtec usually helps but I didnt even think about that aspect. I think certain flowers I will be more allergic to then others, so I will keep that in mind if it happens that real flowers are in my wedding. And thank you for the wonderful wedding wishes!

Completely agree I made my choice when it came to my budget, and flowers weren't that high on the list - which is why I didn't have floral centre pieces.

Here is what I've come up with on my own. I think I maybe spent $80 total on everything, it would have been less but there was lots of trial and error (and wasted materials).


IMAG0377 by Jilians Pics, on Flickr


IMAG0367 by Jilians Pics, on Flickr


IMAG0371 by Jilians Pics, on Flickr


IMAG0369 by Jilians Pics, on Flickr

They aren't completely finished - I cleaned up the stems a bit more and got rid of the tie in the bottom of the bouquet but I don't have updated pics. I used real touch instead of just silks. You can get some great pricing if you take advantage of Michael's sales combined with their weekly coupons!

Wow, you've done a great job! They're lovely.

 

[Ellie_N_Carl]

beatlesblonde, Jillian and Kstarfish your flowers came out beautifully.

Kstarfish: thank you for mentioning about your MK photo shoot, because I will be doing one as well. thank is another point for silks... i really dont want to get two sets of real. I also really like the flowers you used. I will be checking out that website.

Beatlesblonde: Where did you get your girls dresses? I really like the color and the style. Thank you!

tinkerbell 766: yup... that is it... we all have different things that we want! And I for one love that!

 

[beatlesblonde]

Beatlesblonde: Where did you get your girls dresses? I really like the color and the style. Thank you!

It's from David's Bridal, I believe the color is either mermaid or oasis.

 

[Ellie_N_Carl]

It's from David's Bridal, I believe the color is either mermaid or oasis.

thank you... davids huh? im so not a fan of them had a bad experience with wedding dresses there... but your bridesmaid dresses are nice. So I will have to check them out for that! thanks!

 

[Princess SarahK]

Hey girl! Not sure why I havent posted yet, but we are having silks at my wedding in November for cost reasons as well. My mom and I have made everything and theyve turned out FANTASTIC!! (Not to toot my own horn, but hey I think theyre great!) My mom started on them about a year ago and while she's burnt out from flowers for now we saved over $4000!! I think its a good trade off. You have to go with what makes you happy and works within your budget. Good luck choosing, although it sounds like your decision may be made already! We are also planning to sell all of our centerpieces and stuff afterwards as well to hopefully recoup some of the cash we spent on them. Yes, we have spent quite a lot so far on them but compared to what we would have spent on real..the trade off is in our favor. Anywho...Ive got photos in my PJ, feel free to have a looksie. Good luck!

PS i love your username..adorable!

 

[amberg@eastlink.ca]

what about a button bouquet? were doing a vr next month in jamaica that dh dropped on me last month while i was at disney with the kids! i didnt want to rely on what i would get down there knowing it might not be what i want....so i started looking at silk bouquets, but couldnt find anything i liked....plus shipping to canada, through the roof! then i found the etsy thread on here. through that i found a seller making button bouquets and loved the look of them. i know what im getting and i can keep it. this is what mine will look like when done:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46007379/a-set-of-custom-bridal-button-bouquets

the above seller can customize it in colors and sizes for you.

 

[Ellie_N_Carl]

Hey girl! Not sure why I havent posted yet, but we are having silks at my wedding in November for cost reasons as well. My mom and I have made everything and theyve turned out FANTASTIC!! (Not to toot my own horn, but hey I think theyre great!) My mom started on them about a year ago and while she's burnt out from flowers for now we saved over $4000!! I think its a good trade off. You have to go with what makes you happy and works within your budget. Good luck choosing, although it sounds like your decision may be made already! We are also planning to sell all of our centerpieces and stuff afterwards as well to hopefully recoup some of the cash we spent on them. Yes, we have spent quite a lot so far on them but compared to what we would have spent on real..the trade off is in our favor. Anywho...Ive got photos in my PJ, feel free to have a looksie. Good luck!

PS i love your username..adorable!

Im glad you like the name! :0) I like yours as well. I get the sense your a funky princess no? Thanks for the post. Its good to hear more and more people having success and liking the end outcome of their silks. I haven't checked out your PJ yet, but I will. I am hoping to be able to work out a way that I can do my own centerpieces too, and have someone set them up for me. I know Disney wont do that becuase they want you to use their own people when you have a reception inside a park. Im going to go look at your flowers now!

what about a button bouquet? were doing a vr next month in jamaica that dh dropped on me last month while i was at disney with the kids! i didnt want to rely on what i would get down there knowing it might not be what i want....so i started looking at silk bouquets, but couldnt find anything i liked....plus shipping to canada, through the roof! then i found the etsy thread on here. through that i found a seller making button bouquets and loved the look of them. i know what im getting and i can keep it. this is what mine will look like when done:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46007379/a-set-of-custom-bridal-button-bouquets

the above seller can customize it in colors and sizes for you.

THANK YOU for posting. I love new and different ideas like this. i think the button bouquets are really beautiful. If i did something like that, I would probably keep to my Up! theme and use bottle caps.

 

[amberg@eastlink.ca]

no a prob! i thought they were the coolest thing when i saw them....and i love the bottlecap idea!