Weddings: Artificial or Fresh Flowers?

Posted on September 20 2022


Can't decide whether to use Real or Artificial Flowers for your Wedding Day? You've come to the right place.


Artificial Flower bouquet hand-crafted by Plant Image


Within recent years, the debate between artificial and real flowers has been a hot topic of discussion amongst many brides across the world. Flowers have got to be one of the most important decorative aspects of wedding styling. They can be used for table centrepieces, bridal bouquets, wedding gifts, cake decor, tossing bouquets, and so much more. In fact, over 92% of couples have reported using flowers for their special day!


However, we understand that choosing the right flowers, the right suppliers, and deciding whether they're going to be real or artificial can be such a tedious, difficult decision. Currently, 57% of couples will choose real flowers for their special day, while another 22% will opt for their artificial counterpart. Interestingly, another 21% will have a combination of both artificial and real flowers. 

 

Faux flowers have become increasingly popular over the last few years, as the feel, quality and overall look of them have improved dramatically. If you are a die-hard lover of fresh flowers, then you'll understand that although artificial flowers can look practically identical to live flowers, they will never wholly match the natural beauty of fresh flowers... however they can come incredibly close. Faux flowers are becoming increasingly popular for a multitude of reasons, with the most common uses for them including weddings, home decor, gifts and hospitality and leisure venues. If you're currently in the process of tossing up between using artificial or real flowers for your special day, you can read through our pros and cons list we have made on both. 

 

 

Natural Flowers - and their pros and cons

It's undeniable that natural flowers are so effortlessly beautiful. They have so many distinctive features, that for the meantime, artificial flowers won't be able to compete with. Features such as their incredible fragrances, softness and vibrant colours which are not always replicated perfectly in their artificial counterparts. Additionally, natural flowers tend to be filled with more emotion and sincerity than fake flowers, especially when used for gifts. There has also been research surrounding the psychological benefits fresh flowers can offer. Placing flowers around your house has shown to boost happiness, decrease feelings of anxiety and depression, as well as increase compassion towards others.

Despite many clear benefits, fresh flowers still have their downfalls, especially when it comes to weddings. The most obvious drawback is their inability to last forever. Fresh flowers have proven to be able to stay fresh for around 7-10 days - that is, only with the right care and maintenance. The heartbreak which comes from dying, wilting flowers can be difficult, especially when they are flowers which held such a significant part of your wedding day.  Additionally, many people can be allergic to certain types of flowers, flower parts and pollen. In fact in Australia alone, over 50% of people have reported some form of pollen or pollen related allergy. So for some of your wedding guests, this could be a huge problem. Finally, fresh flowers can be extremely delicate. That means they need to be handled with the uttermost care. However, with rain or wind on your wedding day, it may make this really quite difficult.

 

 

Artificial Flowers - and their pros and cons

Artificial flowers for weddings have been gaining huge popularity within recent years. Almost half of all couples will incorporate at least some form of artificial floral feature into their wedding design, and it's pretty clear to see why. There are basically four main reasons people will choose to use artificial flowers over fresh flowers for their wedding day; colour, longevity, durability and memories. In terms of colour, many brides will want specific colours in their bridal bouquets or table pieces such as jet black, blues or bright purples; flower colours which just simply cannot occur naturally. Additionally, in Australia especially, summers and winters can be relentless, with harsh winds, strong sun and heavy rainfall, which highlights the need for durable flowers to survive in such conditions. Artificial flowers will take away the stress of worrying about thousands of dollars worth of flowers being ruined from the weather. We have also had customers which have contacted us to let us know that they still have their artificial flower bouquets displayed beautifully in their homes as a way to remind them of their special day, because thankfully artificial flowers can last a lifetime when cared for correctly. 


 Key Takeaways

It is clear that both artificial flowers and fresh flowers have their benefits, and their downfalls. At the end of the day it is really up to each couple to decide what is most important to them on their wedding day. For those wanting long-lasting physical memories of their special day, durable flowers to survive through unpredictable weather, colours which cannot occur naturally, and flowers to last a lifetime, then artificial flowers is your best choice. And for those who want more emotion and sincerity, freshness and fragrance associated with their flowers, then fresh flowers is the way to go. We know it can be a really tough decision, however we are sure that with whatever choice you make, you will have such a special day. 

 

Artificial Flower bouquets hand-crafted by Plant Image

 

 Artificial Flowers by Plant Image

 

Our team of talented florists have been crafting artificial florals for weddings for over 30 years. If you love the idea of using artificial flowers, and don't know where to start, feel free to contact our team to let us assist you with any questions or queries you might have. Or visit our Gallery for more artificial wedding flower ideas.