Why do brides think fake flowers cost less than real flowers?

I bought silk because I have allergies.

@Carole - Now that is a very good reason. I can see reasons to use them. It is the idea they would save money using them that confuses me.

Well, I thought that because in my extensive online searching, all the silk flower sites cost almost half of the wholesale, real flower sites. Guess I was looking in the wrong places..??

I don't think it's the silk vs real that the brides are looking at as being cheaper rather than florist vs DIY.. Plus there are more promomtional coupons for fake flowers. You can buy bulk flowers and make all the same decor and bouquets for pretty much the same cost (granted you don't use coupons) as buying a bunch of silk flowers and doing it all yourself, but when you think of real flowers, you think of florist and marked up prices of bouquets, etc. Even if you do order flowers, you're still paying for shipping, right? Plus some flowers ARE expensive and come to be more affordable when purchased in silk, especially depending on where you go.

Plus, I think some brides just don't find it cost effective to purchase that many flowers when they are going to die within a couple of days.. At least with silk flowers, you can re-sell them and get back a lot more money that you already put in to them.. That's what makes them most budget friendly I think, they are less wasteful.

I choose fake for 2 reasons, I am doing my bouquets myself and do not want to do them the night before, and because I want to be able to keep my bouquet... I am paying the money either way I would rather keep it then throw them away...

I think when people say silk is less than real, what they are actually comparing is florist-arranged real flowers with DIY silk flowers. After all, a bride is unlikely to want to spend the night before her wedding creating all the bouquets, bouts, and corsages for her wedding from fresh flowers. However, if she uses silk flowers, she can work on them for months before, and not have to spend the time at the last minute.

I used real for my bouquet but used silk for everything else because my florist got them for 2.50 a stem vs 7.00 a stem for real so I got a deal. And the silk flowers I don't have to worry about as much as real. The best is though you could do DIY a year in advance and don't have to keep them fresh. I just got lucky with a cheap florist.

They are excatlly about the same price, depends on where you get them. i'm using them because i'm going from an outside ceremony to an inside reception and i know that sometimes takes a toll on real flowers. for my BQ it only cost me $55 dollars to make and my BM's $35 dollars, so i know i'm not going to get those prices in NY for my flowers

I went to hobby lobby today. the prices for silk flowers were outrageous.. we might as WELL do real flowers. I felt like a schmuck when I left there, I had my hops up that they would be affordable. ma bad

Randi have you tried online? or another store? idk, I really haven't thought about this yet so I'm just throwing suggestions out of the top of my head

I'm buying my silk flowers bouts, bouquet, corsages, and BM pomanders from a florist on Etsy.com and it was half the price that local florist wanted to charge me for the same stuff and same flowers.

I also didn't want to spend $800 of flowers that die in a few days...when I can spend $320 on flowers that last forever

@ Randi -- if you catch Hobby Lobby at the right time the flowers are all 50% off. Did you try buying them in bulk online?? Or at least the flowers you planned on using the most?

http://www.afloral.com/Silk-Flowers-Artificial-Flowers-Fake-Flowers

http://www.save-on-crafts.com/geretofl.html

@ Randi - We just got a Hobby Lobby here in my area in NY and they had some that were 50% off (didn't know till I looked at the receipt) and I got others at Michaels for 50% off. Overall I think I've spent $100 give or take on materials/flowers and I'll DIY everything (I have a post that I think got lost in the shuffle) and I'll do the arranging while I veg in front of the TV so at least my TV time is useful!

Im getting fake in mine...my allergies are horrible and id like to save it and take it out every year for our anniversary. (ill be turning it into a vase of flowers)

my girls are getting real ones though!

I'm using them because I want to be able to keep by bouquet. Second in my area it is actually cheaper to do fake flowers because I know brides around my area that paid well over $100 for their bouqet, and I did mine for under $30.

The way I see it, fake flowers ARE less expensive than real flowers in the long one. I see no point in spending $100 on something that is going to die within the next two days, when I can buy fake flowers that will last almost a lifetime.

What do you all plan to do with your fake flowers? I don't mind spending the money on real for my bouquet because I don't want the clutter after the wedding. Besides, if one gets up early enough, the person can get real and very inexpensive beautiful flowers at the farmers market. Sure not everyone wants to make their bouquets themselves but how hard is it to bunch up a dozen flowers, tie some wire around them and hide the wire with an elastic fabric or ribbon to secure it? Food for thought...

I have never seen one single bride on here that is using silk have them arranged by a florist. Not a sinlge one. It's all DIY. Just sayin...

Cruddy fake flowers are less than real that is for sure! I do agree that there are reasons to use fake (ie allergies) but for me the thought of having fake flowers in my home is abhorrent, so I chose fresh.

I cannot deny that some of the fake flowers today are awesome, but they are VERY expensive!

Just to throw my two cents in, I used all real flowers. I considered doing fake ones, but I was doing so many DIY projects and the flowers I wanted were hard to find fake that it was just easier and more cost effective (accounting for the gas it'd take to drive all over the state in search of the right fake flowers) to have them done real. However, I also got in real well with my (AWESOME) florist and ended up with a major deal.

@Ruby ~ If you want a real bouquet that still looks like shit, you're welcome to just bunch up some flowers and tie them off. But I guarantee you any florist who saw the statement "how hard can it be" would have a cow. My aunt used to be a florist and would come home every day with blood under her nails and cuts and callouses all over her hands. It's detailed and extensive work as well as an art form. They charge the prices they do for a reason, and more often than not, you get what you pay for in both effort and funds.

As for me, I still have my bouquet. And it's not "clutter". I had it preserved and it's in a shadow box hanging on the wall. DIY silk flowers also saves money when it comes to having them preserved for the people who do want to keep them.