Monday, October 13, 2008

The Advantages of Silk Wedding Flowers from a Wedding Florist

1. They can be done in advance. Although real flowers are very beautiful and breathtaking, they must be done right before the wedding in order to not wilt. If you are a bride on a budget and taking this task on yourself, you may find yourself overwhelmed and stressed during a time that should be fun and relaxing. With silk arrangements, you can arrange them ahead of time, which can reduce the stress of the last few days leading up to your wedding. On the day of your wedding, they will still be even more beautiful than the day you bought them.

2. Submerged, they look real. One of the big trends in weddings now is the submerged flower. What is so good about this trend is that you can submerge a silk flower in water and no one will be able to tell if it is real or not. If the flower is submerged in water, all people will see is a beautiful arrangement. No one will actually put his or her hand in the water to see if the flower is real. Also, being that you need fewer flowers when doing submerged or floating centerpieces, this saves on money.

3. Allergies are not aggravated. You, your hubby to be, or any of your guests may have certain allergies when it comes to flowers. To avoid the inevitable sneezing, runny noses, or red eyes, silk wedding flowers are a great way to have that floral beauty and happy guests. This is also a plus if you are having an outdoor wedding and are afraid of attracting insects.

4. Life-lasting keepsake. The fabulous thing about using silk flowers for your wedding is that you can have a keepsake. You can bring a centerpiece home as well as your bouquet and save on floral preservation costs. They can become a decoration for your home and a reminder of the start of your married life.

5. Great as favors. Many of your guests may fall in love with the wedding centerpieces that you have on the tables. A great favor would be to send the centerpieces home with those flower-loving guests. Your guests get great arrangements to beautify their space as well as a reminder of your wedding day.

6. Sturdy flowers. Because real flowers are more delicate, cold or heat can cause them to wilt quickly. If you are having an outdoor ceremony, the flowers may not be able to stand the heat. What if you forget to put them in water to keep them looking fresh? Well, with silks, this is not a problem. They don't need water and can stand any weather conditions.

7. Less expensive. Now this is always argued because quality silk flowers can cost as much as live ones. This is true; however, if you need a particular flower in December that can only be found in France, the cost can rise. You can use silk flowers instead and have incredible savings. Also, when submerging flowers, because you generally use less, you can use silks instead of the real ones, which can run cheaper. You can also save money with silks by checking out sales on the Internet and in stores.

8) Silk wedding flowers are great for destination weddings! Just ask the wedding florist to send your flowers on your wedding day. If you experience bad weather and have to reschedule your wedding day, your flowers will still be alive to see your wedding day.

9) Convenience – Shop for your wedding flowers from reputable wedding florists online. Here, you can email your fabric choices for matching flower colors. And best of all, shopping online save monies than going to a florist in a store.

The internet has many sites that not only offer silks, but packages with them arranged as well. You can get the flowers you want arranged at quite a reasonable price. However, always make sure you find a reputable company that has a reputation of providing quality service.

Wedding Ideas to Decorate Up Your Wedding Flowers

If you are using silk flowers for your wedding day, there are many ways that you can spice them up to make them even more unique which gives a personal touch to your day.


Add Perfume.
We love the smell of real flowers, so how can we replicate a fragrant smell with silks. Spraying the perfume of your choice on the flowers is a great way. This way, the flowers have a wonderful smell that can add spice to your reception. Although, you want to make sure the smell is something that will not aggravate guests.

Jewels. Instead of having a plain bouquet of flowers, add jewels to liven it up. You can get crystals glued to the petals of the flowers. This adds more pizzazz and personality to an already beautiful arrangement. Plus, you don't have to worry about damaging the flowers because they are sturdy enough to be handled.


Feathers.
Feathers can add flavor to any floral arrangement. Adding feathers to a silk bridal bouquet gives an extra flair that makes it stand out. Beautiful peacock feathers in a silk centerpiece arrangement helps add a certain level of exquisiteness.

Sea Shells. Add a tropical touch to your wedding bouquet with sea shells in your bouquet.

How to Choose a Wedding Florist

1) Choosing a wedding florist is like choosing a hair designer. You have to find someone who knows design, color and has some flair. There are ways to "weed out" the bad ones! Don't get a quick-fix for the most important party of your life!

2) Visit web sites and look for style and an address of a real business. Try and remember someone who does work from their basement may not be in business when you are ready to walk down the aisle. Some are wonderful, too, just be smart about the contract.

3) Talk to vendors, photographers, banquet managers, hair stylists, and wedding gown salespeople. They all have had experience with florists, and will be great resources of information.

4) Look at pictures of various florists' work and a website of work performed by the florist of interest.

5) Come with a BUDGET in mind and let the Wedding designer know up front your wedding budget.

6) Interview at least three florists. Take samples of the fabrics with you or email them to the online wedding florist and a picture of your dress. Know the number of people in your wedding party and an approximate number of guests.

7) Ask questions: Do they "get you"? Do they get a sense of your style and budget? How many events do they book per day? Do you feel comfortable with them? A good rapport is essential.

8) Shop months in advance if you can. Keep notes during the consultation, and compare prices and design.

9) Plan ahead can save time, money and most importantly, time to think of a beautiful wedding bouquet. Choosing a good wedding florist is a very personal thing and should be well researched. One year to 6 months is standard.

10) Talk to someone who actually knows something about flowers. Find a professional and stop taking free advice.

How to Save Money on Your Wedding Flowers and Reception

1) Utilize silk flowers for your wedding. Silk flowers mirror the freshness of live flowers. Explore a wedding florist that will cater to your wedding needs.

2) Consider having your wedding any day but Saturday. Fridays are also popular wedding days but may cost a lot less than a Saturday event. For even greater savings, choose a weekday evening for your wedding. Schedule the wedding to allow guests time to arrive at the ceremony after the workday has ended. Many guests enjoy weekday weddings as this frees up their weekends for other activities. Choose a date between November and April to avoid higher peak season rates in many areas.

3) Have bouquets made of dried flowers or nice "silk" flowers instead of costly, fresh flowers. Cloth or ribbon flowers are also a lovely and durable option. Having the arrangements made days or weeks in advance can save time, money and stress.

4) Buy your centerpiece flowers at a wholesale warehouse. Wholesale warehouses often sell products in bulk and cheaper than normal stores. You can often get 30-40 small centerpieces for less than $100 if you are willing to ask friends and family to help.

5) Instead of flowers and ribbons to decorate the church, try large potted ferns up at the altar with simple candles. They're inexpensive and very elegant. (Keep the ferns back from open flames, safety first!)

6) Check at the chapel to see if there's another wedding the same day. Sometimes you can split the cost of decorating with the other couple - if you're both willing to choose neutral colors and whoever goes first makes sure no well-intentioned relatives "clear things up".

7) Consider a sheet cake instead of a tiered cake, it will save you enough that you could get a fancier recipe or fancier cake decorations if you really want and still spend less.