We all have saved an image on Pinterest that shows a wedding with thousands of white roses, rose petals covering the aisle, and an arbor piece that is as full as a rose garden. But in reality, is this a feasible option for you or your budget? Let’s check out some of the pros and cons to real vs. fake flowers and their impact on your budget!
Cost
Real flowers are gorgeous.. But it can be a major investment, one you may not be willing to make if you are working with a strict budget that places a priority on other areas over flowers. According to a study from The Knot, in 2021, the average cost for flowers was $2,300. As with most things, the average price has increased as a result of COVID and flower shortages across the industry. A general rule of thumb has been to set aside 10% of your overall budget for flowers; however, inflation and supply chain issues have made it to where the dollar does not stretch as far as before, so now it would be suggested to set aside 15-20% or utilize other options such as dried flowers, fake flowers, or greenery.
Fake flowers can range from wooden flowers to silk, all of which vary in price. You can save a significant amount of your budget by using fake flowers and you can even rent them in certain locations! Another plus of fake flowers is that you can take them apart and arrange them to be decor for your home after! Depending on the route you go with fake flowers, you can expect to spend anywhere from $1000+, contingent upon how involved you are in the process and where you get the fake flowers from.
Spread out the cost
One major incentive of using fake flowers is that they can be purchased and arranged far in advance of the wedding date. This can allow you to spread out the big purchases for your wedding, so you may not have to deal with as much sticker shock or payments may not be as overwhelming. You don’t have to be concerned with the ‘out of season’ flowers and the costs associated with such or any surprise costs coming up with your florist if you order and arrange them yourself!
If you do plan to go the DIY option, you’ll need to make sure you have plenty of time and don’t procrastinate making your arrangements. Florists have a tedious job- don’t think you can make all your arrangements the night before!
On the other hand if you love real flowers as much as we do then be intentional with the areas you focus on we call these focal areas or high impact areas. When using real flowers , focusing on on focal areas or high impact areas that are highly photographer or where a considerable amount of time will be spent by your guests this is a way to streamline your fresh flower wedding investment.
Another way to really make your investment go far when it comes to real flowers is to be open to your florist using blooms that are readily available at local markets and limiting the blooms that are used in your design to 2-3 focal flowers that are readily available at a great value over choosing premium blooms that cost more per stem and more limited in availability.

They won’t even know…
And really they shouldn’t care. You can have fake flowers that look so real no one would even take notice! You can also have wooden flowers dyed to match your color scheme and not be the typical flower colors, but still be incredibly beautiful. In all honesty, those who come to your wedding should not be focused on the flowers, they should be focused on you and your spouse and the love you two share!
So, fake or real? We want to hear your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below!
Cheers,
Kayley
Associate Wedding Coordinator | Content Creator
Kayley Russell
Cue The Champagne Event Planning and Design Chattanooga Tennessee’s Premier
Wedding Planning and Event Studio Owned by Chattanooga Wedding Planner and Wedding Coordinator Shaun M.Teague
Cue the Champagne Event Planning + Design offers Wedding Day Event Management Services formerly known as Day of Wedding Coordination, Full Service Wedding Planning Services, Chattanooga Wedding Flowers ,Elopement Planning and Event Design Services for all your Social and Corporate Events. Cue The Champagne Event Planning and Design also offer Chattanooga Wedding Flowers for your wedding and event planning needs.
Cue The Champagne Event Planning + Design caters to Weddings and Events in Chattanooga Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia Wedding locations and Worldwide.