Should I Use Fake or Artificial Flowers at My Wedding?

Flowers are a crucial component of any wedding. They set the mood for your big day with color, beauty, style, and elegance. What’s more, flowers lend a touch of natural beauty to your special day, making it intriguing and memorable.

Unfortunately, flowers are costly. In fact, they are considered one of the biggest expenses of any wedding, taking up around 10% of the wedding budget. If spending thousands of dollars on flowers that will end up in the trash cans at the end of the day makes you weak in the knees, we have an alternative for you. The answer is artificial flowers. These fake flowers allow you to cut costs without sacrificing the day’s experience.

Are you planning a wedding and wondering whether fake or artificial flowers might help keep the wedding budget in check? Here are some thoughts and ideas about using fake flowers at weddings.

Please note: Some of the links in my posts are affiliate links. I get commissions for purchases made through those links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases when you buy something from those links. 

Table Of Contents

Is it Tacky to Use Fake Flowers at a Wedding?

The answer to the question, “are fake flowers tacky?” depends on how and where the flowers are used and the quality of the flowers. For instance, some fake, low-quality flowers may look tacky and shouldn’t be used in weddings.

Yet, it’s possible to find high-quality, real-looking artificial flowers that will improve your wedding’s mood and appearance. Faux flowers can look real and give you control over your ceremony. For an even more realistic look that still takes the budget into account, you can mix realistic fake flowers with real ones.

Can Fake Flowers at Weddings Look Elegant?

Here are some of the most debated questions in wedding planning: Should I use fake flowers at my wedding? And if so, will they look elegant? The answer to this question is: it depends.

Traditionally, florists made low-cost and poor-quality plastic flowers that looked tacky. That’s not the case anymore – or at least with most artificial flowers. Today, artificial flowers are made of high-quality materials like silk or polyester that look natural even to the trained eye.

How Do You Ensure That Your Fake Wedding Flowers Look Amazing?

So, you’ve chosen to use artificial flowers for your wedding ceremony; how do you make them look amazing? Here are a few tips to help you improve the appearance of your fake wedding flowers.

Find the right source for real-looking fake flowers

The first step to ensure that your fake wedding flowers look amazing is finding the right source for real-looking flowers.

Here are a few tips to help you locate the best florists with artificial flowers in your area:

Buy from suppliers selling good-looking fabric flowers (some plastic flowers can also be done well)
Buy from suppliers that arrange the flowers like real ones. This adds to the lifelike quality of the flower arrangement.
Shop your fake wedding flowers from florists with a wide variety of artificial flowers.
If buying online, ensure you read the reviews to be sure you know the quality of the flowers you’ll get.

Once you buy the flowers, try to make them real. Bend the stems to give your flowers a more natural look. You can also tuck in a real flower or stem in the arrangement to make them as natural as possible.

Choose flowers that are difficult to distinguish between natural and artificial

No, we’re not talking about using a fake cactus – unless that’s your thing. We’re talking about the artificial flowers that can be used as pew decorations or table centerpieces and that are difficult to distinguish as artificial.
Artificial flowers use a variety of materials and shading patterns, giving them a realistic appearance. Some of these flowers look so real that even the pickiest gardener might not distinguish them from real ones.

Here is a list of some of the most real-looking fake flowers:

Artificial Wildflowers
Faux Fuchsia Orchids
Artificial Lavender Bunch
Preserved Bougainvillea Stem
Faux Magnolia Blooms Spray

These fake flowers look unbelievably real, making them perfect for weddings.

Plan your budget accordingly

As mentioned above, flowers can hit your wedding’s budget hard. Research indicates that couples spend around $1,500 on flowers for their wedding. Unfortunately, most of these flower arrangements are thrown in the bin on the wedding night. And the few that family members take home only last for a week or two at most.

Quality artificial wedding flowers may cost much less, and the arrangements and bouquets become part of your home décor for years. They can also be a great souvenir that reminds your guests, friends, and family members of your special day.

So, instead of spending your savings on live flowers, check out some of the real-looking artificial flower arrangements. This will help cut your wedding costs and allow you to enjoy the blooms for years.

Here are some other things you may do with the fake flowers once the ceremony is over:

Give them away.
Give them a makeover.
Move them outside.
Take them apart and repurpose them.

Pro tip: Don’t buy the cheapest artificial fake flowers for your wedding. You don’t want their cheap appearance to distract your visitors from the beauty of the ceremony.

Don’t skimp on the fake flower bouquet

When you begin planning a wedding, the prices add up fast. At some point, you may be looking for savings, but whatever you do, don’t skimp on the bouquet.

Flowers are a focal point at weddings. Without them, the ceremony may feel incomplete or boring. Moreover, some cheap, low-quality flowers may distract your guests from the beauty of the wedding ceremony.

When it comes to the bouquet, your best bet might be to use live flowers. So, consider finding the best bouquet of live flowers you can afford, so the bride shines on her special day.

Final thoughts On Fake Flowers At Wedding

Let’s face it: flowers are huge part of the look of a wedding. Plants and flowers add life to the ceremony, creating beauty and elegance. But with the high price of natural flowers, you might want to turn to artificial plants for certain parts of the wedding décor.

So, are artificial flowers tacky at a wedding? They can be, but if you choose realistic-looking, high-quality faux flowers, it’s likely no one will notice the difference.

Did you use artificial flowers in your wedding décor? Feel free to share your experience and fake flower wedding tips with us in the comments below.