AIBU to ask whether fake flowers for wedding venue are tacky

[Scrumbleton]

Second wedding. We are middle aged getting married with a flexible budget. Country house/ small castle venue. Bridal bouquets, button holes and corsages will all be fresh flowers. I’ve found a supplier that will provide really lovely tall blossom displays on plinths and matching table centre pieces, with a flowered arch for the service. The cost to decorate the venue would be around £600 versus more than double that for fresh flowers. But is it tacky to have fake venue flowers

We got silk flowers and they were gorgeous. And the lady selling them was extremely knowledgeable about flowers, decor, wedding etc (rather than random assortment of Amazon. It was brill as we could set up the day before without having to worry and rush in the morning and also my and my bridesmaids and mum have absolutely terrible hayfever so real flowers would have been a definite no. They were really beautiful and there was so much choice in the showroom, and she made them for us specially.

Hi, I am a wedding planner and i think a simpler option might be better. Do you have to have the tall centrepieces? Maybe the low, options show by pp would be a good example?

Fake flowers nowadays can look really realistic - unlike years ago

I'd go for it. They'll look nice in the photos and it's not the sort of thing people remember about weddings - they remember the company, the atmosphere, good food and alcohol (though I still remember a wedding reception I attended where the band spend a good hour doing a soundcheck when the reception had already started - "testing one two" incessantly and at volume.

Thanks all - I hear you re the arch and def won’t do that. The decorations are available for hire from a wedding design company - so better for the environment. I’m going to inspect them in person to see what they are like IRL. Will also check out some posh hotel and restaurants where they have displays to assess how stylish or tacky they can look.

Don't use balloons, awful for the environment. Single use non recyclable plastic.

Yes.

I'm a dreadful snob, but I actually think this is fine. Fake flowers are really good these days.

I have some fake flowers people insist on feeling them when I tell them they are not real.

I think they’re tacky. Could you go to a big supermarket the day before and get flowers there? I think a laid back arrangement of fresh flowers would be so much nicer than plastic/foam/silk.

It's your wedding OP, do what makes you happy. If you're happy with fake flowers then who cares what anyone else thinks :) You'd have to be a massive jerk to turn up to a friend or families wedding and go on about how tacky you think it is.

Ha ha - I objected to paying £500 on some flowers which, as stated many times, no one will really care about except me. We did have a lovely display on the alter - so vases in other key areas and then (gasp) we had balloons on the tables. 2 or 3 on each table. It looked like a party and cost a fraction of the price. Each to their own. You do what makes you happy and if spending £600 on the decs does that then go for it. If you want to do something cheaper then that is fine too.

I think it entirely depends on the quality of the artificial flowers. Some of them are stunning and you can't tell; they're even fragranced. Others - just no.

If you can see an arrangement in person (not just photos) then I'd definitely do that before making your final decision.

The fact that you can hire arrangements which can be re-used for years to come would also appeal to me. I love fresh flowers, but nothing looks as sad as an old/dead bunch. Good artificial ones look wonderful for as long as you want/need them.

All the flowers at my wedding were fake, we didn't have loads (centrepieces and my bouquet, we didn't have bridesmaids/best man/groomsmen) Fresh flowers look lovely but they're so expensive, we put the extra money towards having the things we really wanted like a big South African style BBQ. People still talk about how good the food was nearly 3 years later and I still have my bouquet sitting out next to a wedding photo.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got from Mumsnet in the many years I have been here is “if you have to ask ‘is this naff?’ Then it probably is”

So true

Go for it! Ignore the so called style experts on here. They are snobs and more to the point, not invited! Have a lovely happy day ❤️

No I think some of them can look lovely in real life. The one you posted looks lovely in the image, obvs can’t comment on in real life.

For a large fundraiser we found a woman who makes beautiful paper flowers, it was lovely.

@1000umbrellas

If you've seen photos/samples and think they look lovely, go for it rather than worrying about what other people might or might not consider tacky for a wedding. Hopefully your wedding will be free from snipey types but be assured if you fork out for fresh they will find something else to snipe about!

Yeah, I doubt most people would remember the next day.

I'd insist on a fresh bridal bouquet though.

It’s absolutely fine. Some look quite authentic and honestly, if the guests are scrutinising the decor. They just want to have fun and get drunk

Whoops I used fake flowers for my wedding (couldn't justify cost for fresh! Plus I got to keep my bouquet :) ) I guess it was a tacky wedding then. I have no regrets.

Fake flowers are always tacky.

People want good food, reasonably priced drinks and a good party. They don't care whether your flowers are expensive roses, bought from tesco or artificial.

This

You could even be doing a social good by giving anyone with judgey arsehole tendencies something banal to bitch about.

What about dried flower arrangements? They look amazing and cost less

www.thebotanicalbunch.co.uk/shop

I wouldnt use balloons or anything more plasticy to replace plastic flowers, theyre awful for the environment. Good artificial flowers can be hired and reused multiple times. I prefer dried flower arrangements or even plants personally, but if not an option look for good artificial and if you cant hire them, buy then sell on after

I honestly think you should do whatever makes you happy and keeps you within budget.

I couldn't afford a florist but I wanted fresh flowers. I went through www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk/ and found a lovely lady growing flowers nearby.

She grew me lots of seasonal British flowers and gave me a load of foliage as well. We spent the day before jamming them into glass jars and putting some washi tape/lace/twine around the jars. I think it looked gorgeous.