There is something even more important than your wedding flowers.

Many brides today are struggling over the great floral dilemma: Should she choose fresh or artificial flowers. The deciding factors in this dilemma usually boil down to cost, appearance, durability, and convenience.

Most brides will notice a considerable cost savings when choosing silk. It is not unusual for a fresh bridal bouquet to cost more than an entire wedding party's silk flowers. Keep in mind, some stems can still be very expensive, even in silk. Those that tend to be expensive are large, high-quality roses, calla lilies, and orchids. As a less expensive alternative to roses, try cabbage roses or ranunculus.

Many brides worry that the artificial flowers will look fake. This, again, depends on the choice of flowers. Some flowers, such as calla lilies, are very difficult to replicate with a natural look. Even so, most fresh callas will run about $5.00 per stem, compared to $3.00 per stem for artificial callas. Other silk flowers, such as roses, can appear every bit as realistic as fresh flowers. A good, realistic, silk rose should run from $1.50-$3.00 per stem.

Should you choose silk flowers and wish to have a hand-tied bouquet, be sure to request a stem holder when talking to your florist. These holders allow the handle to appear to be a large bunch of stems, instead of a thin, wire handle.

A wonderful alternative to silk flowers are latex stems. These flowers are moldable and will mimic the natural texture of the flower much better than silk. Latex flowers also hold their shape very well and can be arranged more precisely. Although these stems may cost slightly more than silk, they are well worth the added expense.

Other brides will choose fresh flowers because they want their flowers to smell good. The important question to ask yourself would be, "Is the smell worth the price escalation?"

As stated before, durability is something you will need to consider when choosing your flowers. Artificial flowers will not wilt, they will not discolor, and broken stems do not usually occur. And, when the wedding is over, you will have a wonderful keepsake without the additional preservation expenses.

Perhaps one of the best things about silk flowers is the convenience they afford. They can be ordered long before the wedding and stored until the big day. This also leaves time for corrections, should your florist make a mistake. For the bride who can let go of the pretty smell of fresh flowers and the touch of a rose petal, silk flowers are a very affordable and convenient alternative to fresh flowers.

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