Can You Mix Fake Flowers With Natural Flowers?
23rd Feb 2022
Real And Faux Flowers
Your wedding flowers are likely to be something that you and your guests will remember for a long time. Imagine walking down the aisle with a beautiful scent drifting from various blossoms of all shapes and sizes. Flowers have the power to make or destroy the atmosphere you've already created after sending wedding invitations to your guests.
On the other hand, flowers can consume a significant portion of your budget, and you may be wondering whether you can mix real flowers with fake flowers for your wedding or home décor. Keep reading to find decorating tips if you opt to incorporate fresh and faux flowers in an arrangement.
Real Flowers
Advantages and Disadvantages of Real Flowers
For any wedding planner, having floral arrangements comprising of only fresh flowers creates a romantic atmosphere. This is due to the scent of real seasonal flowers that has a magical effect on our senses.
What's even better is that using flowers in season can significantly reduce the entire cost of your quote.
However, having genuine flowers for your wedding ceremony can be quite costly if you have a large wedding. Also, if you're looking for particular flowers that may or may not be in season, the sourcing and shipping of exotic blossoms can affect price quotes.
Aside from the cost, real blossoms can cause allergies in you or your guests, especially if they are hypersensitive. That’s something to think about.
Tips on Buying Real Flowers for a Wedding
Fake Flowers
Advantages and Disadvantages of Faux Flowers
Artificial flowers address most of the disadvantages of real flowers. First, they're pollen-free; hence they are suitable for anyone who is allergic to flowers. Secondly, they can last for a long time as long as you take good care of them. The best part is that you can have any type of flower in any colour you like, regardless of the season.
Furthermore, with fake flowers, you won't have to worry about transporting them even before the wedding day. Water spills aren't an issue. This makes them ideal for weddings. Lastly, you won't have to deal with flower-dwelling pests poking their heads out of the wedding centerpiece while you're eating.
They aren't flawless, of course. Artificial flowers, on the other hand, have many drawbacks. While there are many affordable possibilities, you may have to invest a significant amount of money if you want very stunning and elegant-looking ones.
Tips for Buying Fake Flowers for a Wedding
In the past, mixing real flowers with fake flowers was unimaginable. People frowned at the thought of having fake wedding flowers. Since the faux versions have come such a long way, fake flowers stand out against the delicate beauty of living plants.
In recent years, developments in the manufacturing of artificial flowers and plants have made mixing fresh and artificial flowers easy. Depending on the item's quality, an artificial flower arrangementcan now appear as natural as real flowers. Your artificial flowers will look real if you purchase high-quality artificial plants from a reputable vendor, like Artificial Plant Shop.
Why Mix Real Flowers With Fake Flowers?
Real Flowers Have Low Longevity
Real flowers only last a short time, and some are more delicate than others. Although you can make fresh flowers last longer, they'll eventually wither if you're planning an all-day event. Using fake flowers is a great option. Faux florals won't wilt, and you won't have to worry about losing their appeal throughout the day.
Because you're going to mix real flowers with fake flowers, it's ideal for making the real flowers last a little bit longer. At least, until the end of the event, if it's going to last more than one day, without wilting or drooping. You can achieve this by:
Trimming the stems
Trim your real flowers as soon as you receive them and before placing them in a vase. Cutting a slanted incision at the bottom of the stems allows the bloom to absorb more water and avoid withering. If the event is going to last a few days, you’ll have to trim them every day to keep them clean and ensure they’re hydrated.
Choosing the appropriate vase
Different vases function better with varying quantities and varieties of flowers. Make sure your vase is large enough to accommodate your flowers without crowding them, as this may lead them to wilt sooner. If you don't have a large enough vase or container for your bouquet, place a few blossoms in a smaller vase or mason jar to ensure that all of your flowers have adequate room.
Larger flowers with larger blooms should be cut and put in a shorter vase to prevent the flowers from bending due to the weight of the flower heads. Allow these flowers to rest on the vase's side or arrange them in such a manner that they may support one other to avoid slumping.
Preserving the flowers
Place them in a vase with cool room temperature water. You can add a packet of flower food; however, if you don't have it, ½ a cup of soda or a mixture of sugar and lemon or lime juice will do. This will ensure your flowers don't wilt too fast while also making them smell nicer.
Before you begin to put the flowers in the vase, make sure it's clean. Remove any wilted flowers from the bouquet and strain away any leaves, petals, or other debris floating in the water to prevent bacteria from growing.
Finally, pruning your flowers' leaves can help keep them from falling into the vase later. It's also crucial to replace the water and add fresh food every two days to keep your flowers looking great.
Real Flowers May Be Out of Season
Unfortunately, not every flower is in bloom when you want to use it. You'll have a hard time obtaining some real flowers if they’re out of season and you want to use them in your arrangement. No one will be able to see the difference between the flowers you want and the ones you don't want. Using fake flowers is the best alternative.
Real Flowers Can Be Costly
Some flowers are simply more expensive than others, and the higher the price, the shorter the flower's life expectancy. Do you want to keep your expenses low while still getting that fantastic aesthetic? Try substituting the more expensive flowers in your budget with artificial blossoms.
Mix Fake Flowers With Real Flowers Like A Pro
Find an Ideal Vase for Your Flowers
The right vase is the foundation of any good floral design. Get a vase with a thin neck if you're on a tight budget. A vase with a narrower top will provide your flowers greater solidity when you lay the stems in it, and you’ll use fewer stems.
Shop for Realistic-Looking Blooms
If you're combining fake and real flowers, ensure that the beautiful faux flowers look real. Because real ones are rarely perfect, choose artificial flowers in a variety of colours and patterns that aren't all the same. Look for petals that vary in size and shape to give your artificial plants a more realistic appearance.
Use Colours with Caution
First, arrange the flowers in your hand. Gather them one by one so you can see how they’ll appear before you start putting them in the vase. Similar colours always work nicely, but if you want bolder colours, use some cream, white, and greenery to help your colours mix more effectively. If you need to add texture, consider using silk wedding flowers since they come with a variety of artificial foliage alternatives.
Also, if you can’t find any natural colours that match your fresh flower’s colour, you can dye the artificial flowers. Here is a quick and simple guide to changing the colour of your silk flowers.
To get started with flower arranging, you need to determine the length of each stem first. An ideal arrangement should be 1-2 times the height of the vase, with the sides always being a few centimetres broader. Start by putting the favourite faux flowers first. By doing this, you’ll save more by using a few real flowers. In case the flowers need trimming, you can either buy a sharp knife or scissors for the natural flowers, while a wire cutter would do for the artificial flowers.
Don't be afraid to bend or trim the stems of your fake flowers to make them look more real. Real flowers tend to droop or bend on their stalks. Make your artificial flowers' wire stalks droop like natural blooms by bending them. Trim any foliage from the fake flowers' stems to match the stems of your real flowers if they, too, are bare of foliage.
Buy Some Oasis Foam
Ever been stumped or confused as to what to do with a beautiful urn or pot? Now is the time to be creative. Fill it with florist oasis foam from the bottom to the top, trimming it to form as needed with a sharp knife. If you're going to use fake flowers, use grey foam.
Next, insert the ends of your greenery stems into the foam, working from the borders inwards until most of the foam is hidden. Then, once you've established a solid foundation, fill in the spaces with your flowers, starting with the largest heads. Also, consider starting out with the fake flowers and finishing with the actual flowers.
The foam allows you to make any shape you choose because it precisely holds the stems in place. You can make something little, large, circular, asymmetrical, or whatever else you can think of. It's incredible what you can come up with, and it's a lot of fun!
Use Greenery
Greenery can be used as a filler for arrangements or used independently. You can consider using greenery for your floral arrangements. Green stems are ideal because they'll give a lot of colour and texture to an arrangement. Eucalyptus and artificial ferns are the most popular greenery. They really do look great, so put them to good use for a fashionable arrangement.
Where To Place Real And Faux Flower Arrangements
Now that you are aware of how to get the best out of real and faux flowers, where can you have the arrangement? Some places to consider if you opt to mix fresh and fake flowers include: at wedding receptions, on hanging baskets, on a table setting, or a flower crown. If you have no possible clue where to find faux flowers, visit a plant shop or seek professional advice from a reputable artificial plant specialist.