Whilst fresh flowers will always remain the first choice for most brides, wedding silk flowers are undergoing something of a renaissance in recent years. This can be partly attributed to silk flowers being made to a better quality than in previous years and a desire by many brides to keep the arrangements permanently.

Of course faux flowers are not just available in silk, you will find a good range of paper versions, plastic and even wood although the latter two may not find their way into too many weddings!

So what can you expect from faux flowers for your wedding? Well obviously these flowers will not wilt, drop their petals or go a horrid shade of brown as the day goes on! Many florists are as adept as working with silk or paper flowers as they are with fresh ones so you should always ask about them as an alternative.

Many brides believe that faux flowers will be cheaper than fresh ones. This is not always the case however. Mother Nature does not charge for the hours it takes to produce beautiful fresh flowers, however a manufacturer of faux flowers will and when you consider the detail that has gone into some flowers you will realize why they are more expensive than their fresh versions!

Using silk flowers for your wedding can give many brides the confidence to have a go at arranging them themselves, possibly because they are less likely to damage them and find them far easier to work with. Whilst some silk flowers will be good replicas of the real thing - often you will have to look twice or even touch them to realize they are not real, others are designed with a range of fabulous colors and even have added water droplets or crystals.

Paper flowers can often lend a shabby chic appearance to arrangements and are a popular choice for less formal weddings, they also make nice additions to wedding favors and gifts. A good tip is to buy flowers with wired stems which can then be twisted and made into pretty napkin rings.

Silk flowers offer up the opportunity for you to keep your arrangements, especially if you want to give some of them away as gifts to guests. A wedding bouquet of silk flowers can be preserved far easier than one made from fresh flowers and some brides choose to have a second bouquet made in silk flowers to match the one made from fresh flowers which she carried on the day.