Best Artificial Flower Bouquets For Your Elopement
If you’re planning an adventure elopement, you may be wondering what to do about flowers. And you’re not alone — this is actually a really common question! Lots of couples want to know whether they should (or even can) have a flower bouquet for their elopement. While this is a completely understandable question, the answer isn’t exactly straightforward.
Most national parks and beaches, and many state parks, prohibit visitors from bringing in flowers or any other plants, in an effort to protect the delicate environments. And if you’re having a destination elopement and traveling, there’s a whole different set of concerns. Will you be able to find a local florist? Will you have to travel with your bouquet?
The good news is that there’s an excellent solution: artificial flower bouquets. Before you cringe or give me the side-eye, bear with me for just a minute. Artificial flowers have come a LONG way in recent years (no more cheap-looking plastic!) and today, most of the time you truly can’t tell the difference. Don’t believe me? Check out some of my past client galleries. Can you determine which are real and which aren’t? Intriguing, right? Let’s take a closer look at artificial flower bouquets.
When you would consider having artificial flowers
There are actually quite a few reasons why couples might consider getting artificial flower bouquets for their elopement (more than you might think!).
Sensitive areas may not allow non-native flora. Many national parks, state parks and beaches, nature preserves, and places like botanical gardens strictly prohibit any plants being brought in. Non-native plants often become invasive, harming the native ones, so it’s easier to simply not allow them at all.
Seasonality and availability. If you have your heart set on a bouquet of peonies or ranunculuses and you’re eloping in Arizona, your flower budget will need to be quite generous. Real flowers are often costly and a huge part of that is because many “showy” blooms (like peonies and ranunculuses) are available only during a short timeframe or in a very specific part of the world. Growing them outside of those areas or seasons takes a tremendous amount of resources and the cost is passed directly onto the customer. Opting for artificial flowers eliminates these concerns!
Budget concerns. For the reasons I just listed, real flowers can often be pricey. A couple of brides have shared with me that flowers represented nearly one-third of their budgets! Artificial flower bouquets, whether you go with silk or another medium, can potentially cost a fraction of what real flowers do. Plus, they last a lot longer (forever, if you want!)!
Logistics. If you’re traveling to your elopement destination, there’s no question that an artificial bouquet makes more logistical sense. This is especially true if you pick a small town or somewhere in the mountains, where options are limited regardless of what type of flowers you select. If you go with artificial wedding flowers, you can travel with them in your luggage and fluff them back up when you arrive, or you may even be able to ship your bouquet directly to your location.
Sustainability. Leave No Trace is a super-important environmental principle that essentially says humans must leave every place we visit better than we found it. One of the key LNT principles is “pack it in, pack it out,” meaning nothing at all should be left behind — including flower petals or fallen leaves. It may not seem like littering at first, but in a way, it is, especially if the plants or flowers are non-native and could harm the local environment. If you opt for artificial elopement flowers, you don’t have to worry about this at all (just make sure not to leave your bouquet behind!).
Types of artificial flowers
If you’re just starting to research artificial flowers for your elopement, it may surprise you to learn just how many types there are. Here’s a quick breakdown!
Silk or Fabric Wedding Flowers: one of the most common types of artificial flowers, available in a huge array of realistic-looking flower types and colors.
Foam Wedding Flowers: the least expensive but also most limited artificial flower type; typically used for roses to bulk up bouquets.
Paper Wedding Flowers: in spite of their unforgiving material, paper flowers can be shockingly life-like. They’re also easy to source and inexpensive, so they’re a great option for large-scale florals, like an arch or backdrop.
Wax-Coated Wedding Flowers: one of the most expensive and most realistic of all faux flowers, these are actually silk flowers that have been coated in wax to add intricate, life-like details.
Latex Wedding Flowers: harder to find but just as high-quality as wax-coated artificial flowers, latex blooms are extremely realistic in both look and feel.
Fresh Touch or Polymer Wedding Flowers: as the name implies, this is the creme de la creme of artificial wedding florals. These latex-foam hybrid flowers look and feel like the real deal and are typically sourced from professional florists — and their price often reflects it.
Pros & Cons of Artificial Flowers
Pros
Mementos - Artificial wedding bouquets can very literally last a lifetime!
No worrying about freshness - Faux flowers look “fresh” without needing any care at all.
Bold designs - You have a lot more control over the color and overall look of artificial wedding flowers. Want tulips or dahlias in a color that doesn’t actually exist? Totally possible if you go the artificial elopement bouquet route!
They resemble real flowers - Perhaps the biggest “pro;” you can have artificial flowers that resemble real ones so close in look and feel that no one can tell!
More durable - Most artificial bouquets can easily be fluffed up if they get crushed or misshapen at all, plus there are no concerns about them wilting in the heat or dying completely.
All varieties are always available - When you choose faux flowers, there’s no need to worry about seasonality!
Can be prepared in advance - You can’t get traditional wedding flowers until right before the wedding. With artificial wedding flowers, though, you can order them way before the wedding. This is helpful for budgeting and especially so for DIY brides hoping to create their own bouquets!
Cons
Cost of high-end artificial florals - Much like with real blooms, the nicer the artificial flowers, the more expensive they get. In some cases, artificial wedding bouquets aren’t even more affordable than their real counterparts! However, doing plenty of advance research, as well as sticking with silk or paper options, keeps the floral budget much more reasonable.
No scent - There’s no getting around this one; artificial flowers simply don’t have the lovely fresh scent of real ones. If this is nagging at you, remind yourself how short-lived real blooms are. It’s a worthy trade-off!
Lack the same feel - In most cases, artificial flowers feel, well…artificial. However, if this is one of your concerns, you can opt for higher-end faux florals such as latex or “fresh touch” polymer, which have a truly realistic, soft feel. Think about it: have you ever noticed that individual petals often feel almost rubbery?!
Possibility of looking ‘cheap’ - Truthfully, unless you’re buying your elopement bouquet from a dollar store, this isn’t really a concern. Artificial flowers have come a long way in the past couple of decades, and even most affordable flowers don’t scream “budget!”
Costs of Artificial Wedding Flowers
As with so many other aspects of planning an elopement such as your wedding attire, travel logistics, and bachelorette party, the cost of bridal flowers varies significantly based on several factors. Things that affect the price include the flower material, how many flowers or bouquets you get, and where you get them from. I highly recommend creating your overall flower budget before you even decide whether to buy real or artificial and start looking at specific options.
With all that in mind, here are some very loose guidelines and comparisons on the cost of wedding flowers.
Bouquets:
Inexpensive silk flowers: $20-$100
High-end real-touch flowers: $300+
High-end paper: $280+
Boutonnieres:
Silk or real-touch: $3-$20
High-end paper: $25+
Best Artificial Wedding Flower Bouquets
After photographing several couples who have opted for artificial wedding flowers, I’ve learned quite a bit about them. Here are my top five recommendations for faux bouquets you can get online, reflecting a variety of styles and price points.
Hopefully, now you know more about artificial wedding flowers than you ever thought you might! Wherever you are in your elopement planning process, I’d love to chat with you about your vision (and definitely your flowers!). Contact me today and let’s chat! Congratulations, and I can’t wait to talk to you soon!
