5 things to know about using Silk Flowers when it comes to having a Sustainable Wedding.
There is a buzz word in the business space right now and that word is SUSTAINABILITY. Sustainability is to do with managing the delicate balance between the environment, equity, and economy. Addressing our current needs and wants without compromising resources for future generations.
I completely understand why a couple getting married would have the conviction to try to adhere by sustainability principles for their big day as much as possible. A lot of money is spent for this one day and if in the process of all the expenditure, there can be some consideration towards thinking beyond your own desires and wants, to a cause bigger than yourself - this certainly is a notable one.
Over the next few blog posts we are going to be looking at some measures that can be put in place to help uphold the values pertaining to maintaining sustainability for your big day. The first idea we will propose is using silk flowers.
There used to be a real stigma around using silk flowers for weddings and events. Many thought it to look cheap and tacky and to be an implication of being on a budget. However with increased awareness of environmental issues now, we are seeing a huge rise in specific requests for the use of silk flowers or at least the implementation of them in our designs.
Here are 5 things to know about using silk flowers when it comes to having a sustainable wedding:
Not all silk flowers are created equal. There is a huge range when it comes to the grades of quality of silk flowers. Yes some do live up to the reputation of looking cheap and tacky whereas others like the silk flowers we use are premium quality with a very natural look and feel.
Premium quality silk flowers are very expensive to buy. They are actually more expensive to purchase than their fresh flower counterparts. Therefore if you have a wedding or event and your florist has to source silk flowers specifically for it, the cost will be more than if fresh flowers were used. However if they already stock those flowers and you are renting them, the cost will be moderate and less than if you were using fresh flowers. Quick tip - if you are using exclusively silk flowers, source a Florist who you can see from their portfolio, already has the required flowers available.
It is possible to have the best of both worlds and mix both fresh and silk flowers into arrangements. Very few florists provide this unique option but we do here at Afmena Events with our Gold Tier service. We often will use fresh foliage and premium silk flowers for a very natural finished look. You can read more about this here on a previous blog post.
Another way you can have an intermix of fresh and silk flowers is to use the silks at locations that are hard to reach and touch, for example ceiling installations. Then you can reserve the use of fresh flowers for the pieces and arrangements that will be in close proximity to your guests e.g. table centrepieces.
Using silk flowers often makes repurposing flower arrangements for your Wedding an easier process which also has a positive impact on the overall cost of everything. Also let’s face it, there are many of your guests who won’t be able to tell the difference anyway, especially if you choose us. We are experts at creating silk floral arrangements to a high standard. Why not check out our Instagram and see if you can tell apart which flowers are fresh and which are silk.
Like this wedding of ours featuring all silk flowers. Be honest, could you tell?
Big Love, Afia Bayayi x