People have been replicating flora for centuries, with evidence of this being found by archaeologists. Throughout the millennia, these stunning faux flowers have been constructed from a myriad of creative materials such as stained horn shavings and painted linen in Ancient Egypt, silver and gold in Ancient Rome, silk in Ancient China and even colourful feathers in the depths of South America. Today, in modern times, faux flowers are offering brides a wealth of opportunity to keep their bouquets for an infinite period of time – and to form an eternal reminder of one’s wedding.

Planning For The Future

In the centuries since, the craft of faux flowers has developed to a near-perfect artform. Made from quality fabrics such as silk and velvet, if arranged with care, the imitation flora can be indistinguishable from fresh blooms. Wendy Rullmann, whose company Decodays creates stunning faux flowers, believes the only limitation is a psychological one: “They are not fresh. For some brides this could be a valid consideration.” But beyond this, faux flowers have a lot to offer couples searching for the perfect bouquet or floral arbour for their special day – including those that are allergy-sensitive.

“There are advantages in the design, the assembly and on the day itself,” Rullmann attests, explaining that the design process is filled with “unbridled creativity”. The key advantage to faux florals is of course the freedom, regardless of the seasons. You’re not simply limited to availability of flowers during the season of your wedding, instead you can use florals from all seasons, “creating something special and ordinarily inaccessible during the year”. No matter a bride’s definition of the dream floral arrangement, using faux flowers means any colour or style is possible. That means “mixing and matching colours, types of flowers and greenery can be done with every available faux flower”; perhaps a selection of winter roses

alongside a sunny sprig of sunflowers, brought together by autumn leaves. “There are very few limitations in terms of mood and presentation,” Rullmann explains. “Anything from conservative to outrageous can be made during the creative process.”

The design process is unique to the traditional fresh flower kind, as the couple can work handson with their exact chosen flowers well in advance to the big day. “Changes can be made during the [planning] process to get it right,” Rullmann tells us. “You will see them come to life in the bouquet of your dreams rather than waiting until the day itself for it to come together.” This ensures you have ultimate control over the creative vision of your bouquet – you can alter orientations, add colour, remove flowers, scale the size and perfect your design with no waste. Better yet, if your budget is on the lower end, faux flowers can be rented out for a more cost-effective and sustainable option

Perennial Happiness

Because faux flower arrangements can be perfected months in advance to your actual wedding date, there is no on-the-day stress. With fresh flowers, you are at the whim of vendors and what is available on the day; this may result in last minute changes to your original vision. As Rullmann reiterates, “You can be confident knowing your flowers will maintain their agreed design and you can focus on your special day.” That means you can be rest assured that your floral arbours, bouquets, buttonholes, and table arrangements will directly reflect the love and attention you put into them.

Although they aren’t fresh, there’s nothing artificial about the emotion faux flowers evoke on your special day. When dreaming of the perfect flowers, we often think of a flower at its pinnacle. It’s most beautiful when its fully grown, vibrant, healthy, and holding it shape. The wonderful benefit of a faux