How to Use Artificial Plants & Flowers for Weddings

No wedding is complete without flowers and greenery, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay £1,200 - £1,500 (or more!) for something that will only last a day. You can achieve the same beautiful look for all or some of your wedding greenery with artificial plants and flowers, and they won’t fade or fall apart on you.

If you’re just starting to think about using artificial plants for your wedding, you’re in the right place. Below, we’ll guide you through why artificial plants are such a good idea, what the most popular styles are, and styling ideas you can use for your own wedding.

Can you use fake flowers and artificial plants for a wedding?

Absolutely! There are absolutely no rules you have to follow for your wedding – it’s your big day and you should style and run the day in whatever way feels good to you and your partner. Artificial plants and flowers are a great alternative if you don’t want to spend four figures for real flowers.

What are the benefits of using artificial plants and flowers for weddings?

You don’t have to rely on the performance of the company you’ve hired

There are a few horror stories out there about the chosen florist dropping the ball on the big day. While this is rare, it can happen, and when you choose artificial plants you can have your artificial plants and flowers ready to go weeks and months before the big day, and they’ll still look just as good in all your photos!

You don’t have to pay £1,000+ for a single day of enjoyment

How much attention did you pay to the flowers at the last three weddings you attended? Most people can’t remember them! Sure, they’ll look great in your photos, but they won’t last. Artificial plants won’t die and you can keep the ones you love and either repurpose them around your home, gift them to your guests, keep them as keepsakes of the day, or sell them on and get some money back. It’s totally up to you.

You can achieve more complex looks at a much more affordable price point

Long vines and complex centrepieces take a lot of work to put together when you choose cut flowers and plants. They’ve got to be handmade the day or two before your wedding, which obviously demands a premium price point. Artificial versions are much more affordable.

You can see what you’re getting long before the big day 

When you buy cut flowers, you’ve got to work with the florist to supply the exact flowers you need and to the right specifications. If it turns out something isn’t quite right, there’s no going back – you have to stick with what they’ve given you.

The quality of artificial plants is incredible

Forget the days of plasticky looking fake plants and flowers you could spot a mile away, today, they’re barely distinguishable from the real thing. As long as you buy from a good, reputable brand and not just the cheapest thing you can find, your artificial plants and flowers will look just as good as the real thing.

You don’t have to worry about allergies 

You may not be allergic to any flowers or plants, but what about your guests? Pollen from flowers can easily be shaken loose and set off your guests’ hay fever, which is less than ideal on a day when you’re trying to look and feel your best! There are also many types of pollen and plants that can cause people to come out in a rash when they brush against it, so you need to be particularly careful for your displays in high-traffic areas and on tables. Choosing artificial plants will ensure no one comes out with a bad reaction.

You can use whatever colour scheme you like

When you choose artificial plants, you don’t have to stick to the colours that are naturally available in each type of flower, you can choose whatever look you desire for your colour scheme.

They won’t fall apart or be damaged if someone brushes up against them 

Your ceremony flowers should be able to make it through the wedding untouched, but we all know that flowers on tables, in the dining area, and by the dance floor can go through a bit of a hard time. Seeing petals all over the floor from a beautiful (and expensive!) display because your guests have brushed up against it repeatedly can be disheartening! Artificial plants and flowers are stronger and will look just as good at the end of the night as they did first thing that morning.

What are the most popular kinds of artificial plants and flowers for weddings?

So now you know that artificial plants and flowers are the right solution for your wedding, what kinds of plants and flowers should you choose? Let’s take a look at some of the most popular options for weddings:

Artificial Eucalyptus – Eucalyptus is a popular choice for foliage to pair with your choice of flowers because it offers long, uniform stems of circular leaves. They are generally found in a deep, muted green colour, though you can also find them in red, white, and other shades of green.

Artificial Peonies – Peonies are many people’s favourite flower, and when you see them you can understand why! They are dense circles of soft petals, a lot like roses, yet with a fuller, rounder shape. You can find artificial peonies in almost any colour you can dream of, but the soft pink shades are the most popular.

Artificial Hydrangeas – hydrangeas large flowers that are essentially balls of many tiny flowers, which make them an ideal choice if you’re looking for additional volume and colour. The most popular colours are light, baby pink and blue, though you can also find them in green, purple, and other colours.

Artificial Carnations – Carnations are another lush choice, with voluminous scalloped-edged petals. In nature, they often produce colours that look at home in an ice cream shop, with deep pinks edged with white, purples, and many other shades.

Artificial Lavender – While not a popular choice for bouquets, this is the ideal choice for elsewhere around your wedding. Use them in a terracotta pot on your tables, by doorways, and along pathways to make it clear where you want your guests to go.

Artificial Baby’s Breath – Baby’s Breath is a delicate flower that symbolises innocence and purity, and is a popular choice for those looking for a smaller flower to offset something larger, such as hydrangeas or lilies. Of course, you can always use it alone for a subtle, elegant look.

Artificial Topiary – Topiary are bushes that have been trimmed into a certain shape, whether that’s a simple circle or dramatic spirals and shapes of animals. Artificial topiary is the perfect choice if you want a minimalist wedding with just whites and greens, or if you want to fully embrace a country house feel.

Artificial Roses – Roses are the classic flower of love and their beautiful shape makes them one of the best flowers for bouquets and other decorations around your wedding.

Artificial Wisteria – Wisteria is a beautiful hanging plant where the flowers hang down from the canopy above. It offers a romantic look, and is reminiscent of beautiful weddings in the American South. While finding live wisteria for your wedding will depend largely on whether your venue has it or not, artificial wisteria can offer that same decorative hanging flower for any doorway or wedding arch. Wisteria is typically found in white or purple.

Artificial Tulips – tulips are a popular spring wedding choice that have romantic connotations, they represent “happy years” and “consuming love”, which are two perfect phrases for your marriage!

Artificial Lilies – Lilies come in many beautiful forms, and have a large, trumpet-like shape. They’re an ideal statement flower and work beautifully in vases and other tall displays, but you need to be wary of the real thing. Their pollen stains easily (it’s an easy way to get yellow or orange stains on your white dress!) and many people are allergic to lilies.

Sweet Peas – this is a sweet, delicate choice for summer and autumn weddings and has a strong British cottage garden look, though it originates from Sicily. This is a great choice if you don’t want the volume of hydrangeas, peonies, and roses, and would prefer something with a minimalist but feminine look. The most popular colours are white, pink, and purple.

What unique ways can I style artificial plants and flowers for weddings?

If you don’t want your wedding to look like everyone else’s this year, then think about using your artificial plants and flowers in more unique ways. There are plenty of stunning ways to style your greenery that will wow guests and stand out from the crowd. Here are a 6 ideas for you:

1. Use artificial fruits and fruit trees. Artificial sprigs of berries and artificial fruit trees add a splash of colour without the need for voluminous petals. If you want to keep things looking delicate and rustic, try adding a few dark berries to your bouquets and arrangements. This works especially well with red berries in winter. You can also use small artificial fruit trees such as artificial lemon trees for the same effect for your potted plants.
2. Use small topiary trees on tables. Tall thin “trees” with a ball of foliage at the top of a long stem is called a “standard”, and they’re a great way to add height to your table displays without blocking line of sight for people sitting on either side of the display. You can use traditional topiary or choose artificial bay trees or artificial olive trees for a twist on the traditional look.
3. Use artificial sunflowers. Sunflowers are so beautiful, but the real thing isn’t often used for weddings because they simply grow too big and too heavy so quickly. However, using artificial sunflowers is a great way to bring that symbol of happiness to your wedding, use a unique flower, and add a splash of bright, warm yellow to your flower arrangements.
4. Create artificial flower crowns and hairbands. Flower crowns are ideal for weddings with a bohemian feel, and artificial flower hairbands are a great gift for any children in the wedding party.
5. Use artificial herbs. While using an abundance of real herbs can assault the senses (especially since 80% of our taste actually comes from our sense of smell!), artificial herbs make a beautiful rustic-feeling table decoration.
6. Use tiny artificial succulents or cacti as seating cards. There are hundreds of different ways you can show people to their seat, but a cute way to do so is have a “plant yourself” card where you put someone’s name on a card, attach it to a toothpick and tuck it down the side of the pot of a tiny artificial plant. Select a certain artificial plant and purchase the same plant for every seat at that table. You can add more to the table so when people are looking for their nametag at their seat, they can use their little plant to guide them to the right table. For example, all of the people with small, green succulents will sit at one table, those with pink on another. It’s cute and people can take their plants home as keepsakes!

There are so many creative ways you can use artificial plants and flowers for weddings, so start brainstorming, browsing through our range of artificial plants and flowers, and come up with ideas that suit your theme and colour scheme. If you’re on a budget and your wedding is a little way in the distance, you can even start buying pieces you love and stockpiling them ready for the big day. It’s so freeing to be able to set up your own flower arrangements and decorations, and you’ll love having those same pieces to look back on in ten, twenty, even fifty years’ time! Click here to explore our entire range.