I'm new here...are silk flowers fake? Are they made out of silk? . . .

Silk/faux/artificial/fabric flowers are all fake. Though, I have had a few grandmas of the bride try to stick them in the refrigerator to "keep them fresh!" Depending on the manufacturer, they are made out of a combination of fabric, plastic (for stems, stamens, etc.), and a coating that makes some of them feel real! Because they are not live flowers or plants, they will look great months ahead of time right on up through all those hugs that tend to destroy even the toughest guy's boutonniere.

I'm afraid they will be tacky! Will they look real? . . .

The silk flowers of yore may have been tacky, but it's the 21st century, my friend! I have hundreds of customers who loved their custom silk wedding flowers and wrote about it! You can read many recommendations from past brides on my website, Google, the Knot, Wedding Wire, or Yelp. You can also hop on over to my blog and scroll through posts that show "reveals" with professional photos from my clients' wedding days.

How soon should I start planning my custom silk wedding flowers? . . .

Whether you have a month or more than a year, using silk wedding flowers gives tons of flexibility in the design and production process. So whether you are eloping next month or have the whole shebang planned out for next year, silk flowers can fit in your plans. Working together on the designs may take a week or two, and production takes a week or more depending on the amount of arrangements. You can opt to have flowers finished months ahead of your wedding date or just a few weeks; it's totally up to you! If you are getting married more than a year from now, I would suggest waiting on ordering in case your color scheme, number in the bridal party or anything else major has a potential to change. See question 5 for more on changes.

How does the ordering process work? . . .

Start by sending in the Free Bride's Checklist with as many details as you know. You'll receive a quote back M-F during business hours. If those prices jive with your budget, then we start talking about specific flowers to go in the arrangements. Once that's nailed down, you will get an itemized quote. If you decide to move forward, you will pay your 50% deposit to place the order. I purchase all the flowers for your arrangements. Then a few weeks ahead of when you'd like the flowers, I start creating your custom arrangements, sending photos of the progress. Once everything is finished, I send final photos, you pay the balance and then those babies are all yours!

My color scheme/bridal party/date changed! What do I do now? . . .

Once you pay the deposit, it's full steam ahead on your design plan. Minor changes can be made to arrangements, like adjusting individual stems or the shape of the bouquet. Major adjustments, like changing color scheme, switching from a round bouquet to a cascading bouquet, replacing flowers or greenery you change your mind about, may result in extra labor and/or supply costs. If the number in your bridal party decreases, you won't be refunded that amount. Instead, those flowers will be incorporated into the other arrangements at no cost. If your date changes, no big deal! The flowers either hang out with me a little longer or I get started on them sooner!

So, I'm not made of money. How much is this going to cost? . . .

Navigating a budget is no small feat and with weddings there are a lot of things to pay for. The cost of your flowers includes:

• A custom design plan and quote for only what you need
• Clear communication before and during the design process
• Every single arrangement handmade by yours truly
• Previews of your flowers so there are no wedding day surprises (of the bad variety)
• Keepsake arrangements to display in your home
• All of this done on your timeline so you can check it off and have one less thing to think about

While it may be tempting to look for the cheapest deal in town, having a reasonable budget and matching expectations is important! For example, if you need 6 bouquets, 10 boutonnieres and 9 corsages but your budget is $200, the basic math comes out to $8 per arrangement. If you can make a bouquet for $8, you might be a wizard! While I don't have a magic wand to make those wild dreams come true, I do have my love for creating, my enthusiasm for wedding flowers, over 15 years experience and the blood, sweat and hot glue burns to back it up. If you are still with me after all this and want to get a quote for your custom silk wedding flowers, fill out the Free Bride's Checklist to start the design process with me. I am always so grateful to those who choose supporting a small business like mine! Thank you!