Silk flowers are underrated. There’s a rumor floating around that silk flowers are tacky. They don’t look real. They have no fragrance. They’re a sign of a cheap bride. But these rumors couldn’t be further from the truth. Silk wedding flowers have come a long way from their frayed cotton origins. Today’s silk blossoms are beautiful, lifelike, and offer many benefits over live flowers for the conscientious bride.

Silk wedding flowers don’t die. This is the one simple truth that has kept these gems around since the nineteenth century. If you are a bride on a budget, wholesale or cheap silk flowers are the most forgiving path. You can practice many arrangements, using the same flowers, and still be able to use those flowers on your wedding day. You can create your wedding flower arrangements, centerpieces, boutonnières, bridesmaids’ flowers, and even your wedding bouquet, weeks or even months ahead of time. The arrangements can be stored in an airtight container and be as beautiful on your special day as they were the day you made them.

You can “play” with silk flowers in ways that real flowers simply will not tolerate. My mother taught me a trick she used in her own wedding: small silk wedding flowers can be glued into the center of larger blooms for a completely unique look. Imagine full, lush white carnations with delicate pink rosebuds in their centers. Silk flowers can also be mixed and matched on their stems, allowing you to arrange them quickly and easily. Embellishments, such as butterflies, beads, pearls or lace, can be glued directly to the flowers. Forget about time-consuming picks and floral tape!

It is true that silk bouquets have no scent. But, because fabric is absorbent, they act as a clean canvass for your creativity. With a traditional live bouquet, the scent is determined by the kinds of flowers used, and can sometimes be overpowering or unappealing. But, with a silk arrangement, you are free to add a spritz of your perfume or a few drops of essential oil for a scent that is entirely personal. Gentle scents can be achieved by storing your flowers in an airtight container with potpourri.

The only substantiated rumor concerning silk wedding flowers is that they are inexpensive. Modern blooms are much more costly than they were in years gone by, but they are still often less expensive than a florist’s fees. This is especially true if your heart is set on out-of-season flowers that would have to be flown in from another part of the country. Dark colored flowers, which also tend to be pricier than their pastel counterparts, are available in silk for much less.

The wide world of silk wedding flowers has so much to offer today’s bride. If you have dismissed them because of nasty rumors, take another look. They are elegant, realistic, and are available in a wide selection of species and colors. Even upscale brides with large budgets are beginning to look at silk flowers differently. It just proves the old adage: You can’t believe everything you hear.

Bride and groom looking to plan your wedding online? Jen Carter, owner of My Wedding Blog, offers free information on wedding planning.