Let me tell you the story about a florist who saved the day. Or really a fake florist who saved the day. I kid: she’s not fake, but the flowers she works with are.
When we were planning our anniversary party and ritual, I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted. After all, I’ve been writing about weddings since my own wedding a decade ago, and I’d told the internet what I would do differently if I had to do it over again. And now I was doing it over again. I’d always said that instead of DIYing my own flowers (and those damn centerpieces nobody ever looked at), I’d hire a florist to make a badass bouquet, and skip the rest. The one thing I’d forgotten in the equation: a lot of florists won’t get out of bed for just a bouquet or two.
I’ll make a long story short and say that after a disappointing experience with a local florist, we had the brainstorm to reach out to Alyssa of The Rogue Petal Co. in Baltimore. We’d seen her work around Instagram, and she was making magic with silk flowers. We figured there were a few advantages: 1) We didn’t have to hire local. She could make the flowers and ship them to us. 2) We didn’t have to worry about which flowers would die in 110-degree temps (hint: basically all of them). 3) We didn’t have to worry about what flowers were in season.
We were right about all the advantages, but we failed to realize a few things: Alyssa is amazingly talented, kind, was excited about our project, and super fast. The Rouge Petal Co.’s prices are good. (I mean, frankly, they’re probably way too good and she needs to raise them, but you should hurry up and book her before she figures that out.) And I wanted a bonkers floral whip—AKA, this thing I’d seen on the internet once five years ago—and you cannot have a bouquet of real flowers that drags on the ground. Flowers that drag on the ground have to be fake. So The Universe and some sort of luck came together and put Alyssa in our lap, right when we needed her the most.
As I mentioned, asking The Rouge Petal Co. to do our anniversary party flowers was a last-minute thing. And by last minute, I mean Alyssa had to ship the arrangements to The Ace Hotel because she didn’t have time to ship them to Oakland. Which meant I didn’t open the flowers until one day before the event. And y’all. I gasped. The kids gasped. I put the headpiece on my head immediately. They were that good.
The best thing about them? We have them forever. The kids’ flowers currently live in a vase on our sideboard. I wear the crown when I’m doing housework. As for the floral whip? I’m sure it’ll pop up in an APW editorial shoot one day soon. And it will live forever (in all it’s glory) in our photos. No wilting, no dying, even on the surface of the sun.
Let your flowers live (forever)
We’re not here to convince anyone that they shouldn’t have real flowers at their wedding if that’s your thing, and neither is The Rogue Petal Co. Real flowers are naturally beautiful and smell amazing—but there are so many reasons to use beautiful fake wedding flowers for your event.
The reality of fresh flowers is that you are stuck making choices based on geographic location and season—unless you have an unlimited budget to fly your favorite stems in from around the world. Real flowers are also high maintenance; they require temperature control, space to breathe, and lighting that won’t burn them. Faux flowers, however, will bounce back from confined spaces (like a box in the back of your car on the way to the desert), will not wilt (ever), and can be tucked away for days or months without consequence.
these bouquets are better for the planet
Using fake wedding flowers is arguably a more environmentally friendly approach. Silk flowers have a relatively low carbon footprint, and while they utilize plastic in the stems, these flowers can be reused and loved for years to come. Fresh flowers require a ton of resources: land to grow them, water to sustain them, and the resources needed to transport them (think airplanes and refrigerated trucks).
faux saves funds
According to Alyssa at The Rogue Petal Co., the average cost for wedding arrangements is $750 for wedding party florals to $1500 for reception centerpieces and wedding party flowers (though, depending on your market, those numbers may be low).
Rogue Petal Co.’s fake wedding flower arrangements run around two thirds the cost of real flowers. There are no fees for refrigeration, day-of-event costs, or fees for delivery. For couples that are not local to Baltimore, they’ll ship them right to you! Keep in mind that their prices don’t include any installation—so set-up will have to be DIY. (Over under: some work, no installation fees.)
Arrangement prices from The Rogue Petal Co. vary based on size and flowers used. You can get a (stunning) bridal bouquet for $100-$250, and bridesmaid bouquets $60-$100 each. Boutonnieres, corsages, and hair accessories range from $12 to $50+. Order centerpieces for $20-$80+, and let them live on in your home forever. Alyssa will make greenery or floral garlands that look truly stunning on a table or a mantle (or both), for $175 and up. Order fake wedding flowers, keep your house looking amazing forever.
The Rogue Petal Co is doing it right
When we asked Alyssa what makes her flowers special, she said, “The notable difference between The Rogue Petal Co. and other faux floral vendors is that we are constantly searching for the highest quality, most realistic stems while also striving to keep costs low. You know your flowers are fake, no need for anyone else to know. Because the flowers are often a combination of faux and dried, there is no constraint on the type of flower or color couples can use—but we can also accommodate arrangements that range from super traditional and elegant, to those that are more out of the box; a step in the wilder, complete opposite direction.” I can vouch for this. That floral whip i wanted? Not exactly your average, traditional design. But Alyssa was super into doing something unusual, and delivered a gorgeous, unique, cutting edge piece.
her customers love her work
“Alyssa was amazing to work with. All I did was show her my Pinterest saves of what I would like my bouquet to look like and she made a beautiful one unique just for me! And I get to keep it! It worked perfectly for a center piece in my dining room. I get to keep a piece of my wedding forever.”
-Emily Collins
“She’s driven, full of ideas, and juuust a touch of edge to make your vision unique and not completely like all of the others… I swear I had no clue the flowers on her Instagram feed were faux at first… She’s definitely taking the whole faux flower thing to a new level!”
-Kirsten via Kirsten Smith Photography
Beautiful faux flowers are for everyone, and The Rogue Petal Co. is the place to go to find them. plus, a practical wedding readers can Get 10% off any the rogue petal co. order of $200 or more through 2019 – just let them know apw sent you!
