Planning your wedding in Kelowna or the Okanagan? One of the biggest decisions you’ll make is your flowers — and the choice between fresh blooms and premium faux options can dramatically affect your budget and your peace of mind. At Pickadilly’s, we work with brides every day who are weighing traditional fresh flowers against Real Touch (premium faux) floral designs. Both can be stunning, but they offer very different experiences. In this guide, we’ll break down the differences, costs, and practical tips to help you choose the right floral approach for your big day.
What Are Real Touch Wedding Flowers?
Real Touch flowers are high-quality faux florals designed to look and feel incredibly realistic. Unlike traditional silk flowers, modern Real Touch varieties have natural texture and movement, photograph beautifully, and mimic real blooms almost perfectly. Many brides are surprised they can’t tell the difference — especially in photos. These flowers are perfect for creating lush, luxurious arrangements that stay fresh-looking from ceremony to reception.
Fresh Wedding Flowers: The Classic Choice
Fresh flowers have always been the traditional option for weddings. They offer natural fragrance, organic one-of-a-kind arrangements, and seasonal beauty. However, they come with limitations — especially in a place like the Okanagan, where heat, weather, and sourcing can affect quality and pricing. Fresh flowers are sensitive to temperature, must be prepared within days of the wedding, and are typically single-use. For outdoor weddings, they can wilt quickly, adding stress to your day.
The Cost Difference: Real Touch vs Fresh
Cost is often the biggest deciding factor for brides. In Canada, wedding flower budgets vary widely: many couples spend $1,000–$2,000 on the lower end, while more elevated weddings often reach $2,500–$7,000 or more. Luxury floral designs can climb even higher depending on scale.
At Pickadilly’s, we’ve seen how quickly fresh flower costs add up. For example, fresh floral arches can run $1,000–$3,000+, centrepieces $100–$300 each, and bouquets $250–$400. With our Real Touch floral rentals, couples achieve a similar elevated look with more budget control. Typical pricing includes floral pillars at $700–$900, centrepieces at $18–$65, and bouquets starting at $125. This allows many couples to create a full, impactful design while saving thousands — without compromising on the overall look and feel.
Real Touch vs Fresh: Pros and Cons
Fresh Flowers
- **Best for:** Traditional weddings, couples who love natural fragrance, highly seasonal designs.
- **Considerations:** Sensitive to heat and weather, must be prepared within days, single-use.
Real Touch Flowers (Pickadilly’s Specialty)
- **Best for:** Luxury designs on a realistic budget, outdoor weddings (heat-safe), brides who want consistency and peace of mind.
- **Benefits:** No wilting, no weather stress, you know exactly what your flowers will look like ahead of time, reusable and more sustainable. Ideal for large installations like floral pillars, arches, and aisle flowers.
Practical Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Flowers
- **Consider your venue and season.** If you’re having an outdoor summer wedding in the Okanagan, Real Touch flowers are a heat-safe choice that won’t droop.
- **Think about your budget priorities.** If you want a grand floral installation but need to save elsewhere, mix fresh blooms for personal flowers and use silk flowers wedding decor for arches and centrepieces.
- **Ask about rental options.** Many florists now offer Real Touch rentals, which can dramatically reduce costs. You can also buy wholesale silk flowers to create your own arrangements, perfect for DIY brides.
- **Don’t forget about the photos.** Real Touch flowers photograph beautifully, so you won’t sacrifice visual impact.
- **Check reusability.** After the wedding, you can repurpose Real Touch arrangements as home decor or sell them — something you can’t do with fresh flowers.
Conclusion
Choosing between real touch and fresh wedding flowers doesn’t have to be stressful. Both options can create beautiful results, but Real Touch flowers offer practical advantages in cost, reliability, and sustainability. Whether you’re dreaming of a lush floral arch, elegant centrepieces, or a statement bouquet, consider mixing fresh and faux to get the best of both worlds. For a stress-free floral experience that fits your budget, explore premium Real Touch rentals — and remember, the perfect flowers are the ones that make you feel confident and beautiful on your big day.
Ready to see the difference? Visit Pickadilly’s to view our Real Touch collection and plan your dream wedding flowers today.