Wedding bouquets, corsages, floral centerpieces, even aisles covered in rose petals. Flowers have been deeply associated with weddings for ages that it seems almost impossible to get married without them. But do you really need to have flowers in your wedding? These days, weddings are a lot more personal than they used to be decades ago. Wedding celebrations come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, so having a wedding without flowers doesn't seem to be such a radical idea anymore.

Flowers are so pretty, why would anyone even consider a flowerless wedding? First of all, flowers are costly. Fresh flowers, especially imported ones, will take a huge chunk of your wedding decoration budget. Wedding flowers also cause a lot of waste as they can't be reused, which is why the more environmentally-conscious brides have chosen to go flowerless for their wedding.

The popularity of wedding flowers itself might also be the reason why some couples opt for non-floral decorations. A wedding without flowers looks so unusual and modern, perfect for couples who want a less traditional wedding. For some, the reason to forgo wedding flowers is simple: they're just not into flowers! Whatever the reason, we think it's far from impossible to have a beautiful, chic, and flower-free wedding celebration. Just scroll further down to see some wonderful alternatives.

Photography: Chelsea Nicole

Artificial flowers
If you enjoy the beauty of flowers but don't have the budget for them, do consider using faux flowers as part of your wedding decoration. Artificial flowers are not as foolproof and easy to choose as fresh flowers, however, so make sure you consider these aspects before making a decision.

The Pros

1. Budget-friendly
Even though there are many kinds of artificial flowers, ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive ones, they are usually still cheaper than fresh flowers.
2. Long-lasting arrangements
You can keep your flowers after the wedding and even reuse them for years to come. Also, you won't have any wilting flowers to worry about during your wedding ceremony and reception.
3. Seasonal advantages
Aside from being budget-friendly, your favorite fake flowers will be available throughout the year, regardless of the season. This allows you to have any kind of flowers you like, any time you want.

The Cons

1. Scentless
Fresh flowers produce a distinct, pleasing fragrance that faux flowers don't have, even if they've been sprayed with floral fragrance.
2. Not enough options
More often than not, local wedding florists selling real flowers are a lot easier to find around you than artificial flower vendors. It will be hard to compare different artificial flower vendors if you just can't find enough of them.
3. Can get expensive
The cheaper the artificial flowers, the tackier and less realistic they look. There are plenty of realistic, high-quality silk flowers out there, but they can cost almost as expensive as real flowers.

If you don't want to go all faux, use both real flowers and artificial blooms at the same time, with a ratio of 30:70, for instance. Place your artificial flowers in spots that can't be reached by your guests, and make sure to use high-quality artificial flowers.

Fruits
Believe it or not, fruits actually work really well as decorative elements, even for your wedding celebration. You can have fruits as in different parts of your wedding decoration, such as your centerpieces, escort cards, table numbers, place cards, even the dessert table or bar. Take a look at some ideas below that will inspire you to have a fruit-filled wedding.

Photography: Cly by Matthew - Gavin Farrington

On the tables
Don't be afraid to place colorful fruits on your wedding table as part of the table settings or centerpiece. Their presence will bring a fresh feeling to the whole table arrangement that your guests will love. And as it's not such a common sight in wedding parties, your guests will be pleasantly surprised.

Photography: Stacy Able

Chandeliers
You can also use fruits to decorate your chandeliers like this; a unique variation to the usual floral decoration. fake fruits will also be fine for this kind of decoration, as they will be out of reach and you can use real fruits somewhere else.

Photography: Corbin Gurkin - Jessica Kay

Escort cards and place cards
It's common to use escort cards and place cards as part of the whole wedding decoration, so why not take them to another level by using fruits? A tip, if you're doubling fruits as place cards, you can also use them as wedding favors for your guests.

Photography: Patrick Moyer - KT Merry

The food section
Fruits are not only delicious, their lovely colors can make your wedding buffet look even more enticing. Scatter them around, color-coordinate them, or put them anywhere to make your food displays look even more delightful.

How should I style fruits for my wedding?
Although a lot of things look good with fruits, it doesn't mean that you can just scatter them all over the place. You need to pay close attention to their color composition and quantity. You can work with a single color, playing around with its various tones, or you can also use bright colors to add contrast to the whole decorative arrangement.

For the placement, don't forget to always refer to your wedding theme and color palette. A crate or wooden box filled with fruits will suit a rustic or ranch wedding very well. Fine Chinese porcelain will wonderfully match these fruits in a chinoiserie-themed wedding for example. For a more modern and minimalist approach, tall clear glass containers would be great.

When should I buy fruits for my wedding?
You should talk to your wedding decorator about this. You need to also consider the shelf life of the fruits, and their tendencies to change color. It's best to not buy them too soon, since the quality of the fruits will deteriorate over long periods of time. Some fruits, like papaya and banana, may ripen and change color in only a few days. That way, they wouldn't suit your wedding color palette as much as they did when you bought them.

To determine how much fruits you need to buy, calculate your requirements and add one or two kilos just in case some of the fruits don't arrive in a good condition. If necessary, contact your local supplier to make sure that there's enough stock of the fruit when you buy them.

Other flowerless alternatives
Other than fruits and faux flowers, there are still a lot of things you can use to replace flowers in your wedding decoration. See some of them below to get you inspired.

Did we miss any non-floral decorative elements you think are worth mentioning? Tell us in the comment section below!

Things to remember when going flowerless
Now that you've discovered more non-floral options for your wedding decoration, it's time to really think things through. Consider these points before you really make a decision to not use flowers for your wedding celebration.

Be sure that this is what you want
Having a flowerless wedding is not the most popular or common choice, so when you do it, you need to be sure that you really want it. Make sure that your partner, as well as your immediate family members whose opinions matter to you, can appreciate your decision.

Embrace your personality
Aside from artificial flowers, fruits, and every single thing we mentioned above, there are many other alternatives to flowers for your wedding decoration. If you're a book lover, you can replace your centerpieces with stacks of antique books, for example. No matter what you choose, make sure that the decorative elements truly represent your personality.

Hire a talented decorator and be specific
This is where it gets a bit tricky. Expertise is needed when creating flowerless wedding decorations, so make sure you hire someone who's not only talented and creative, but also open-minded. A good wedding decorator will happily support your ideas and do their best to make them come true.