Many people believe that silk flowers do not look as real -- check out this video below of a reception for 200 that has silk and faux everything (including the cake!). After the wedding (to recoupe some costs) the bride and groom plan to sell everything.
The arrangements were created by the bride and the mother of the bride from round styrofoam bases that were placed into the glass vases for each table. Here are some close-ups below.
This is a great way to save costs on real flowers. You can purchase faux flowers over time so it is not as much of a large expense when it comes down to days before your reception! And the best part is -- they are reusable, so you can sell them or split the costs with another bride!

