Hi Sjay, Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. The petals down the middle of the isle are real. I did pay a bit extra for those, not sure how much. You'll have to ask the coordinator. It was advised that real petals are better as they are heavier than the fake petals, and would do much better in case there was wind. We lucked out, not much wind at all! The candles stayed lit the entire duration of our ceremony. No trick was necessary. I guess it also depends on the weather and what time of day. Who knows!? I was glad I picked an outdoor wedding! So much fun, especially with the steel drums! Best of luck, Abby