For Him – Wedding Boutonnieres:

What is a boutonniere?

A boutonniere, or more commonly a buttonhole, is a small spray of flowers worn in a buttonhole, usually worn for more formal occasions such as a dinner, black-tie ball or wedding. Now whhhhhyyyy a boutonniere you may ask… Wedding boutonnieres are a way of distinguishing the bridal party and immediate family apart from the guests at a wedding celebration and are also a way of honouring those important to you, for example your grandparents, step-parents or godparents to name a few. Buttonholes are most commonly worn at weddings and florists have become far more creative over the years when it comes to their designs and the materials used in wedding boutonnieres.

Where and how to wear a boutonniere:

Traditionally, a boutonniere was worn pushed through the lapel buttonhole and the stem was held in place with a loop at the back of the lapel. Nowadays, most suits don’t come with a hole or loop for a boutonniere. So in order to pin it in place you need to:

• hold the boutonniere in position at the top of the front of the left lapel, above the heart.
• flap the lapel forwards and, using two pearl headed pins, push the pins through the lapel and into the binding of the boutonniere at an upwards angle with the tip of the pin pointing towards the lapel.
• the top pin should be closer to the top of the binding to support the weight of the main bloom, especially if it is a larger single bloom such as a rose boutonniere, and the second pin should be at the same angle of the first pin but lower down so that it catches the bottom of the binding and prevents the boutonniere from moving.
• the stem of the boutonniere should point downwards at the same angle of the lapel and be centred on the lapel, equidistant from the sides and the top of the lapel.
• be careful not to push the pins all the way through so that the sharp end sticks out on the other side – your bride, and guests, will get a nasty prick when you embrace.

Some inspiration for wedding boutonnieres for grooms:

If you’re looking for something alternative and modern, these floral pocket squares are great and have a more contemporary edge on the more old-fashioned style. They can either be clipped on to the lapel or pocket or attached to a sleeve that slides into the top pocket of the jacket but you’d need to check the style of the jackets used first as they can vary widely from some having no top pocket to some having a faux pocket that can’t have anything inserted into it.

Natural, with soft textured touches of grey and green is always a winner for a simple option and possibly for a more rustic themed wedding. I prefer to bind right to the bottom of the stems for a neater finish.

If none of those take your fancy, you could always go for a more alternative design that ties on with your overall theme such as a wine cork for a wine farm wedding, a tiny wreath for a Christmas wedding or a seashell for a seaside celebration.

For a fragrant and organic feel, herb wedding boutonnieres are lovely and will release the beautiful scents of the herbs with each embrace.

For more lovely inspiration for wedding boutonnieres, head over to our Pinterest board where we have more exciting options for grooms-to-be. Grooms today have far more of an opinion about what the they want to wear or not and being educated on what’s available can assist you to find the perfect wedding boutonniere for your special day so you don’t feel overlooked on all the details.

Image Credit: All images of wedding boutonnieres can be found on our Pinterest Board here.