BE BOUTONNIERE SAVVY
When It comes to planning wedding flowers it’s often taken for granted that the bride to be will be making the choices.
Can you as the groom draw the line where the boutonnieres of the groomsmen and yourself are concerned?
Well it’s your wedding too. If you have some strong ideas about what you would and would not like to wear then the sooner you speak up the better.
Be warned that the bride will no doubt be expecting the flowers on your lapel to match her bouquet flowers and the overall colour scheme of the wedding. This doesn’t mean that you need to have a mini rainforest brushing at your left cheek throughout your wedding day. Picking out one main colour or flower with a little subtle greenery will be enough.
YOUR BUTTONHOLE CHOICES ARE ENDLESS
The traditional buttonhole has long been a single bloom combined with a little greenery, which will never fail to look good when done properly.
Today you will see buttonholes with several flower heads and a lot more greenery. They seem to be looking more like mini wedding bouquets.
Of course you can always set a new trend and put whatever you like in your lapel within reason.
TRENDS
As wedding bouquets have changed, the buttonholes have also. Take a look:
Traditional (As mentioned previously)
Rustic - Wheat, feathers and seed pods
Boho - Don't inhibit yourself, expect lots of colour, jewels and twine
Gone are the days when just a flower and some fern will do for a boutonniere. Don't be surprised if you see any of the following on a groom's lapel today:
Fruit and berries
scrabble letters
Shells
Succulents
Brooches
Grasses
Herbs such as lavender and rosemary (some might argue that herbs should not be in this list, however I'm including them because they've made a big come back in recent years)
Boutonniere Embellishments - You can expect your buttonholes to be wrapped in anything from; raffia, all manner of ribbon, wire and sisal twine, butchers string, hessian and buttons.
BOUTONNIERE ETIQUETTE
To attach a boutonniere:
Your boutonniere should always be placed on your left lapel
Place the buttonhole just below the broadest part of the lapel
The boutonniere should be attached to your lapel with the stems pointing downwards.
If your jacket has a buttonhole in the lapel then attaching your boutonniere should be quite straightforward, since all you will need to do is pull the stems through.
Some jacket buttonholes are really just there for show and serve no purpose.
They are sometimes far too high. You can ignore them and place your boutonniere in the correct position.
Problems may arise when the stems are too thick, this is when you will need to consider using a pin.
NO BUTTONHOLE IN YOUR LAPEL – DON’T WORRY
The boutonniere is attached to the lapel from the back (the pin should not be visible).
You might need to use more than one pin if the boutonniere is heavy.
It has become more acceptable for the pin to be visible especially if it is decorative.
If you're not too hung up on the right and wrongs of where a boutonniere should be placed, why not pin it inside your pocket (See above image)
It is possible to use magnets instead of pins to attach your boutonniere though some people say that they're not as trustworthy as pins.
FIND MORE ADVICE FOR THE GROOM HERE
Whatever you choose to do PC Creations Leeds wishes you every success in your wedding planning.
PC Creations Leeds welcomes your comments.