A Groom’s Boutonniere — From Classic Styles to Modern Trends
Nothing completes a groom’s outfit quite like a stunning boutonniere on the lapel of his tuxedo jacket. It brings a touch of style and a pop of color to his attire. For the most part, boutonnieres are reserved for weddings, proms and special occasions. They can also be worn at weddings by the best man, the groomsmen, the ring bearers and the couple’s respective fathers.
Boutonniere comes from the French word for buttonhole. In the olden days, gentlemen used to wear a single flower — usually a carnation — in the buttonhole on their lapels on a regular basis. Nowadays, most buttonholes are stitched close; so boutonnieres must be pinned to the lapel instead.
While single flower boutonnieres are still in style, the types of flowers used to create these little masterpieces has grown by leaps and bounds. Long gone is the idea that only carnations and roses are the only suitable choices for a wedding. You can now find a huge selection of flowers, from orchids to hydrangeas to lily of the valley arrangements, and so much more.
Keep in mind that a specific boutonniere style can be selected for various reasons: the type of wedding, the theme, the location, the groom‘s personality, the groom’s attire, the floral selection or the wedding color palette.
Floral boutonnieres are usually created by your florist and he/she can easily help you select a style that suits your wedding. If your budget is tight, you can find a lot of how-to articles and step-by-step videos on how to create one yourself online.
On a side note, there’s a new and fun trend for boutonnieres that steers away from flowers towards non-traditional elements like feathers, fabrics, ribbons, buttons, paper, miniature toys and trinkets. A new crop of boutonniere designers is starting to emerge — selling their handmade products on websites like Etsy.com. We found one particular designer, Fritts Rosenow, that created some fabulously quirky ones. Here’s a picture of some of his designs. http://bit.ly/do6wtw
In the end, it’s a good idea to make your groom’s boutonniere stand out from the rest of the wedding party’s boutonnieres. You wouldn’t want to carry the exact same bouquet as your bridesmaids. For that simple reason, it would probably be nice for your groom’s boutonniere to reflect his own style and be uniquely his. After all, it’s his big day too!
About the Author: Nadine Elliott, freelance writer for WeddingMuseum.com.
