Buttonholes: How To Plan & What To Do
What Is A Wedding Buttonhole?
A wedding buttonhole or boutonniere is an accessory worn on the lapel of a suit jacket, either pinned to it or stuck through the lapel’s buttonhole, hence the name. They are most commonly florals, either with a collection of flowers or one singular statement. Often, they tie into the bouquets and floral arrangements for the entire wedding. However, we see more and more couples choosing more unique options for buttonhole accessories every year. If it’s pinnable and looks good, there’s no reason you can’t make a unique boutonniere for your big day.
Who Should Wear Buttonholes At A Wedding?
Buttonholes are usually worn by significant members of the wedding party. This can vary from wedding to wedding. Sometimes, they are only worn by the groom. Sometimes, they are worn by the entire wedding party and the family of. It is up to you who wears a buttonhole at your wedding but consider utilising them to elevate an important individual’s outfit and consider overall cost if you decide to have a lot of your party wear them.
Joe's Countryside Wedding Suit
What Are Buttonholes Good For?
Buttonholes are excellent for elevating a wedding suit. They make the wearer standout, immediately distinguish them as a member of the wedding party and look perfect for the occasion. They are particularly useful for those who have chosen a plain suit, such as plain black or plain navy, as they add intrigue and detail to the look.
Most importantly, a buttonhole is a unique accessory to weddings. You only get the chance to wear one a handful of times in your life. Additionally, you very rarely get to choose exactly what buttonhole you want to wear. Your wedding offers you the opportunity to wear your favourite flower or include something deeply personal to you. Therefore, you have to at least consider what your dream wedding buttonhole would be, so you don’t miss out on a unique chance to wear something you’ll always remember.
Summer Boho Wedding Groom Outfit
What Buttonhole Should I Wear For My Wedding?
There are so many different types of wedding buttonholes, it is truly a case of being as limited as your imagination. Read on for different buttonhole ideas, presented to you by SUAVE OWL…
The most iconic buttonhole for weddings is just simple florals. When you think of a boutonniere, or look up boutonniere ideas for weddings, you might see singular roses in different colours or delicate collections of smaller flowers. However, you can wear almost any flower in your boutonniere. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by choice, consider these ways of narrowing your selection.
Ted 3-Piece Suit, SUAVE OWL White Shirt, Plain Twill Tie & Pocket Square Set
One way you can decide what boutonniere to wear for your wedding is to look at your wedding colours. It’s worth matching, or even contrasting, the wedding colours to look in place. If the wedding colour is pink, wearing a pink boutonniere will make you look in place. If the wedding colour is blue, a peach or orange might also look good. Selecting the colour your boutonniere needs to be is an excellent starting point. Colours may only be available in certain flowers, narrowing down your search.
You can also decide to simplify it even further and just match wedding bouquets. If you’ve already selected wedding flowers in this form, there’s no need to complicate it. Simply see if any of the flowers in the bouquets or décor stick out to you. Going with that will keep the decision easy for you and keep you consistent.
Jenson 3-Piece Suit, SUAVE OWL White Shirt
Selecting flowers for meaning can be an interesting way of selecting flowers for any event. Flower meanings can be found online or in books, or you could ask a florist. Selecting flowers with special meaning to you and your partner can make an interesting look and shows that you have put thought into your preparation for the big day.
There are, of course, boutonniere’s that are not just a singular flower or small collection of flowers. You can do more with your boutonniere if you would like to.
Caridi Jacket, Wells Waistcoat, SUAVE OWL White Shirt, Plain Twill Tie & Pocket Square Set
There’s been an increase in popularity of utilising floral cards instead of your traditional boutonniere. Simply pop the square into your pocket, where the top of the card will show off your florals. Easy to adjust, hard to accidentally damage, yet with all the same intrigue as a regular pinned boutonniere, it’s no wonder these are popular.
You can add to the base of your boutonniere. The stems give you ample attachment point to include something personal to you. Around the stems, you can wrap ribbon or papers or something equally sentimental. Perhaps you could include a sliver of fabric from a loved one’s outfit or a sliver of fabric from some of your child’s baby clothes. You could also write a message or good luck charm onto paper and include it. As long as the overall boutonniere can still be pinned, whatever is on the stems or tucked into the flowers or leaves doesn’t matter, as long as it brings you joy.
You could also opt to add a lapel pin to the side or alongside your boutonniere. Whilst we’d always recommend a SUAVE OWL lapel pin, this gives you so much opportunity to add intrigue to your oufit whilst adding something personal to you. You could include a family emblem, a good luck charm, a small toy or knick knack, or even a logo of something important to you.
Truly, choosing what boutonniere to wear is as limited as your imagination and wants. There’s nothing with wanting something simple and impactful. However, you can go as intricate and detailed as you want too. It is all up to you.
How To Get The Best Boutonniere Look
There are certainly some tips and tricks to getting the best possible look out of your wedding buttonhole. For tips and tricks for the best boutonniere, read on…
If you opt for fresh flowers, leave it unil as late as possible to pin on your boutonniere. Overwearing it throughout the day will leave the flower looking wilted as it gets dehydrated, it might even lead to petals falling off. Plus, it will get crumpled as you move, adjust your outfit, and hug your friends and family. Leave it until as late as possible.
Ted 3-Piece Suit, SUAVE OWL White Shirt, Plain Twill Tie & Pocket Square Set
You also need to keep your fresh flowers cool and hydrated before putting them on. Don’t leave them in a hot room or, heaven forbid, on top of a heater or radiator. Keep them cool, maybe even refrigerated, and spray them periodically with cold water.
Ask your florist about any potential issues with the type of flower you pick. Some flowers are more delicate than others. It’s worth quickly asking your vendor if you need to be particularly careful with the florals you pick and, if so, ask if there’s any way you can reinforce the flower with tape, twine, or wire to make it last as long as possible.
More Wedding Advice From SUAVE OWL
At SUAVE OWL, helping gentlemen find the best wedding outfit for them has been a key part of our ethos since day one (which you can read more on in our About Us page). We want to provide stellar service to grooms and make them feel just as special picking out their wedding attire as brides get to picking out theirs. For such an important day, you deserve to look and feel your best, and SUAVE OWL wants to help.
Marco 3-Piece Suit, SUAVE OWL White Shirt, Plain Twill Tie & Pocket Square Set
For more blogs about weddings suits and groom’s suits, read The Ultimate Guide To Men’s Suits. If you’re looking for grooms suits in Bath or grooms suits in the West Country, you have to read more about SUAVE OWL’s Groom Room Experience, available exclusively for grooms.
For more blogs about general wedding planning, read Choosing Wedding Guests: How To Plan & What To Do, Wedding Speeches: How To Plan & What To Do, Confetti: How To Plan & What To Do, Heatwave On Your Wedding Day: How To Plan & What To Do, and Rain On Your Wedding Day: How To Plan & What To Do.
Don’t leave your wedding party out of the preparation, recommend our blogs to your attendees with our Best Man – Style Guide, Father Of The Bride Or Groom – Style Guide, and Wedding Guest Style Guide.
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