Boutonnières are a small but integral part of your wedding florals. In addition to complementing your wedding theme, they can also showcase your sense of fun and personality. More and more couples are thinking outside the box and choosing unique boutonnières rather than traditional.
Need help with deciding on the right boutonnières for your wedding? Copper Penny Flowers has you covered with this handy guide.
What is a boutonnière?
This fancy French word refers to a single flower or spray of flowers that are secured to the left lapel of a suit or tuxedo jacket. Traditionally boutonnières are worn by the groomsmen in a wedding party. But nowadays these accented blooms can extend to ring bearers, ushers, immediate family members, VIP guests, even the officiant!
Using boutonnieres as a way to highlight key members of the family is a creative and memorable way to recognize individuals outside of the bridal party. Many weddings today are blending families, recognizing love and togetherness in a variety of ways. Creative use of boutonnieres can help these key individuals identify one another and kickstart conversation! With a boutonniere, they are immediately labeled as someone of importance, whether it’s the father of the groom or the aunt of the bride!
How much do boutonnières cost?
In general, the price of boutonnières is largely determined by labor, hard goods and flower selection.
Boutonnières typically cost less than the wedding bouquet. But expect to pay more if you want a significant number of them and you choose expensive statement blooms. Flowers that are in season will also be more budget friendly than using out-of-season flowers that have to be imported.
On average each boutonnière will take 20 minutes to make, but if you want something fancy it might take 30 – 45 minutes for each. Flowers have to be hand wired and taped if they are going to last. Suffice to say, less complicated boutonnières are best for the budget conscious.
Our boutonnieres are secured using a magnetic backing system – we are one of the few in the Concord area that use them. This system works well and eliminates the need to use troublesome straight pins that often get bent and refuse to hang straight.
Homemade boutonnières are always an option to save money on labor costs if you only want a few. But using a professional florist like Copper Penny Flowers, who has this process down pat, can reduce stress and provide peace of mind with stunning results! We will also be able to prepare and treat the flowers to keep them looking their best on your wedding day.
What type of flowers should I choose for boutonnières?
We generally create unique groomsmen boutonnières by drawing inspiration from the bridal bouquet. Most brides will want to use their favorite flowers for their bouquet but if you’ve chosen delicate blooms this may not work for boutonnières.
When selecting florals for boutonnières, you need to consider varieties that will hold up out of water and are relatively crush resistant. Women tend to tiptoe around with florals, worried about crushing anything while the men give each other enthusiastic bear hugs without a thought!
The best flowers for boutonnieres (and some unusual selections) include:
- Roses
- Spray roses
- Calla lilies
- Dendrobium orchids
- Cymbidium orchids
- Ranunculus
- Thistle
- Dried lavender
- Succulents
- Silver brunia
- Hypericum berries and
- All greenery boutonnieres
What color and style work best for boutonnières?
In general we take our inspiration for the boutonnières’ color from the wedding palette. So it’s a good idea to select this palette prior to scheduling an appointment with your florist. We usually coordinate the groomsmen with the bridesmaids and do all of the boutonnières as an identical ‘set’.
Your preferred style of boutonnière is also something to think about. If you’re having a formal wedding then a classic, single flower boutonnière in a traditional color without embellishments, looks clean and sophisticated.
If your wedding is more informal you may opt to mix-and-match a few flowers and add greenery to enhance this theme.
What if I want a different boutonnière?
Couples are getting creative with their wedding cakes so why not their boutonnières? As we mentioned at the start of the article many people like to think outside the box and go for non-floral boutonnières.
Greenery, succulents, berries, and herbs can all make eye catching alternatives depending on the season and theme of your wedding. Browse these alternative boutonnières for inspiration!
It’s also popular to personalize boutonnières to reflect hobbies and interests. Hops and wheat are popular for trending micro brew fans. We’ve featured X-Men, Avengers, and Lego figurines in boutonnières.
When should I order boutonnières?
To avoid any disappointment, boutonnières are a wedding accessory that shouldn’t be left to the last minute. For small weddings with a few boutonnières, booking a florist three to six months in advance should be sufficient.
If you’re getting married in peak wedding months (September, closely followed by May, June, August, and October), and are planning a large wedding, you should book your florist at least a year in advance.
Our wedding planning checklist is a good resource to refer to if you’re at the researching stage. This checklist is the perfect tool to get you organized prior to meeting with your florist for the first time.
Ready to talk about flowers? Schedule a personal consultation to discuss your ideas with Concord’s award-winning boutique florist Copper Penny Flowers; call: 978.369.4500 or email: [emailprotected].
