What is a Buttonhole?
A buttonhole, sometimes called a boutonnière, is a little flower worn in the lapel of a suit. They’re normally worn by the groom, ushers, fathers, stepfathers and any other male members of the couple’s immediate family.
Mothers-of-the-bride and/or groom often wear a similar floral decoration called a corsage, either pinned to the right side of their outfit or tied with a ribbon around their wrist.
Buttonholes can be made from single flowers such as a rose or a collection of small single blooms. They usually feature foliage or sprigs of greenery. I generally suggest the flowers should complement the colours used elsewhere in the wedding, but you should also consider the suits they’ll be worn with. Buttonholes can all be the same or the groom’s can be slightly different, maybe incorporating a flower from the bridal bouquet.
How Do You Wear It?
Male buttonholes should always be worn on the left-hand side. If there is an actual button hole in the material, the stem of the flower is threaded through the left lapel of the suit jacket and secured with a pin. When the hole for the button is purely decorative, the stem will need to be pinned to the front of the fabric. Either way, the head of the flower should be pointing upwards and towards the man’s left shoulder.
I always provide a pin with buttonholes. Simply push it from behind, through the stems and back through the lapel. I also offer children’s buttonholes which are just a smaller version of the adult design. I normally suggest placing these on to magnets.
I’d love to chat about buttonholes and corsages for your wedding day, so do get in touch if you have any questions.
Emily x
Photography credits:
Image 1 – Ali Paul Photography
Image 2 + 3 – Ellie Lou Photography