What is a boutonniere?

Word “boutonniere” comes from the French boutonniere and translates as “flower in the buttonhole”. If earlier, one flower was used as decoration, occasionally decorated with various herbs, now the boutonniere is a whole composition of flowers, which can be supplemented with various trifles: beads, a net, twigs or even berries.

The custom of decorating the groom’s outfit with a buttonhole has come down to us since ancient Rome, where the bride, as a sign of love, pinned a flower from her bouquet to her chosen one’s clothes. Later, among the Slavs, the brides weaved wreaths for their fiancées. For the first time, the boutonniere in its present form was used at the wedding by the English prince Albert. In most cases, the buttonhole is attached after the ransom. The groom gives her a bouquet, and she, in a sign of love, attaches a flower to him. You can beat this tradition by placing the boutonniere in the bride’s bouquet, so that she, as in ancient times, gave the future husband a flower from her bouquet. But it turns out that not only a suit of the groom can be decorated with such a cute bauble. Usually they order two more boutonnieres for witnesses. It happens that the bride decorates her dress with a boutonniere. In addition, you can order boutonnieres for guests,

So where and on which side do you need to attach the boutonniere? The groom attaches the buttonhole to the left lapel or suit pocket. However, if you order a boutonniere for all guests, then 002traditionally those who are married or married - fasten it to the right, who are not - to the left. The bride attaches the boutonniere to the corset along the neckline (side, center) or even to the skirt of the dress. A witness can attach it to her wrist or to her purse.

There are no special requirements for what buttonholes should be . But, of course, it’s better to single out the groom and choose smaller and more modest boutonnieres for the guests. You can also order buttonholes, consisting of the same colors as the groom, but in different shades. You can choose a buttonhole for the witness according to the color of the dress / bouquet of the witness. At some weddings, in order to save money, for witnesses buy boutonnieres made of artificial flowers.

The size of the buttonhole usually does not exceed 10 cm in length, including the peduncle. And do not be afraid that your suit or dress will be stained if your boutonniere consists of fresh flowers. The pedicels are usually wrapped with special tape or inserted into the capsule, so there will be no contact with the tissue.

When choosing flowers for a boutonniere , it is better to follow the principle of its compatibility with the bridal bouquet. Ideally, it should contain the same flowers, or at least in harmony with the bouquet in color and style. You can also choose a flower with a special meaning for the boutonniere - it can consist of those flowers that were presented on the first date, or in accordance with the “language of flowers”.

After the wedding, the boutonniere traditionally should remain in the house, like a heirloom.

However, in some cases, grooms throw her to their single friends, as an alternative to a garter.