What is a boutonniere?

The word “boutonniere” comes from the French boutonniere, literally translated as “flower in the buttonhole”. The boutonniere (corsage) is a small floral decoration primarily for the groom, his special holiday sign, which is usually located on the left lapel of the jacket.

The custom of decorating the groom with flowers dates back to ancient Rome. In ancient times, among the Slavs, the bride weaved a wedding wreath for her bridegroom. These traditions have been continued in our time: until now, the flower in the buttonhole remains a mandatory attribute of men's wedding fashion, and the bride has such attributes are a veil and her bouquet. Grooms of past centuries, as well as simply elegant gentlemen, wore a single flower in the buttonhole, sometimes decorated with greenery. Today the boutonniere is a whole floristic composition, which can be supplemented with other decorative elements: branches, beads, nets, etc.

It is desirable that the groom’s boutonniere be made of the same colors as the bride’s bouquet — then they complement each other very well. Its size is no more than 10 cm in length, including the peduncle.

Often, boutonnieres are also made for the parents of the newlyweds. And sometimes, if they want to emphasize the significance and scale of the wedding, then the boutonnieres are also presented to all other guests. By the way, boutonnieres are fastened with special pins, so as not to damage the clothes.