Creating Wedding Boutonnieres: A Step-By-Step Guide For Beginners

A boutonnière is a small but impactful part of wedding attire, and making your own is a fun and cost-effective DIY project. It's a simple process that allows you to flex your creativity and have a unique design for your special day. With the right tools and a bit of practice, you can create elegant boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen, adding a personalised touch to your wedding.

Choosing flowers and colours

Choosing the right flowers and colours for your wedding boutonnière is an important step in the DIY process. The flowers you choose should complement the overall floral design of the wedding. It's best to stick to two to three colours and avoid including too many different blooms.

When selecting flowers, it's important to choose blooms that are hearty and can hold up without a water source. Some good options include spray roses, ranunculus, anthurium, pansies, tulips, mums, calla lilies, billy balls, and carnations. If you're looking for smaller accompanying flowers or greenery, consider baby's breath, ivy, eucalyptus, heather, Italian ruscus, Queen Anne's lace, or wax flowers.

The colour of your boutonnière should complement the colour palette of your wedding. If you're unsure about which colours to choose, look for inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest. You can also match your boutonnière design to the other florals being used at your wedding or choose a complementary colour scheme.

For a simple and elegant look, consider using a single type of flower in your boutonnière. This can be an effective way to showcase a statement flower, such as a rose or lily. Alternatively, you can create a more complex design by combining different types of flowers and greenery.

Remember to consider the size of the flowers when making your selection. Smaller, dainty flowers are often a better choice for boutonnières than larger blooms. You want to ensure that the boutonnière is not too bulky or overwhelming.

Materials needed

To make a wedding boutonnière, you will need the following materials:

Flowers and Greenery

• One to two statement blooms
• Two to four small accent blooms
• Greenery or dried flowers

Tools

• Floral stem cutter or floral snips
• Floral tape
• Ribbon (optional)
• Pins
• Wire (optional)
• Wire cutters (optional)
• Heavy-duty scissors (optional)
• Hot glue (optional)

The floral tape is essential to wrapping the stems and preventing the flowers from wilting. If you want to cover the floral tape, you can use a ribbon. The pins are used to affix the boutonnière to the lapel of the wearer's jacket.

If you are using real flowers, you will also need to clean and trim the stems, removing any leaves from the lower parts. You may also want to create a new boutonnière stem with pieces of floral wire, especially if you are using silk flowers with thick, bulky, or inflexible stems.

Preparing flowers

When preparing flowers for a boutonnière, it's important to choose blooms that are not fragile and won't wilt easily. Hearty flowers that can hold up without a water source are ideal. Popular choices include spray roses, ranunculus, anthurium, pansies, tulips, mums, calla lilies, billy balls, and carnations. If you're unsure about which flowers to choose, consider ordering in bulk or purchasing a DIY combo pack that matches your colour palette and style.

Before arranging your flowers, you'll want to trim and clean the stems. Cut the stems to a length of approximately 1-3 inches, ensuring that they are clean and free of any leaves or foliage that may interfere with the taping process. If you're working with thin stems, you can bundle two or three together and secure them with wire to create a thicker stem.

Once your stems are prepared, you can begin creating your arrangement. Start by placing a leaf or greenery of your choice behind the focal flower. Then, add any additional accent flowers or greenery to create a layered effect. Play around with the arrangement until you're happy with the design.

To finish preparing your flowers, wrap the stems tightly with floral tape. This will help to secure the arrangement and prevent wilting. You can then trim the stems to the desired length, typically leaving about an inch of the stem exposed. If you prefer, you can cover the floral tape with a ribbon for a more polished look.

Arranging flowers

Step 1: Choose Your Blooms

Select one to two statement blooms, which will be the focal point of your boutonnière. You can choose flowers like roses, ranunculus, anthurium, pansies, tulips, or carnations. These flowers should be hearty and able to hold up without a water source.

Step 2: Gather Your Greenery and Accent Flowers

Along with the statement blooms, you will need some smaller accent flowers or greenery. Choose two to four small pieces of greenery or dried floral options. Baby's breath, ivy, eucalyptus, heather, and Italian ruscus are great choices for greenery.

Step 3: Cut and Clean Your Stems

Use floral stem cutters or floral snips to cut the stems of your flowers and greenery to a desired length. A good starting length is two to three inches, as you will need to trim the stems again once the boutonnière is arranged. Make sure to remove any leaves from the lower parts of the stems and clean them.

Step 4: Create Your Arrangement

Now, it's time to arrange your flowers and greenery! Start with the statement bloom as the focal point. Add the greenery or dried flowers behind it, and then consider adding an accent flower or another piece of greenery in front for layering. Play around with the arrangement until you are happy with the composition. Remember, you can always rearrange if you don't like your initial design.

Step 5: Wrap and Trim

Once your arrangement is finalised, it's time to secure it. Wrap the stems tightly with floral tape, which helps to seal the stems and prevent wilting. Then, neatly trim the stems to approximately one inch in length. If you prefer to cover the floral tape, you can wrap a ribbon around the stems.

Storing Your Boutonnière

If you have prepared the boutonnière the morning of the wedding, keep it in a cool and dry place until it's time to pin it to the lapel. If you need to make it the night before, avoid placing it in the fridge. Instead, leave the stems exposed and place the boutonnière in a shallow cup of water, storing it in a cool, dry place overnight.

Finishing touches

The final steps to making a boutonnière are all about refining your design and making sure it stays in place. Once you've gathered your flowers and greens, cut the stems to the right length, and arranged them to your liking, it's time to add the finishing touches.

Wrap the Stems

Wrap the stems of your flowers and greens with floral tape. This helps to secure the arrangement and prevent wilting. You can wrap the tape around the entire exposed stem or just the middle to hold it together. If you don't like the look of the floral tape, you can cover it with a ribbon. Start wrapping the ribbon from the bottom of the taped section and work your way up to the base of the flowers. Secure the ribbon with a knot and a pin.

Trim the Stems

After wrapping the stems, trim them neatly to the desired length. A final stem length of one inch or less is ideal. This ensures that the boutonnière is easy to pin to the lapel of the jacket.

Store Until the Ceremony

If you've made the boutonnière the morning of the wedding, keep it in a cool, dry place until it's time to affix it to the lapel. If you need to make it the night before, leave the stems exposed and place the boutonnière in a shallow cup of water. Do not put it in the fridge. Instead, store it in a cool, dry place to keep it fresh.

Pin the Boutonnière

When you're ready to wear the boutonnière, use pearl pins to affix it to the lapel of the jacket. Weave the pins in and out through the fabric for a secure hold. You can also insert the boutonnière into the buttonhole of the suit and secure it with a corsage pin.

Frequently asked questions