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

Making your own wedding boutonnieres is a great way to save money and add a unique touch to your special day. It's also a simple project that can be completed quickly and easily. By choosing your own flowers and colours, you can ensure that your boutonnieres match the overall floral design of your wedding. In this guide, we'll take you through the steps to create beautiful, DIY wedding boutonnieres, from choosing the right blooms to assembling and storing your creations.

Choosing flowers: Select hardy blooms that complement your wedding's colour palette and overall floral design

When choosing flowers for your wedding boutonnière, it's important to select hardy blooms that will last and not wilt easily. You also want to choose flowers that complement your wedding colour palette and overall floral design. Here are some tips to help you select the perfect flowers for your DIY wedding boutonnière:

• Consider the season: Choose flowers that are in season for your wedding. This will not only ensure they are at their most vibrant and hardy but can also make them more affordable. For example, select holly for a winter wedding or hyacinth for a summer celebration.
• Colour palette: Think about your wedding colour palette and choose flowers that complement it. You can either match the colours or go for a contrasting shade to make a statement. If you want the boutonnière to be more subtle, stick to neutral hues like white or green.
• Size and shape: Vary the size and shape of the flowers you choose to add interest and texture to the boutonnière. Include a mix of larger blooms and smaller buds, as well as some greenery and fillers.
• Meaning and symbolism: Flowers often carry symbolic meanings. For example, lilies represent purity and faith, while roses signify love and affection. Choose flowers that reflect the sentiment you want to convey.
• Personal touches: Add personal touches to your boutonnière by incorporating meaningful elements. This could be a charm with a photo of a loved one or a unique accessory that represents your personality or hobby, like a handmade fishing fly.
• Overall floral design: Think about the overall floral design of your wedding, including the bride's bouquet and any other floral arrangements. Choose flowers that complement these designs to create a cohesive look.
• Calla lilies: A classic and hardy choice that can withstand various conditions.
• Ranunculus: These flowers have thin, crepe paper-like petals and come in a wide range of colours, making them perfect for adding a pop of colour.
• Tulips: Symbolising perfect love and happiness, tulips are a great choice for pastel shades, especially for spring or summer weddings.
• Roses: A traditional and popular choice, roses convey grace and beauty. Different colours also carry different meanings, such as red for romance and white for eternal love.
• Orchids: Delicate and exotic, orchids signify love and rare charm. They come in various colours, making them easy to match with other elements.
• Carnations: Elegant and versatile, carnations are readily available and can be easily paired with fillers or left on their own.
• Sunflowers: Bright and cheerful, sunflowers are perfect for a garden or rustic-themed wedding.

Materials: You'll need floral tape, pins, scissors/stem cutters, and optional ribbon

Making your own wedding boutonnieres can be a fun and easy DIY project. Here's a list of materials you'll need to create beautiful floral arrangements for the men in the wedding party:

Floral Tape:

Floral tape is essential for creating a secure and neat base for your boutonnieres. It adds support and stability to the stems. You'll want to tightly wrap the floral tape around the stems, pulling slightly as you go, to create a sturdy foundation.

Pins:

Pins are a key component of boutonnieres, as they are used to attach the floral arrangement to the lapel of the jacket. You can choose from a variety of pin styles, including straight pins, pearl pins, diamond pins, or magnetic pins. Consider the overall style and colour palette of your wedding when selecting your pins.

Scissors/Stem Cutters:

A good pair of scissors or stem cutters is necessary for trimming and arranging your floral stems. They will help you cut longer stems to a more manageable length and snip any extra tape or foliage. Keep a dedicated pair of scissors for floral work, as cutting through tape and stems can dull the blades.

Optional Ribbon:

Ribbon can be a lovely addition to your boutonnieres, offering a touch of elegance and colour. You can choose a ribbon that complements the colour scheme of your wedding or the groom and groomsmen's attire. Consider a simple bow or a creative way to incorporate the ribbon into the floral arrangement.

With these materials gathered, you'll be well on your way to crafting beautiful wedding boutonnieres.

Assemble the flowers: Trim stems, add accents and greenery, then wrap in tape

Now that you've gathered your flowers and greenery, it's time to assemble them into a beautiful boutonniere. The first step is to trim the stems to your desired length. An ideal stem length to work with is 2-3 inches, but you can always trim more later if needed. Make sure to remove any leaves from the lower parts of the stems and keep them clean.

Next, it's time to get creative and arrange your flowers and greenery. Start with your statement bloom, which could be a rose, a pansy, or a calla lily, and add your additional accents and greenery behind it. Play around with the arrangement until you're happy with the way it looks. You can also add an accent flower or a sprig of greenery in front for extra depth and texture.

Once you've created your mini bouquet, it's time to secure it in place. Wrap all the stems tightly with floral tape, which will help prevent the flowers from wilting. Floral tape is specially designed for this purpose and is a must-have for creating boutonnieres. If you don't like the look of the tape, you can cover it with a ribbon.

Finally, neatly trim the stems of your boutonniere to the one-inch mark. This will ensure that the boutonniere sits nicely on the lapel of the wearer's jacket. You can use pins to affix the boutonniere to the jacket, and then you're ready to admire your handiwork!

Finishing touches: Add ribbon, if desired, and secure with a pin

Finishing Touches: Adding Ribbon to Your Wedding Boutonnière

Step 1: Prepare the Ribbon

Hold the ribbon at the top of the stem, pinching the top and letting the ribbon hang vertically down the length of the flower stems. You want the ribbon to hang a few inches below the bottom of the stems.

Step 2: Wrap the Ribbon

Fold the ribbon under the bottom of the stems and twist the boutonnière, all while still pinching the top. The ribbon should twist perfectly around the stems and end just underneath the flowers. Cut off any extra ribbon.

Step 3: Secure the Ribbon

Take a boutonnière pin and push it up into the stem of one of the flowers. If part of your pin sticks out, cut the end with wire cutters. You can also use hot glue to secure the ribbon: place a dot of hot glue on the back of the boutonnière where the flower meets the stem, and wrap all the way to the bottom. Place another dot of hot glue on the tip of the end to hold the ribbon in place.

Step 4: Pin the Boutonnière

Use the pins to affix the boutonnière to the lapel of the wearer's jacket. If you are concerned about the sharp point of the pin, you can cut the sharp part of the pin with wire cutters or put a rubber earring back on it.

Timing: Make them the morning of the ceremony, or the night before

If you're making your own wedding boutonnieres, the best time to assemble them is the morning of the ceremony. This way, you can ensure the flowers are as fresh as possible and avoid the risk of them wilting. Simply store the finished boutonnieres in a cool, dry place until they need to be worn. Do not put them in the fridge.

If you're short on time on the morning of the wedding, you can also make the boutonnieres the night before. To do this, leave the stems exposed and place the assembled boutonniere in a shallow cup of water. Then, leave it in a cool, dry place overnight, again avoiding the fridge.

Either way, you'll want to make sure you have all the materials you need ahead of time. This includes your chosen blooms, floral scissors or stem cutters, pins, floral tape, and ribbon (optional). The floral tape is essential, as it helps to prevent the flowers from wilting by sealing the stems. If you want to cover up the floral tape, you can add a ribbon and secure it with a pin.

On the day of the wedding, simply attach the boutonnieres to the lapels of the wearers' jackets using the pins. This is a great way to save money on your wedding and add a unique, personal touch to your bridal party's outfits.

Frequently asked questions