Wedding Boutonnières: To Pin or Not to Pin?

At Starbright Floral Design in New York Cit, roughly one in every fifteen weddings we get to participate in crafting are for same-sex couples. Each one comes with a unique pair of individuals, with love in their eyes and a desire to give their family and friends an event to remember.

To Pin or Not to Pin?

When it comes to boutonni�res, this is a pretty common question. Put your worries to rest, Starbright Floral Design will always include pins...whether or not you decide to use them. !

At one point, every suit lapel was made with the expectation of wearing a boutonni�re. If you happen to have a vintage suit in your closet, take a peek at the underside of the left lapel. You may find a flat loop about one inch below that buttonless buttonhole. This detail made it easy for a man of elegance to slip the stem of a boutonni�re flower through the hole and under the loop so that it stayed secure, sans pins. While the extra buttonhole persists as a menswear standard, the boutonni�re loop, unfortunately, seems to have faded into the past. Many suits today are designed without the boutonni�re loop or an open buttonhole. Not to worry! This is a situation that either your tailor or you, and some YouTube tutorials, can solve in no time.

But don't feel pressured to try your hand at tailoring in the days leading up to your big event! Boutonni�re flowers today are commonly reserved for special occasions; while a single bloom used to be common, now boutonni�res generally include at least three or more flowers, some type of greenery, as well as decorative ribbon for stem wrapping. With all that going on, it is not only acceptable, it is also more common, to wear your boutonni�re pinned to the outside of your lapel. About the only thing affected by the pins will be your suit.

Would you like more info about boutonni�res? The Gentleman's Gazette has provided a couple comprehensive articles full of the history, how-to, and general encouragement of the gentlemen's boutonni�re.

If the boutonni�re wants to be pinned to the jacket let the buttonhole placement guide you. Depending on the size of your arrangement, the bottom of the blooms in your boutonni�re should be level with, or not too far below, the extra buttonhole on your left lapel. The tips of the flowers shouldn't go above the seam where the collar and lapel meet, nor should they be below the extra buttonhole. Basically, if you've covered the extra buttonhole - you're good.

Starbright's designer, Patti Ann, put together three examples of light weight designs that may be worn pinned or tucked through the hole and loop.

1. Mini Dahlia, Thistle, and Seeded Eucalyptus : The dahlia and thistle in this boutonni�re represent strength and grace.

2. Mini Calla Lily, Seeded Eucalyptus, and Dusty Miller : Know you've picked The One? The calla lily symbolizes deep wisdom and intuition.

3. Ranunculus, Brunia, and Seeded Eucalyptus : And by selecting a boutonni�re with ranunculus, you'll be representing everlasting commitment and devotion.

This story is part of our special report: "Gay Marriage". Want to read more? Here's the full list.