Today, we’re going to be answering the question: who wears flowers at a wedding? It may not be at the top of your list – but it is more important than you might think!
Wedding corsages and boutonnieres (otherwise known as buttonholes) are the most common flowers worn by members of your wedding party on your big day. But who wears what? What do they look? What’s the etiquette? There’s no need to worry – we’ll be covering it all!
Wedding Flower Etiquette
Weddings can be overwhelming and besides the bride’s bouquet, you may not have even thought about what other flowers you may need for your wedding. Even down to a boutonniere for weddings, there’s a tradition you may want to follow. Let’s take a closer look.
Flowers are usually worn to symbolize who is an important member of your wedding party. It makes them easily identifiable on your big day, and it can make your bridal party or groomsmen feel special.
All flowers chosen should be similar to the bride’s bouquet and reflect the flowers she’s holding. For example, if she has a bouquet of red roses, a simple red rose in your buttonhole would work perfectly.
Who Wears Flowers at a Wedding?
You probably already know that the bride has her bouquet and the bridal party (i.e. maid of honor, bridesmaids, etc.) also have a smaller, similar bouquet to the bride. However, the flowers do not stop there.
The mother of the bride and the mother of the groom should be wearing flowers on the day.
And it doesn’t stop there! The groom, best man (or men), usher(s), father of the bride, father of the groom are all expected to wear matching flowers. Even page boy(s) can wear them.
It’s important to note that you may be having a man of honor, or a best woman – the same rules still apply to them!
What Flowers do They Wear at a Wedding?
So we know who needs to be wearing flowers – but what flowers should they be wearing?
The male members of the wedding party should be wearing the buttonholes or boutonniere. A boutonniere is a spray of flowers that you wear in your buttonhole. It can be a single flower, a bud, or something more extravagant. There’s no set rule as to how it should look, just that they’re all matching. The groom, best man, ushers, father of the bride, and father of the bride should all be wearing the same buttonhole.
The mother of the bride and the mother of the groom should be wear corsages. A corsage is a little more extravagant than a buttonhole. It usually ties around the wrist and is a much smaller version of the bride’s bouquet – but matching. However, it doesn’t need to be on the wrist – a corsage can be used to accessorize any outfit, anywhere. As long as it can be clearly seen, that’s the most important thing. Corsages are larger than buttonholes and usually contain far more detail.
Some brides and grooms decide to give everyone that attends their wedding a buttonhole. Although this isn’t traditional, it looks great in photos and gives your guests a keepsake from your wedding day. It’s the perfect way to make all your guests feel important at your wedding.
Who Pays for the Flowers at a Wedding?
If we’re looking at strictly tradition, the groom should be paying for all flowers for the wedding party, and in the church/ceremony venue. However, that’s quite an outdated concept now and I would advise the flowers coming out of whatever wedding budget you have.
If you’re wanting to know more information about the wedding flower etiquette in general, there’s a great article from Bride and Groom Direct which covers everything from the reception flowers, to the venue, and to the bouquet.
How to Wear Them
The buttonholes should always be worn on the left lapel of the suit. And if the mothers are wearing their corsages on their outfits, they should be displayed on the right side of their outfits.
Depending on whether you have a hole readily available in your suit, this will make a difference as to how you wear your boutonniere. If the hole is already there, simply push the stem of the flower through the hole and secure it with a pin.
However, some suits do not have this. If that’s the case, simply pin it to the fabric of your suit. It really is that simple! However it’s on display, it should always be on the man’s left.
If you’re looking to wear a bowtie or a cravat or incorporate a pocket square into your outfit, it’s usually a lovely idea to have the same color as the buttonhole. Everything matching does look beautiful in photos.
Should You Follow Tradition?
The answer to this is all down to the couple. My husband and I were not traditional at our wedding, at all. He had a buttonhole that matched my bouquet – and the flowers stopped there! I had artificial Walking Dead-inspired flowers…I did say it wasn’t traditional! No other family members wore flowers and that made it feel really special for me and my husband.
If you’re having a more traditional wedding, there is absolutely nothing wrong with following etiquette. And there is also nothing wrong with scrapping tradition and doing whatever you want to do – it is your wedding, after all.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped to answer the question of who wears flowers at a wedding. It’s important to do whatever feels right for you. Whether you opt for real or artificial flowers, flowers do add a lovely touch to your wedding and I would highly recommend it.
Did you have flowers at your wedding? If so, who wore what? Did every guest wear them, or just specific members of the wedding party? I would love to know any answers in the comments below.
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