Boutonnieres and corsages galore.

Erin – A couple of questions we are often asked are “What is the difference between a boutonniere and a corsage?” and “Who do we give a boutonniere or corsage to at our wedding?” Many brides want to know what the “rules” are to avoid leaving any one out.


Jess - It is confusing. Well, as for what is the difference, a boutonniere is designed for a man to wear so is usually more simple, just a single bloom such as a rose and some greenery. A corsage can be a pin on for the lapel, a wrist corsage or a pin on for a purse/clutch and these are designed for women and are a little more floral and decorative.


Erin – Corsages and boutonnieres are given to any one attending the wedding that is a “guest of honour” or someone very special or close to the bride and groom. Typically the entire wedding party has flowers. All the woman including the bride, maid of honour and bridesmaids, are carrying bouquets so then we give the groom and all of the groomsmen a boutonnieres. Moms, Dads, Grandparents and any brothers and sisters that are not in the wedding party also get flowers. This is usually the minimum. Other people to consider are the Master of Ceremonies, any out of town guests, god parents and aunts and uncles. Of course the list can go on and on and you have to draw the line somewhere so a good rule of thumb is – if they are going to be in the professional photos taken that day, they should have a corsage or boutonniere.

Jess - Now keep in mind that rules are made to be broken (and we are all in favour of that at Periwinkle!)- I’ve seen bridesmaids wear wrist corsages instead of carrying bouquets (nice idea if there are lots of bridesmaids, and works well if your wedding style is a little more off beat than traditional). Lots of Mother’s of the Bride and/or Groom are opting out of corsages, preferring to carry a small clutch of flowers instead, or even a single rose with a simple ribbon that they carry only for the ceremony and photos and then set down for the evening. Many grooms are more involved in the planning these days and are asking us for more minimal boutonnieres, a cluster of berries for example instead of an actual flower- all lovely and all interesting takes on the norm.