How to Style Wedding Buttonholes

You may not know this, but the tradition for wearing buttonholes (or boutonnieres) at weddings can be traced back to Ancient Greece and Rome, where the male members of the wedding party would wear flowers pinned close to their heart, as it was believed to ward off evil spirits.

This tradition hit British shores in medieval times, although at that time men would wore one flower from the bride’s bouquet in order to demonstrate their everlasting love and commitment, rather than as a talisman against evil.

Modern buttonholes are now worn by all male members of the contemporary wedding party and have come on leaps and bounds from the tradition of simple carnations or roses. Boutonnieres are now an opportunity for a groom and his guys to assert a stylish flair, both complementing the theme of a wedding and injecting a certain personality to their individual outfits.

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Although many grooms are less than interested in choosing wedding flowers, it’s always worth getting their opinion on buttonholes since they will be sporting it throughout the big day. Are they comfortable wearing a big fluffy peony or would they prefer something a bit more rustic and rugged? Do they even want a floral buttonhole or would they prefer something more contemporary?

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Today there is a whole of variety of different types of buttonholes that gents can wear, that don’t rely on any form of floral attribute. From silk roses, to feathers; shells to pocket watches; origami patterns to Lego men; and from felt pinwheels to button buttonholes, the only limit is your own imagination.

It’s worth noting, however, that the modern man is not generally well versed in wearing a buttonhole. As such, for the sake of wedding photos everywhere that last into eternity, do make sure there is someone on hand to make sure that boutonnieres are affixed correctly so that they’re not upside down, back to front or drooping sadly from the lapel!

Featured Image Photo Credits: Buttonholes by Flowerwild, Iimage by Jose Villa