Wedding Wednesdays Q&A: Are Boutonnieres Necessary?

Q: I’ve been talking to some florists for my wedding and they’re all asking me what I need.  I’m not sure what I need, in particular things like boutonnieres and corsages.  I’m trying to keep the flowers simple to save some money.  Do I need boutonnieres?  Are they necessary?  

Lots of good questions here, so thank you for sharing.  Before I dive into the answers, I think there is one important item I need to address and that is the budget side of things.

I know budgets are hard and sticking to them is even harder.  Part of that process is finding areas to compromise.  And your wedding flowers are certainly one area to do that.

But, keep an open mind when you’re talking about design and flowers.

Your idea of “simple” may not actually be simple.  

There may be more costs involved than you realize and you may find that doing something else instead would be more cost effective.  So, just be open to suggestions from your wedding vendors.

With that being said, let’s answer your question.  Do you need boutonnieres?

The answer is no.

It’s not mandatory just like flowers in general, are not mandatory.  Yes, you’ll typically see boutonnieres at weddings, but you don’t have to have them.

In case you aren’t familiar, boutonnieres are pinned to a suit or tux lapel, so they’re typically for men.  You’ll usually see them on the groom, groomsmen and any other men you want to call out.

There are also women who can have a pin-on boutonniere as well like mothers or grandmothers.  But, you definitely don’t have to these either.

If you don’t feel the need to give the men or family any flowers, then you certainly don’t have to have boutonnieres.  You can create a non-flower boutonniere instead or just do nothing at all.  It’s totally up to you!

(Photo credit: Arrowood Photography)

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