Boutonnière - fashion or tradition?

Some men choose to wear them on their wedding day .... some don't.

Is it tradition or is it just a fashion statement?

Let's look into the origin a little deeper. Why a Boutonnière? - aka buttonhole if you're not french!

These fabulous little bursts of colour, worn in the left lapel buttonhole, were actually born in medieval times. Before knights headed off to battle, a lady admirer would give them a flower or scarf in a close enough colour to what she wore as a sign of affection. Knights wearing these gifts demonstrated they were supported in battle by a lady who adored him.

The tradition was known as "wearing a lady's colours."

Nowadays, a buttonhole is worn by the groom and his groomsmen and is matched to the bridal bouquets. A mini version of the bouquets essentially.

So, why do men wear a buttonhole at their wedding?

Wearing a buttonhole is often a way to demonstrate their ties to the bride and bridal party. It is also a nice fashion statement to pull the overall styling concept together for the wedding.

So in summary, it is both tradition and a fashion statement!

Whether you are planning to involve buttonholes at your wedding or not is totally up to you! As a wedding planner, we work with our couples to figure out whether it's a must have or a bonus if the budget allows. We then source suppliers accordingly.

Here are a few images of buttonholes that we absolutely love from some of our creative suppliers!