Wedding Buttonholes and Corsages: A Practical Guide

Start with the Right Flowers and Foliage

A buttonhole has to survive a long day pinned to a lapel, so choose flowers that hold their shape without water. Florist roses, spray roses, ranunculus, lisianthus, bouvardia and small freesia heads are all reliable. For something with a little more character, look at eryngium, astilbe, scabiosa, astrantia or a single blue thistle. Add hypericum berries, a sprig of rosemary, cinerea eucalyptus, soft ruscus, pistache or a rolled ivy leaf to give the design weight and texture.

Scale matters more than colour. A buttonhole should sit roughly 7–10cm across and 12–15cm long, including the stem. On a tall groom it can carry a generous rose and berries; on a child or a slim lapel, keep it to a single small bloom and one leaf. Corsages run a little larger, 10–13cm, because they are worn on the wrist or shoulder rather than beneath the chin.

If scent is part of your plan, rosemary, lavender, mint and jasmine work beautifully and smell better as the day warms up. Avoid lilies, which shed pollen onto pale fabric, and anything with a heavy, dusty stamen.

Wiring: The Skill That Holds Everything Together

Condition everything for at least twelve hours in clean, cool water with flower food before you start. Then work in a cool room and handle the blooms as little as possible.

• Hook wiring for round blooms. Push a 0.56mm (22 gauge) wire horizontally through the calyx, bend both ends down together and twist them into a single stem, then tape. This is the standard for roses, ranunculus and carnations.
• Single-leg wiring. Insert the wire up through the base of the flower head and out through the top, bend a small hook, then gently pull it back down so the hook sits hidden inside the petals. Ideal for hyacinths and heavy-headed blooms.
• Stem support. For spray roses and small buds with a usable stem, simply lay a 0.4mm (26 gauge) wire alongside the natural stem and tape both together. It stiffens without damaging the flower.
• Leaves and berries. Criss-cross two fine wires through the leaf or berry stem, twist, and tape.

Bind everything with gutta-percha or parafilm tape in green or a colour matched to the design, stretching the tape as you wrap so it seals to itself. Tape from just below the flower head downwards, keeping the binding tight and the finished stem slim — no thicker than a cocktail stick if you can manage it.

Making a Classic Buttonhole

Hold the main flower in one hand. Add an accent bloom or bud slightly lower and to one side, then two or three foliages behind and around it. Aim for a small, rounded fan rather than a flat cluster. Once you are happy with the shape, tape the group together just below the heads, then continue wrapping down the full length of the stem, finishing with a neat end.

Trim the stem on a sharp angle so it does not snag on fabric, and give the whole piece a light mist of water. If you are adding a decorative pin, thread it through the taped stem at this stage so it is ready to use.

Corsages: Wrist, Shoulder and Pin-On

A wrist corsage needs to sit comfortably without twisting, so build a compact cluster and mount it on an elasticated or ribbon-tied band, securing it with floral adhesive and covering the mechanics with a wrap of ribbon. Keep the back of the design smooth against the skin.

Shoulder corsages and pin-on designs should be feather-light. Wire every element, tape the group into a slim stem, then bend that stem into a gentle curve that follows the shoulder line. Two pins placed at an angle give far more security than one, and a hidden magnet is a clever alternative for delicate fabrics that will not take a pin.

Keeping Them Fresh From Ceremony to Last Dance

• Make them no earlier than the day before, and store them flat in a shallow box lined with tissue.
• Keep the box in a cool room or the fridge — but never near fruit, which releases ethylene and shortens flower life dramatically.
• Lay a small damp pad of cotton wool, taped to the reverse, behind larger corsages to create a little humidity.
• A light mist in the morning helps; do not soak the petals, especially pale ones, or you will invite bruising.
• Carry spares in the same box. Two extra buttonholes will save the day if a pin slips or a flower is crushed in a car.

Fitting and Pinning on the Day

Buttonholes sit on the left lapel, over the heart, stem pointing down. Push the pin up from behind, through the fabric and the stem, so the point faces away from the body. If the jacket has a real buttonhole, use it — it takes the weight beautifully.

For corsages, pin to the left shoulder or wrist, checking that the wearer can move their arm freely. Hand them out early, with a quick demonstration of how to pin, and keep a small box of pins with whoever is coordinating the day. A well-made buttonhole, fitted properly, will still look crisp when the dancing starts.