Top Tip from your local Warwickshire Wedding Photographer

One of the most common cause of confusion in all the weddings that I have covered, since I started in 2011. So here I will break it down simply - how do you wear a corsage and how do you attach a buttonhole at a wedding?

What is a corsage?

A corsage is a small bundle of flowers, which come in various forms, but the two most popular versions are 1) formed as a bracelet to be worn on the wrist, or 2) designed to be fastened with a pin to an outfit.

They are typically worn by the bridal party and more commonly by mother's of the bride and groom with the pinned version being the most popular; bridesmaids will usually have a bouquet of flowers to carry, otherwise the bracelet corsage is also a popular option.

How do you wear a corsage?

For bracelet corsages, these are worn on either wrist - which wrist is a matter of preference. For pinned corsages, these are usually fastened to the lady's outfit, dress or jacket, on the chest on the right hand side (the opposite side to men's buttonholes) and traditionally upside down - that is, the flowers are pointing downwards, and the stem is pointed upwards.

Having said that, I've been to many weddings where it is preferred to have the corsage the "right way up" and also on the left hand side - so I guess as long as all ladies are matching, it doesn't really matter.

How do you wear a buttonhole?

Most people will know what a buttonhole is - the small flower that the groom wears on his jacket (and often the bestman and ushers too, as well as the fathers of couple). The groom's version is usually different to the others, and is a bit bigger or fancier. Despite their name, it is important to understand that the buttonhole is not worn in the button hole of the jacket! This is a common mistake that I see at a lot of weddings, where the stem has been pushed through the jacket collar button hole, right up near the shoulder.

The correct placement of the buttonhole is on the lapel of the jacket at the chest, over the heart, on the left hand side (opposite side to the ladies corsage), and typically just above and to the side of the chest pocket or pocket square of the jacket. It will be fastened to the lapel usually by a pin, or magnets can also be used. If nothing else is at hand, safety pins will do at a pinch. In my experience, magnets are useless, and are often not strong enough to hold a buttonhole.

If you are using synthetic flower buttonholes, please make sure you order some pins too; florists however, will typically provide pins with real flowers.

How do you pin a buttonhole (and corsage)?

To fasten a buttonhole, it is by far the easiest if someone does it for you - I've seen countless gentlemen trying to pin their own buttonhole on their own jacket, and it's very awkward to do so, looking down at your chest and fiddling with the stem, the pin and your lapel.

Sometimes, a buttonhole will have been crafted with a safety pin or magnet pre-attached, in which case use these to fasten directly to the jacket lapel. More commonly, you will need a pin:

1) Take the pin and pass it through the lapel from behind (from the fold between jacket and lapel), and the sharp bit of the pin should be pointing outwards. If your pin has a little jewelled embellishment that you want to be visible, then pinch a bit of fabric in the lapel and pass the pin through the pinch from the outside of the lapel so that the jewel stays visible.

2) If the stem is not too thick, the most stable way to pin the buttonhole is to pierce the pin through the top of the stem, very close to the flower (or else it will not hold the weight of the flower, and you will have a droopy or floppy buttonhole). If the stem is too thick, or your pin is not sharp or strong enough, then push the pin back through the lapel, creating a little loop for the stem to sit in - insert the stem through the loop you've created and have the buttonhole nestle into it, the bottom of the flower should be practically sitting on the metal pin.

3) Finally, make sure you tuck the pointy bit of the pin back through the lapel, so that it safely rests between the fold of the lapel and the jacket - this should avoid any pin pricks through the day.

I hope that was useful!

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