Beautiful Buttonholes

When you are thinking about wedding flowers for your Essex, Suffolk or Norfolk nuptials it's all too easy to focus on the bride's bouquet and the table arrangements. But just as important to the overall theme for your wedding are buttonholes for the groom and important gentleman guests including best man, fathers, page boys and ushers.

Buttonholes for gentlemen are far more than simply decorative, however – they are also highly symbolic. In medieval times, a gentleman would wear his lady's "colours" (often adopted from her family's coat of arms) over his heart on the left side of his chest, as a sign of his loyalty and affection. And it is believed that this may be why buttonholes are worn on the left lapel nowadays.

Just as a bride's bouquet has its origins in the carrying of symbolic plants (such as wheat or barley for fertility, herbs to ward off evil spirits, and so on) a groom's buttonhole is believed to have served a similar function, and is perhaps why wedding buttonholes have several elements to them, usually involving some non-floral elements such as foliage, rather than consisting of a single bloom.

With all this tradition and meaning behind them it's worth putting some significant thought into the design of your buttonholes. At Tolly's we are known for our attention to every last detail, so you'd expect us to put just as much care into the design of a buttonhole as to the bride's bouquet. In fact, we design bouquet, buttonholes and corsages together, to ensure that they all work harmoniously to achieve a unified theme.

To illustrate, we have hand-picked a selection of beautiful buttonholes and corsages that we have previously designed for couples in East Anglia, to give you just a taste of what's possible and to inspire you.

Pink

These elegant pink rose buttonholes and corsage look stunning with a pink and white themed wedding flowers display, and turn heads when attached to the lapel of a grey or black tux or suit. In this set, you see the use of some gypsophila which was used in the bride's bouquet and which helps to add something special. The design also features a bow of navy blue ribbon, to tie in with the colours used elsewhere in the wedding design, as well as creating a more masculine feel. Meanwhile, the corsage (bottom right) features some smaller and paler pink blooms, for a more feminine effect, while still maintaining a strong overall colour scheme.

Red

Red roses symbolise romance, as well as a being a popular choice for modern weddings. Teamed with cream or white, as in this example, it can also convey patriotic overtones, appropriate for a traditional English wedding.

Here, the red is used as a stunning contrast to the cream used for bridesmaids posies – but unity is maintained by using a similar shape and size of roses throughout. 

Orange and Yellow

Orange and yellow are exuberant colours – perfect for a celebration such as a wedding. These buttonholes and matching bouquet look stunning at a spring or autumn event and add a touch of brightness to your wedding attire. Here we have used a mid-green foliage which really makes those yellows and oranges pop for extra impact. 

Traditional White and Cream

If you’re looking for something more traditional and modest for your corsages and buttonholes, white or cream roses are ideal for the occasion. The challenge here is to achieve a look which is understated but not bland. Our designers have dressed these simple cream roses – a single, large rose for the groom and a cluster of smaller roses for the corsage – with deep green ivy for some dramatic contrast. These buttonholes look fabulous for any traditional, simple or countryside wedding.

Designed to match the theme of your wedding, buttonholes and corsages can be crafted from a huge selection of flowers and can be made to any specification. Alternatively, tell us the colour scheme you have in mind, and the overall atmosphere you are hoping to achieve, and let us propose a design for you.

Wedding Flowers Essex – click here to see some other examples of our work.