I love boutonnières. Done right, they are a spark of color to brighten a stunning masculine look; a bit of the peacock on a classic structured suit. So for Flower Friday I went looking for wonderful examples to share. What happened is that I kept running across examples that should more rightly be labeled as “what not to wear.” Maybe I am just in a snarky mood today, or maybe I was just looking with a more discerning eye; but here goes. Care to come along for the ride?

Pretty in Pink I do not care if your wedding is a Barbie like explosion of pink, do not force your boys to wear pink velvet on their bouts. Not to mention that if that lily bud blooms out during the course of the day it is going to be so big that it will smack him in the face every time he moves his head.

Pink Bout with velvet ribbon

Tulle? Oh no you did not! Tulle? Really. Bouts are for men, on what planet is tulle even close to masculine?

Bout or Corsage? Small is the way to go. This is big enough to pin on you Grandmama. Oh wait, maybe they thought this was Grandmama, look at how low that thing is pinned! The bout should be just at or slightly covering the lapel notch, not over their nipple!

Ok enough snarking. Here are two that were done really well. They are both classic, elegant and masculine. Neither is so large as to overwhelm, just that little touch to bring your groom’s look to spectacular.

White Orchid Boutonnière

Cymbidium Orchid Boutonnière with Copper Wire Accents