Okay, here’s my story about making boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen for a buddy’s wedding.
So, my best friend, let’s call him Mike, was getting hitched. And guess what? He asked me to be his best man! Of course, I said yes. Then came the fun part – planning all the little details. We decided to go the DIY route for the boutonnieres to save some cash and add a personal touch. I was like, “Sure, why not? How hard can it be?”
First things first, we needed to pick the flowers. Mike’s fiancée, Sarah, had already chosen her bouquet, so we just went with similar flowers to match. We hit up a local flower market – man, that place was a riot of colors! We grabbed some roses, a few sprigs of baby’s breath, and some greenery for filler. I made sure to get enough for Mike, the groomsmen, and a couple extra, just in case I messed up. You never know, right?
Next up, supplies. We needed floral tape, some ribbon, and those little pins to attach the boutonnieres. We found all of that at a craft store. I also grabbed a pair of scissors and some wire cutters, which, thankfully, I already had at home. We were all set.
Alright, time to get down to business. I watched a few online tutorials, just to get a basic idea. Then, I started by trimming the flowers. I cut the stems to about three inches long and removed any extra leaves. Tip: Leave a few leaves near the bloom for a more natural look. I also made sure to remove any thorns from the roses – nobody wants a bloody suit!
Then, I started assembling the boutonnieres. For Mike’s, I used a single, perfect rose as the main flower, surrounded it with a bit of baby’s breath and some greenery. I held them together tightly and wrapped the stems with floral tape. This part was a little tricky. The tape is sticky, and it took me a few tries to get it right. Once the stems were secured, I wrapped them with a nice satin ribbon that matched the wedding colors. It was a nice touch, I must say.
For the groomsmen, I did something similar but a bit smaller. I used smaller roses and less filler. I wanted Mike’s to stand out, you know? Each boutonniere took me about 10-15 minutes. Not too bad, once I got the hang of it.
Here’s a list of what I did, step-by-step:
- Trimmed the flower stems to about 3 inches.
- Removed extra leaves and thorns.
- Arranged the main flower, filler, and greenery.
- Wrapped the stems tightly with floral tape.
- Covered the tape with a decorative ribbon.
- Made sure they could attach with a pin.
On the big day, the boutonnieres looked great! Everyone loved them, and they matched the overall wedding theme perfectly. They lasted the whole day, too, which was a relief. I felt pretty proud of myself, to be honest. It was a small detail, but it made a big difference. Plus, we saved a bunch of money by doing it ourselves. And we had a few laughs during the process, which is always a bonus.
So, yeah, making boutonnieres is totally doable. It’s a fun little project, and it adds a special touch to the wedding. If you’re on the fence about it, I say go for it! Just make sure you give yourself enough time and don’t be afraid to ask for help. And remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s the thought and effort that counts.
