 |
| Cary Grant could pull off anything, particularly a well-styled boutonniere. |
For
those of you dear readers who do not know, this week is Comcast’s “Watch-A-Thon”
week, meaning that it is the week when every special cable show is available on
demand. Yesterday, my husband and I decided to watch “Portlandia,” which always
makes us laugh.
One
“Portlandia” episode jokes about the city’s proclivity for putting birds on
everything. After my laughter subsided from Fred Armisen putting a bird sticker
on literally every object in sight (putting a bird on a bird is just funny!), I
was reminded of a time in my wedding planning when my mother and florist
encouraged me to put a flower on every element in my wedding.
Yep,
everything. Now, let me explain: I’m just not that into flowers. Oh, I like
them alright, but they’re not my favorite and I’d rather spend money elsewhere,
such as on monogrammed napkins (or just about any other monogrammed thing).
The
biggest issue we ran into during this floral meeting was their desire to put a
flower on my then-fiancé, now-husband. I readily admitted that he needed a boutonniere;
I wasn’t particularly against that. But what I was against was what the florist
recommended that boutonniere be made of: baby’s breath, several small roses and
a larger rose.
My
husband is 6’2’’, but even I knew that such an intricate boutonniere would be
overkill on his frame. My opinion was – and still is – that boutonnieres should
be simple.
Unless
a bride has other tastes and really wants to adorn her intended with an
intricate floral arrangement on his jacket, HJ usually agrees that when it
comes to boutonnieres, simpler is better. Here’s why:
Men
aren’t that into flowers: although we hate to generalize, flowers are typically
not on a guy’s radar. Usually, a groom or groomsman could care less about what
he’s handed to wear on his lapel. Because of this, spending a ton of money on a
boutonniere is likely wasteful.
Men
don’t take care of flowers: brides and bridesmaids carefully carry their
bouquets down the aisle and make sure that they’re laid delicately on the table
(or wherever) during the reception. Men aren’t this cautious. In fact, it’s quite
likely that all boutonnieres in a wedding will be destroyed by mid-reception. It’s
just too easy to put down a jacket in such a way that causes the flower to be
crushed or to have someone sit on or borrow a man’s jacket, giving little care
for the flower that adorns it.
Boutonnieres
aren’t the focus of a wedding: how many times have you heard how beautiful a
groom’s boutonniere was? Probably not many, and the same goes for all other
boutonnieres in a wedding. When it comes to flowers, boutonnieres are the very
last thing most guests focus on – perhaps because they too know that the men in
the wedding party could care less about flowers.
When
designing a boutonniere, HJ has a few recommendations:
Consider
size: a 6’2’’ man will dwarf a petite flower. If you insist on using a small
flower, use several to create a design that won’t be lost against a suit or tux
jacket.
Let
the groom stand out: using a different color or leaf in a groom’s boutonniere
allows him to stand out. This is essential for pictures, in which it can
sometimes be difficult to tell the groom and groomsmen apart. A distinct boutonniere
is a great way to allow a groom to be easily identifiable without much effort.
Worry
about a flower’s hardiness, but only to some extent: the flowers used in any
boutonniere only need to last through pictures. Survival past that point is a
bonus. Therefore, choose a flower that won’t immediately collapse, melt or fall
apart, but don’t concern yourself with choosing one that will last until the
end of time.
Happy
“Watch-A-Thon” week! Tonight, we’re going to start “Homeland,” which I doubt
will contain any floral references.
