Corsages and buttonholes are the smallest items a florist makes and the ones photographed at closest range all day.
They are also the pieces most likely to look tired by mid-afternoon, because a single small bloom pinned to a warm lapel has almost no water reserve. Which means the flower choice matters more here than in any bouquet.
Here is how to order them properly.
The Formats
Buttonhole (Boutonniere)
A single focal bloom with a small amount of foliage, wired or taped, worn on the left lapel.
Worn by: grooms, groomsmen, fathers, grandfathers, ushers, formal dates, funeral pallbearers.
The groom’s buttonhole is traditionally slightly larger or distinguished by one different element, so he reads as the groom in photographs.
Pin-On Corsage
A small cluster worn pinned at the shoulder or on a jacket lapel.
Worn by: mothers, grandmothers, honoured guests. Classic, but it does require pinning through fabric, which not everyone likes.
Wrist Corsage
A cluster mounted on an elasticated band, ribbon or beaded cuff, worn on the wrist.
Worn by: formal and school-dance attendees, mothers who would rather not pin, and anyone in delicate fabric.
This is now the most requested corsage format by a wide margin.
Handheld Mini Posy
A tiny bouquet instead of a corsage. Increasingly popular for mothers and for flower girls, and it avoids the pinning question entirely.
Bag or Belt Corsage
A small cluster clipped to a handbag or belt. Modern and practical.
Which Flowers Actually Survive
This is the whole game with corsages and buttonholes. A pinned flower has minimal water, sits against body heat, and gets hugged repeatedly.
Excellent, all day, no fuss: orchids (cymbidium, dendrobium, phalaenopsis), succulents, waxflower, thryptomene, leucadendron, banksia, gum nuts, carnations, spray carnations, statice, dried and preserved elements.
Good with care: spray roses, lisianthus, hypericum berries, alstroemeria.
Poor choices: gardenias (bruise if you look at them), open garden roses, hydrangea florets, sweet peas, anemones, ranunculus in heat.
My standing recommendation for a Sydney summer wedding: cymbidium orchid or a native element, with dried or preserved foliage. It will look identical at midnight to how it looked at 10am.
The Case for Dried and Preserved
This is the single best upgrade available for corsages and buttonholes, and most people do not know it is an option.
Dried and preserved pieces cannot wilt, cannot brown, and cannot bruise. They can be made weeks in advance, which removes an entire item from the wedding-morning critical path. And they are keepsakes afterwards.
Cost is comparable to fresh, sometimes slightly less. For an outdoor summer wedding, or a long day with a lot of travel between locations, dried is simply the better product.
A hybrid works too: dried foliage and pods with one fresh focal bloom added on the morning.
Fitting and Wearing
Buttonholes go on the left lapel, stem pointing down, secured with a pearl-headed pin from behind the lapel so no pin shows. Two pins for anything larger than a single bloom.
Pin-on corsages go on the left shoulder, flowers pointing up, pinned from underneath the fabric.
Wrist corsages go on the left wrist for right-handed wearers, so they are not crushed while eating or shaking hands.
Pack spare pins. Always. Pins go missing between the getting-ready room and the ceremony without fail.
Ordering for Different Occasions
Weddings
Count carefully. Groom, groomsmen, both fathers, grandfathers, ushers, readers, and often the celebrant. Then mothers and grandmothers for corsages.
It is normally more than people first estimate, and it is one of the most commonly under-ordered items.
While you are organising the day, do not lose sight of the paperwork. New South Wales requires a Notice of Intended Marriage lodged at least one month before the ceremony, and the state’s guide to marriage requirements in NSW sets out eligibility, documents and witnesses.
School Formals and Debutante Balls
Wrist corsages for the girls, buttonholes for the boys, usually matched to dress colour. Order two to three weeks ahead, because formal season is a genuine crunch period for florists.
Ask for robust flowers. A formal is a long night with a lot of dancing.
Funerals
Single-bloom buttonholes for pallbearers and immediate family. Usually white, cream or a colour the person loved. Restrained and simple.
Milestone Birthdays and Anniversaries
A corsage for the guest of honour is a lovely, old-fashioned touch that has largely fallen out of use. It works beautifully at a fiftieth or a ninetieth.
Pricing Guide
Buttonhole: $18 to $40 depending on the bloom and whether it is dried.
Groom’s buttonhole: $25 to $50, usually slightly more elaborate.
Pin-on corsage: $35 to $70.
Wrist corsage: $45 to $85, depending on the cuff.
Handheld mini posy: $45 to $90.
Dried versions: broadly comparable, sometimes slightly less.
The Craft Behind Them
Good corsages and buttonholes are a wiring and mechanics exercise. Each element is individually wired, taped, then assembled so the piece is light, balanced and will not shed. Done badly, it comes apart in an hour.
That technique sits on top of real plant knowledge: knowing which blooms tolerate being out of water and for how long. Western Sydney University’s horticultural science program covers postharvest handling, plant physiology and plant protection, which is precisely the understanding behind why an orchid survives a wedding and a gardenia does not.
It is also why a $30 buttonhole from a skilled florist outlasts a $30 one from a shop that does not wire properly.
Storage on the Day
Keep them in the fridge in a sealed container until an hour before wearing. Not the freezer, and not touching the back wall.
Do not store them next to fruit. Ethylene from ripening produce will finish a small flower piece quickly.
Dried versions need none of this, which is a large part of their appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead should I order corsages and buttonholes?
Two to three weeks for formals, and with the rest of your wedding flowers otherwise. Dried versions can be made months ahead.
Which flowers last longest in a buttonhole?
Orchids, natives, waxflower, carnations and anything dried or preserved. They will look the same at midnight.
Wrist or pin-on corsage?
Wrist, for most people. No pinning through delicate fabric and far less likely to be crushed.
Should the groom’s buttonhole be different?
Yes, subtly. Slightly larger, or one distinguishing element, so he reads as the groom in photographs.
Can they be made in advance?
Dried, yes, weeks ahead. Fresh, no. They are made on the day or the evening before and kept refrigerated.
How many do I need for a wedding?
More than you think. Count groom, groomsmen, both fathers, grandfathers, ushers, readers and the celebrant, plus corsages for mothers and grandmothers.
The Takeaway
Corsages and buttonholes get photographed at close range for hours, so choose flowers that can take it: orchids, natives, waxflower, or dried and preserved elements.
Order more than you think you need, go wrist rather than pin-on, pack spare pins, and keep them cool until an hour before wearing.
