Corsages and Buttonholes: The Small Pieces That Get Photographed Most

They are the cheapest items on any floral order and among the most visible. A buttonhole sits at chest height in every photograph taken all day. A corsage is on a wrist that appears in every hug, every dance and every group shot.

Corsages and buttonholes get almost no planning attention and deserve considerably more. Here is everything worth knowing.

What they actually are

A buttonhole, also called a boutonniere, is a small floral piece worn on the left lapel. Traditionally a single bloom with minimal foliage, though modern designs are often more textural.

A corsage is a small arrangement worn on the wrist, pinned to a dress or jacket, or occasionally carried as a mini posy. Wrist corsages dominate in Australia because they do not damage fabric.

Both are wired or taped constructions rather than simply cut stems, which is why they cost more per flower than a bouquet.

When you need them

1. Weddings. Groom, groomsmen, fathers, grandfathers, ushers, and often mothers and grandmothers.
2. School formals and proms. The single biggest volume occasion in Sydney, concentrated in Term 4.
3. Debutante balls. Traditional and strict on styling.
4. Funerals. A single buttonhole for pallbearers or close family.
5. Graduations and award ceremonies.
6. Milestone birthdays and anniversaries. Particularly for the honoured guests at a family party.
7. Corporate events and conferences. For speakers, hosts and committee members.

Wrist versus pin corsages

Wrist corsage. Mounted on an elastic band, pearl bracelet or ribbon tie. No pins, no fabric damage, easy to wear all night. The default choice for formals.

Pin-on corsage. Traditional and elegant, but requires pinning through fabric. Not suitable for delicate or expensive material, and it can sag on lightweight dresses.

Mini posy or nosegay. Carried rather than worn. Excellent for anyone who dislikes things attached to them.

Handbag or clutch corsage. A neat modern alternative, attached to a bag strap.

Best flowers for corsages and buttonholes

These pieces need to survive hours of movement, body heat, hugging and dancing. Durability matters more than beauty.

Excellent choices:

• Spray roses and rose buds, the classic and most reliable
• Geraldton wax and thryptomene, both native and extremely tough
• Orchid blooms, especially cymbidium and dendrobium, which are superb
• Lisianthus, which looks like a rose and behaves better
• Carnation and mini carnation, genuinely durable and now available in beautiful tones
• Hypericum berries, waxflower and seed pods for texture
• Eucalyptus, olive leaf and native foliage
• Dried and preserved elements, which are effectively indestructible

Avoid: fully open peonies, sweet pea, hydrangea, poppies and anything heavy or delicate. They will not survive the night.

Waxflower deserves a special mention because it is a genuine workhorse in this category. Research from Curtin University on regulating the vase life of wax flowers with ethylene antagonists found treatment inhibited flower and leaf drop and extended life, which is exactly the property you want in something worn for eight hours without water.

Coordination and etiquette

Weddings. The groom’s buttonhole should reference the bridal bouquet, usually by repeating one focal flower. Groomsmen get a simpler version. Fathers and grandfathers get a simpler version again. Mothers typically get wrist corsages that tie to the overall palette.

Formals. Traditionally the corsage matches the dress and the buttonhole matches the corsage. Agree the colour in advance, since it is the whole point of the coordination.

Funerals. Keep it restrained. A single white rose or a native stem with minimal foliage.

Groups. If you are ordering for a bridal party or a formal group, order all corsages and buttonholes from one florist so the tones actually match. Two shops will not produce the same shade of blush.

Sydney pricing

• Simple buttonhole: $18 to $28
• Detailed or textural buttonhole: $30 to $45
• Wrist corsage, simple: $35 to $50
• Wrist corsage, elaborate: $55 to $85
• Pin-on corsage: $35 to $60
• Dried or preserved versions: $30 to $70, and they last indefinitely

Order at least three to five days ahead, and two to three weeks ahead during formal season in Term 4, when Sydney florists are at their busiest for this category.

Care and timing on the day

Corsages and buttonholes are made fresh, usually the day before or the morning of the event. Treat them properly and they will hold all night.

1. Collect or take delivery as close to the event as possible
2. Keep them in the fridge, not the freezer, in a sealed container or their box
3. Do not place them against the fridge’s back wall, where it is coldest
4. Mist very lightly with water if they need refreshing, never soak
5. Fit them as late as possible before leaving
6. For pin-on styles, pin from behind the lapel through the stem wrap, never through petals

A properly made and properly stored buttonhole will look good at midnight.

Practical notes for weddings

Count carefully. The buttonhole list always grows: groom, best man, groomsmen, both fathers, both grandfathers, ushers, the celebrant sometimes, and the readers. Confirm the final number six weeks out.

While you are working through the details, remember the legal framework runs on its own schedule. The NSW Government sets out the requirements for getting married in NSW, including the Notice of Intended Marriage, celebrants and witnesses. The one month notice period is the minimum timeline everything else, florals included, has to fit inside.

Making them last as a keepsake

Many people want to keep a corsage or buttonhole afterwards. Air drying works well: hang it upside down in a dark, dry place for two to three weeks. Pressing works for flatter designs. Silica gel preserves shape and colour best.

Alternatively, ask your florist to build in dried or preserved elements from the start, so part of the piece survives regardless of what the night does to it.

Ordering well

Give your florist the dress colour or a fabric swatch, the number of pieces, whether you want wrist or pin styles, and any preference for native or classic flowers. Ask for a sample or a reference photo if coordination matters.

Get those details right and corsages and buttonholes stop being an afterthought at the bottom of the quote and start being the small, sharp detail that makes a whole group look coordinated in every photograph.