Pinning a Boutonniere, Corsage

November 14th, 2006 Posted in Wedding Planning and Ideas

After carefully selecting the perfect wedding flowers and perhaps arranging them yourself, be sure not to stumble when it comes to pinning the boutonniere or corsage onto your best men and family members. Whether you personally do the pinning or pass this task on to someone else, the process is simple and easy to learn ahead of time. Flowers should be remembered for their beauty and charm. The last thing you want your bridal party to remember is how “Bob” was pricked from an accidental slip of the wrist. Sure, it may trigger some laughs when you look back on it, but shouldn’t other moments of your special day be more memorable?

Things to consider before attempting to pin:

  • Corsages are pinned on the right side and boutonnieres on the left. This way the flowers do not smash together when two people are dancing.

  • You may consider giving each woman the option of wearing her corsage on her dress or wrist. Some women may not want the flowers’ fragrances so close to their noses, while others may enjoy having their hands free for flashy jewelry or for hugging all the relatives, both current and new!

  • Corsages may be difficult to pin to certain dresses. For added support, the corsage can pinned through to the undergarment.

  • For wrist corsages, the flower bloom faces up the woman’s arm with the stem pointing toward her hand. They are typically worn on the left hand.

The pinning process:

  • Place the flower at a slight angle on the lapel or slightly under the dress neckline. The ideal position is 4 inches in from the tip of the shoulder, angling outward. Make sure the flower is evenly placed before pinning.

  • Position the pin on the inner side of the fabric, the side closest to the body.

  • Stick the pin through the fabric near the bottom left corner of the stem. The pin should be pushed in at an angle nearly parallel to the material to prevent it from clumping.

  • Run the pin along the stem to secure it in place.

  • The pin is then pushed back toward the inner side of the fabric.

  • To avoid poking the person, the pin should be reinserted through the material so that it sticks out approximately one inch, where it will lay at an angle over the top of the stem.

  • If using a decorative pin, you may want to show it off by starting the pinning process from the outer side.

Flowers may become slightly flattened during the pinning process. Not to worry, they can easily be fluffed up by hand. Once everything is in place, adjust the pin’s angle so that the flowers look even and well balanced.

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