Silk Wedding Boutonnieres: What to Know Before You Order

Silk Wedding Boutonnieres: What to Know Before You Order

A boutonniere is a small thing with a surprisingly big job. It connects the groom and groomsmen to the overall floral design of the wedding, signals who belongs to the inner circle of the wedding party and shows up in almost every formal portrait of the day.

Getting it right matters more than most couples realize during early planning. 

Silk boutonnieres have become a genuinely practical choice for couples who want consistent results without the fragility and expense that come with fresh flowers.

Here is what to know before you order.

What Makes a Wedding Boutonniere Work (and What Makes Them Fall Apart)

A well-made boutonniere does three things. It holds its shape all day, it coordinates with the rest of the floral design, and it sits cleanly on the lapel without becoming a distraction.

Fresh flower boutonnieres can struggle on all three counts. They are delicate, they wilt in warm venues, and they require careful handling throughout a day that involves hugs, handshakes, and general movement, that fresh petals do not always survive gracefully.

A typical wedding needs four to eight boutonnieres: one for the groom, three to five for groomsmen, and one to two for fathers. At fresh flower prices that often run $15 to $40 per piece, that adds up quickly for something that needs to look polished from morning portraits through the end of the reception.

Silk boutonnieres hold their shape and color across that entire window without requiring refrigeration, special handling, or last-minute touch-ups.

For groomsmen who may be less careful with a floral piece than the bride is with her bouquet, the durability factor alone makes silk worth considering.

Why Silk Boutonnieres Are Gaining Popularity for Weddings

The shift toward silk boutonnieres is not just about cost, though the cost argument is real. It is also about consistency.

When you order six matching silk boutonnieres from the same collection, all six arrive looking identical. With fresh flowers, achieving true consistency across a set of boutonnieres assembled on the morning of the wedding is genuinely difficult, even for experienced florists.

There is also a practical argument around the wedding morning itself. Fresh boutonnieres need to come out of refrigeration and be pinned carefully, which takes time and coordination when everyone involved is already managing a busy schedule.

Silk boutonnieres can be laid out and distributed at any point without any of that logistical pressure.

Something Borrowed Blooms offers boutonnieres across their collections, starting at a rental price of $6 to $8 per piece. That makes outfitting a full wedding party a fraction of what fresh alternatives would cost.

Because the boutonnieres are designed within the same collections as the bridal bouquets and bridesmaid bouquets, the coordination between the bride's flowers and the groomsmen's lapels happens naturally rather than requiring extra effort to match separately sourced pieces.

On average, couples who rent silk florals save around 70 percent compared to fresh.

Styles: Classic, Modern, Garden and Rustic

The style of boutonniere that works best depends on the overall wedding aesthetic and the formality of the attire.

Classic boutonnieres are single-bloom or minimal arrangements. They typically feature a rose, ranunculus, or similarly structured flower with a small amount of greenery. They suit traditional and formal weddings well and photograph cleanly against a dark suit or tuxedo.

Modern boutonnieres tend toward cleaner lines. They sometimes feature architectural blooms or a single striking element rather than a mixed arrangement. The Zayah Boutonniere  from Something Borrowed Blooms, which features a single calla lily, is a good example of a contemporary take that feels intentional without being overly complex.

Garden-style boutonnieres have a looser, more gathered quality. They use mixed textures and a less structured silhouette, which suits outdoor ceremonies, garden venues, and bohemian aesthetics particularly well. Collections like Jane and Marlowe lean in this direction.

Rustic boutonnieres often incorporate dried or textural elements alongside florals. They have a more organic, handcrafted quality that works well for barn venues, fall weddings and casual outdoor settings.

Alternative: The Pocket Boutonniere

Not every groom wants something pinned to his lapel. Not every jacket makes pinning easy either.

The pocket boutonniere is a clean alternative that solves both.

Instead of a pin, the arrangement sits in a clear sleeve designed to slip straight into the breast pocket of a suit.

It gives the same polished, coordinated look as a traditional boutonniere with none of the fuss of pinning. There is also no risk of marking a fine jacket.

Something Borrowed Blooms offers pocket boutonnieres within their named collections, so they coordinate with the rest of your florals just like the standard styles. The Kate pocket boutonniere, with its blue hydrangea and soft greenery, is a good fit for a romantic palette, while the Kinsley pocket boutonniere leans warmer and more colorful for a wildflower feel.

Pocket styles run a little more than the standard pinned boutonnieres, but they are still a small line item. They are a natural choice for grooms in linen suits, casual blazers, or any jacket without a buttonhole.

How to Coordinate Boutonnieres With Bridal Party Florals

The simplest approach is to order boutonnieres from the same named collection as the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets. 

Something Borrowed Blooms designs their boutonnieres to share the floral language of the wider collection, so the Kate boutonniere, for example, coordinates naturally with the Kate bridal bouquet and Kate bridesmaid bouquets without requiring any extra matching work.

One common approach is to make the groom's boutonniere slightly more distinctive than the groomsmen's, even within the same collection. This might mean the groom wears the Audrey boutonniere while the groomsmen wear the Classic White, which are within a similar palette but have a different level of detail.

It is a subtle way to distinguish the groom visually in group photos.

Who in the Wedding Party Typically Wears a Boutonniere?

The groom always wears one. Groomsmen and the best man are standard.

Fathers of the bride and groom are typically included. Ring bearers old enough to handle one without incident can wear a smaller version.

Beyond the core wedding party, some couples extend boutonnieres to grandfathers, officiants, ushers, or any other people in a role of honor.

The general principle is the same as with corsages. Boutonnieres signal that someone is part of the inner circle of the wedding, distinguishing them from general guests.

Silk Boutonniere Options From Something Borrowed Blooms

The boutonniere collection includes options across most of the named collections, giving you a wide range of styles and palettes to work with. 

Standout options include the Kate boutonniere for a classic look, the Zayah boutonniere for something more modern, the Kinsley boutonniere for warmer, richer tones and the Marlowe boutonniere for a softer garden quality.

Classic options in white, pink and red are also available for couples who want a straightforward, timeless boutonniere that complements a wider range of color schemes without being tied to a specific collection palette.

Ordering Boutonnieres as Part of Your Floral Rental

Boutonnieres are added to your order the same way as any other piece in the Something Borrowed Blooms catalog. 

They ship with the rest of your floral order and return with the same packaging after the wedding.

Check out our How It Works page, which covers the full rental process, including timelines and what to expect on delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions About Silk Wedding Boutonnieres

Do Silk Boutonnieres Look Realistic in Photos?

At the quality level Something Borrowed Blooms offers, yes. They hold their color and texture under all lighting conditions, including the bright outdoor light typical of afternoon portrait sessions.

They will not droop, brown, or lose petals between the ceremony and the end-of-night photos.

Should the Groom's Boutonniere Match the Groomsmen's Exactly?

Not necessarily. Making the groom's boutonniere slightly more elaborate within the same palette is a common approach that maintains visual cohesion while still distinguishing the groom in group portraits.

Can I Order a Mix of Boutonniere Styles for Different Members of the Wedding Party?

Yes. Ordering a slightly different boutonniere for the groom versus the groomsmen, or for the fathers versus the groomsmen, is completely normal and easy to do within the Something Borrowed Blooms catalog.

How Do You Attach a Boutonniere to a Lapel?

All of Something Borrowed Blooms’ boutonnieres come with a pin attached, making it easy to attach through the back of the lapel fabric.

Are There Boutonniere Options for Men Not Wearing Traditional Suit Jackets?

Yes. For grooms in linen suits, casual blazers or non-traditional attire, the pocket boutonniere style, which sits in the breast pocket rather than being pinned to the lapel, has become increasingly popular and requires no pins at all.