Ladies Corsages Explained!
If you’ve managed to work out the seemingly elusive answer to how many men’s buttonholes you need, then you should probably take a moment to consider the ladies corsages. You may not even know what they are and it can be a bit of a minefield when it comes to floristry jargon, so let me try and help unravel this mystery for you. The last thing you want is to get to your wedding day and realise you’ve left someone out… I have sat in the car before now, making extra buttonholes on someone’s wedding day! Not everyone wants one, but it’s worth asking!
The Jargon:
Corsage – Essentially this is a ladies’ version of a buttonhole which they can pin to their lapel or dress. They’re often slightly different to the men’s buttonholes, with a small cluster of flowers rather than 1 big bloom.
Wrist Corsage – A single flower or cluster of flowers arranged on a bracelet/ ribbon which can be worn on the wrist.
Handbag Corsage – A cluster of flowers designed to be attached to a handbag.
This comes from the voice of experience; you want to make sure you’ve ordered the right thing. I had a client order a ‘dress corsage’ thinking they had ordered a wrist corsage only to discover they had ordered a corsage to pin on a dress. (Don’t worry, I swapped it over for them!)
So, time for some tips and inspiration…
- Traditionally corsages are worn upside down on the right lapel and consist of a small cluster of flowers and although people still like making the ladies’ corsages a little bit different, these days less people are wearing them upside down or on the right side.
- You can make the corsages exactly the same as the men’s buttonholes as let’s be honest, traditions went out the window a long time ago!
- If you do want to make them more feminine going for something like a cluster of spray roses with a smaller filler flower and a bit of greenery looks pretty.
- Wrist corsages can be made on ribbon or various bracelets depending on what goes with their outfit, including pearl or diamante bracelets. You can even have them on snap bracelets. (You know those things you used to snap on your wrist as a kid?!) The pearl and diamante bracelets tend to come in a couple of sizes, but the ribbon or snap bracelets may be a better option if you’re worried about it being the right size, as you can have them as tight as you want.
- They may prefer to have some flowers gripped in their hair if they are not keen on a traditional corsage.
- Check out my video on how to attach buttonholes and corsages!
NOTE: If the material of the ladies’ dress is flimsy or delicate, a corsage worn on the lapel is likely to pull down the material and even damage the outfit. It is fine if they are wearing a jacket or dress made from a stiffer material, otherwise a wrist or handbag corsage is a better option.
P.S. I always thought it was ‘mindfield’ not ‘minefield!’ Maybe it is a minefield in your mind at this stage in your wedding planning?!
Wondering who you should buy buttonholes and corsages for? See my previous blog for help on this.
