Rosalie asks: “I’m getting married this summer and I’d like to know: who is supposed to wear a corsage and boutonniere?”
Dear Rosalie: It’s traditional to give corsages to the mothers of the bride and groom and the grandmothers. If you want to cast a wider net, you may wish to give corsages to the officiant, if female, the guest book attendant, soloist, and any other family members or friends you would like recognized (such as the godmothers, female candle lighters, female ring bearers, and female wedding coordinator). If family members or friends will be servers at the reception, they too may be included. This “second tier” of corsages can be smaller versions of the ones given to the “main” participants.
Boutonnieres, also called buttonholes, they should be worn by the groom, groomsmen, ushers, and the fathers of the bride and groom. If someone other than her father is escorting the bride down the aisle, he too should be given a boutonniere to wear. As an aside — and I’m not sure this applies to you — it is against military protocol to place anything on the uniform that hasn’t been supplied by the military, i.e., no boutonniere.
Readers, who do you think should be decked with flowers? Write your thoughts in the comments box below, or submit your own question to “The Wedding Guru” by E-mailing judy@hvmag.com.