Posted by
While having dinner with my future sister and brother-in-law, the talk, of course, turned to wedding planning. I mentioned that, when I was a wedding photographer, I noticed that there were always these two most awkward moments of every wedding…
- Cake cutting. No one knows how to cut a cake in unison. Why would you? When has the occasion ever arisen where you had to do that, outside the context of a wedding?
-
How to pin a boutonniere. There are very few people who know wtf to do with a boutonniere, or how to pin them without being all sad and droopy seconds later.
23 alternative boutonnieres for offbeat grooms
For the most part, boutonnieres can be often over-looked and under-whelming. But the same can not be said for the boutonnieres I've got rounded up... Read more
Unless you went a butt-ton of proms, or been a groomsman in every wedding, you probably have no idea how to properly pin a flower on to yourself or someone else. I would watch from behind my camera as everyone flailed about, trying to find that ONE person who knew what to do.
That's when my sister-in-law chimed in, “That was me! I was that person! I always do the boutonnieres of every wedding, because I know the secret trick.”
“Secret trick? Do tell…” I said, leaning in, thinking of you guys.
“Well, how long do you need that floral boutonniere to look good? For a few hours, right? My secret to pinning perfect floral boutonnieres to stab the flower through the bud. Fuck the bud! You don't need that flower to last forever. And when you stab it through the bud, it keeps the flower from drooping and looking awkward. Fuck the bud.”
“Oh my god, fuck the bud.”
“The people need to know about fuck the bud.”
And that's why I'm telling all y'all. On your wedding day (if you have floral boutonnieres) eliminate that particular awkward moment of everyone getting flustered when they realize they don't know how to correctly pin a boutonniere, and remember to fuck the bud.
About the Author: Megan Finley Horowitz
When Megan's not writing, traveling, and sleeping, she's eating like the fate of the world depends on it. (You're welcome, world!) You can snoop into her personal life over on her website The Dash and Dine!
Oh man, you have no idea how many times in my Past Life as a wedding photographer I would have to put down my camera and show an entire wedding party how to pin a boutonniere (can we just call them shirt flowers? I hate french…). Of course, that was after the pictures where they pretended to put them on, of course. :p
Oh trust. I have EXACTLY the idea of how many times. 😉
I do the “Up then Down” maneuver. (I also carry a ton of extra pins). Place bout. Lift lapel. Pin from stem to stern and then from stern to stem. Also if all else fails, do the “X” on the back of the lapel. I then require the groomsmen to to spin and shimmy to make sure it’s secure.
On the subject of cake cutting, we were advised by some friends to practice. We found that our natural inclination was for me to put my hand under his on the knife, but for him to apply the force. That doesn’t work well, as the result is me making a face of pain as my hand gets crushed against the knife. On the actual day I instead rested my hand on top of his and let him do the work without my involvement.