Last time I introduced you to an emerging trend for grooms, the Pocket Boutonniere. This new classic combines the use of the traditional pin on flower and top pocket florish handkerchief into one stunning floral accent. They are easy enough to make which is a big plus for all you Recessionista Brides out there who are on a budget and looking for something not only unique and stylish but easy on the budget.

You will need to know the measurements of the jacket front pocket before creating this charming alternative to the boutonniere, but once you have that, the rest is easy. A piece of craft foam provides the base, much like the cardboard insert commonly used for the handkerchief point top traditionally used. Craft foam will grip to the inside of the pocket and hold the floral square into place. Then the fresh or silk flowers can be glued to the foam.

From there, you’re only limited by your imagination. A single row or multiple layers, you can create a great floral statement. And best of all, you’re not limited to selecting just one flower, you will be able to coordinate the groom’s floral pocket to his bride’s bouquet, match the groomsmen with the bridesmaids or even just pick up the foliage used in the bouquets and other floral décor.

Many grooms are wanting more complex boutonnieres these days. The groom’s boutonniere has long been a staple in the wedding flower industry, formal and not very chic. With bridal flowers and reception décor trending in so many creative directions, I personally think it’s time that the standard groom’s boutonniere gets its own moment to shine.

The traditional formal male attire includes both a pocket handkerchief and a boutonniere, especially for weddings or proms. A while back, I saw an article that combines both concepts into a Floral Pocket Square and I was instantly enchanted with the result. The possibilities are endless and the ability to create a one of a kind floral for the groom will add an additional personal touch to the overall effect of the wedding flowers. Not to menti on that it will hold up so much better through the ceremony, the pictures and the reception, giving the bridal couple another treasured piece of their wedding to preserve. And no worry at all about pin sticks or getting caught on the bride’s dress or worse, the bride herself. And this style of boutonniere gives you alot more flexibility about the types of flowers and greenery you can use.

Stay tuned — Next time I’ll tell you how to create one of these pocket boutonnieres.

Tulips always bring spring to mind and with the wide variety of colors available, they make a great addition to any spring wedding. A potential problem when using tulips, particularly as a wedding bouquet, is the fact that they reach for the light. That means they will bend and stretch towards any light source. So if you wanted a hand-tied bouquet of tulips to be straight, you will have to wire and tape the stems, otherwise, those tulips will not cooperate with you. If you don’t adjust for the growth, the tulips will grow and be taller than the other flowers, which isn’t an awful thing, unless you wanted all the flowers to be at the same height.

This is a bridesmaid bouquet with ivory roses, red ranunculus and purple tulips. These tulips are the single variety. In this example, where the tulips are in the middle of the bouquet, they are held in place by the other flowers surrounding them…they will not move and won’t require being wired.

This second picture shows the bridesmaid bouquets with purple tulips inserted into the middle of the bouquets again. These bouquets contain hydrangea, roses, mini callas, tulips and cymbidium orchids.

Here is an example of a centerpiece with pink tulips. This is a good example of the type of arrangement where you would want to insert your tulips shorter than you actually want them to be when you use the centerpiece. Typically, centerpieces are made a day or two in advance. In that day or two, the tulips will grow an inch.