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The blushing Bride has her beautiful bouquet and the proud groom has his bold boutonniere. A boutonniere is a tasteful nosegay (which, admittedly, already sounds like a contradiction in terms) that the Groom and his Attendants pin to the label of their tuxes or suits. Nosegay, by the way, (now there's a manly word if ever we've heard one) is simply a dense, compact, and usually round-shaped bouquet, often comprised of just a single blossom. Fortunately for us guys, picking out the right boutonniere is easier than you might think. It all depends on one thing as always: Her.

The primary criterion above all others for selecting the right boutonniere for you is that it matches the color of your Bride-to-be's Bridal bouquet, which leads to the inevitable conclusion that either the boutonnieres can't be chosen until after the bridal bouquet is, or that both the boutonniere and bridal bouquet be chosen together at the same time. Stick to this one simple rule, fellas, and you can't really go wrong from there.

In fact, you don't even need to think much beyond the bridal bouquet at all to find the right flower for your boutonniere. Instead of trying to find one that color-matches the bouquet, why not simply select one of the exact same flowers from the bouquet to be the centerpiece of the boutonniere. Even easier, pick the primary flower in the Bridal bouquet. And there you go. It's a done deal. (And that was the hard part.)

The most typical boutonniere is a small rose with a branch of an herb called Gypsophila (better known as Baby's Breath), nestled into a bit of leafy greenery with a pin or a magnet affixed to its back. Other flowers popularly used in boutonnieres are:

* Stephanotis
* Freesia
* Miniature Carnations
* Orchid
* Tulip
* Lily
* Calla Lily
* Lily-of-the-Valley with some Bay Leaves
* Gardenias

But as you probably already know, you are never restricted to any standards of convention if you don't want to be. You can have a cactus in your boutonniere if you wish.

The theme, location, and timing of the wedding can inspire a bit of creativity in composing your boutonniere. For example, a boutonniere for a summer wedding might include a sprig of herbs. A boutonniere for a wedding with a rustic theme or held in an outdoor locale may include a bundle of mini-pinecones, acorns or ferns.

In a "standard" wedding (if there even is such a thing anymore) it's usually all of the men in the wedding party that's Groom, Father of the Groom, Groomsmen/Attendants, Ushers who wear boutonnieres.

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