Boutonnières are a traditional element of the wedding ensemble. Most often worn on the left lapel of a suit jacket or tux, they also hold significance; worn over the heart, they help to make the overall floral design of a wedding more cohesive. Boutonnières most often are made up of elements to match a bridal bouquet, or even incorporate elements from floral centerpieces. Simply put: It’s a small detail that makes a big impact.
If you’re planning a fall wedding, you may be searching for the ideal boutonnière design to match the season. “If you want your boutonnière to be reflective of the fall season, choosing traditional fall colors is the best place to start,” says Erice McNeff, floral designer and owner of Everbloom Floral Design. Fall color palettes can incorporate neutrals, Earth tones, and jewel tones. Or, they can even be entirely classic with a focus on black and white. Incorporating seasonal blooms and foliage for added texture is sure to dress up a boutonnière for the season.
Meet the Expert
Erice McNeff is a floral designer and the owner of Everbloom Floral Design, a floral design company in Southern California.
Ready to find the perfect boutonnière design inspiration for your wedding? Below, find 34 stunning boutonnières for a fall wedding.
Source Seasonal Plants
A great way to decide on a fall boutonnière design is to look to what's in season for guidance. "Primarily working with in-season foliage and flowers will make it easy to select from the colors naturally occurring during this season," says McNeff. With this boutonnière, that meant prominently featuring an in-season mum, paired with a touch of greenery and bunny tail.
Bring in Blush
Blush may not be the obvious color choice for a fall palette, but it lends itself nicely to the transitional months. Paired with the season's notorious sunset hues, the airy color offers a hint of freshness and levity. Just take everything at this at-home fall wedding in Upstate New York as evidence.
Start With a Rose
A safe bet for boutonnières, the sturdy stem of a rose and its full head of petals means it will withstand just about anything. Pair a single autumn-hued rose with an accent of leaves or berries to bring the entire fall look together.
Play With Pampas Grass
Pampas grass is often used for weddings with a more bohemian flair, but the color and shape of the dried grass make it the perfect option for a fall-inspired boutonnière, no matter your wedding style.
Skip Flowers Altogether
No interest in including flowers? No problem. McNeff suggests skipping them altogether if that's what you want. "I think fall is one of the rare seasons where you can get away without even having florals in the boutonnière," she says. "The textures and foliages of the season make for an interesting assortment without flowers."
Look to Leaves
A crisp white rose is appropriate for any season (it's incredibly timeless!). Add a fall leaf or two to give a simple nod to the changing autumn colors for a classic composition.
Choose Crimson
While yellow and orange hues often steal the show, crimson is another statement color for fall. Put together a beautiful arrangement of rich red foliage and flowers for a boutonnière that’s quintessentially fall. "Heuchera leaves are one of my favorite foliages and they work so well with fall palettes," notes McNeff.
Opt for Copper
An autumnal color palette can come to life in a variety of ways, from deep reds to bright oranges. Stick to a combination of warm tones with a boutonnière that includes copper, yellow, and pink accents.
Take on Texture
Fall boutonnières are certainly all about the colors incorporated. But even more, they're all about texture. "I think boutonnières are best made when they have lots of texture to them," says McNeff. "Using dried grasses like bunny tail or eyelash grass can be great accents."
Embrace the Colors of the Season
Choosing a fall-inspired color palette for boutonnières is a great place to start. "Burgundy reds, browns, yellows, and oranges all trigger strong ties to the fall season," says McNeff. This stunning composition incorporates bold fall hues, while also highlighting mums, which are in season during autumn.
Incorporate Succulents
Succulent wedding decor is here to stay, and boutonnières are no exception. The mini cacti hold up well and add an effortless, relaxed touch to the overall floral design of the day.
Wrap in Twine
While the blooms incorporated in this boutonnière are simple, it's the other details added to this arrangement we love. Wrapped in twine with a brown button, the stem of this boutonnière adds the perfect rustic touch for fall.
Don Dainty Flowers
By using dainty flowers, you’ll immediately have a darling boutonnière for fall. The addition of blue thistle paired with a textured linen wrapping made these boutonnières all the more picture-ready.
Extend an Olive Branch
Full yet surprisingly simple, a boutonnière composed solely of olive branches cut down to size is a welcome change from traditionally floral-heavy boutonnières.
Use Unexpected Accents
For this Tuscan destination wedding, the groom sported a petite boutonnière consisting of scabiosa pods, eucalyptus, and bunny tail grass tied with twine for a rustic take on an autumn-inspired design.
Embrace Textural Elements
A single orange-hued rose can certainly stand on its own for a fall wedding, but why not spruce it up a bit more? This boutonnière paired a gorgeous rose with whimsical textured greenery to complete the look.
Choose Scabiosa
Strikingly unique, scabiosa pods are quickly becoming a fan favorite when it comes to wedding design. Especially perfect for fall nuptials due to their neutral color, the ball-shaped head creates a focal point for boutonnières.
Relish Rusty Hues
A creamy white rose serves as the star of this boutonnière, but the surrounding elements elevate it for fall. We love the addition of rust-hued leaves and other texture elements for an autumnal feel.
Build Off of a Rose
Keep things classic with one single rose, but spice it up for autumn. This arrangement features a golden rose paired with a bunny tail and other textured sprigs. To finish the look, it’s wrapped with a beautiful orange velvet ribbon.
Incorporate Fruit
We love the way fruit can be used in such creative ways for weddings, and boutonnières shouldn’t be excluded from the mix. Blueberries paired with ferns in this composition offer a stunning color palette.
Keep It Simple
Sometimes less really is more when it comes to boutonnières. Combine a single white flower with greens for something playful yet stately.
Accent With Feathers
While it can be easy to go overboard with feathers, they're a gorgeous fit for a boutonnière. Consider incorporating one or two with blooms, or feature only feathers and dried elements for tons of texture.
Showcase Ferns
Ferns are having a considerable resurgence when it comes to wedding décor and for good reason. The budget-friendly fronds make for a big visual impact and bring in a wonderful woodland feel. If green and lush isn't in your fall color palette, brown and golden ferns should be. This fern-forward boutonnière couldn't be more sympathetic to the velvet suit or the Montana ranch landscape.
Go for Green
It’s not always about moody hues for fall. Stick with a palette of beautiful greenery instead. This boutonnière combined green hellebores with clovers and foliage for a stunning bundle.
Select Seasonal Berries
Hues of green and red with a touch of yellow-green are perfect for fall. The addition of seasonal berries paired with a touch of greenery and textured grass made for a lovely pairing here.
Pick a Playful Pink
Create a playful composition with light pinks and green. Especially if you're hoping for boutonnières to stand out against a dark tuxedo or suit, this pop of pink will serve as the perfect complement to cooler tones.
Keep It Natural
Skip florals and let nature speak for itself. This arrangement incorporated a larger leaf as the perfect base. A mini pinecone added great texture and plenty of fall feels.
Pair White and Copper
A simple color palette for autumn? White and copper. This boutonnière featured a gorgeous butterfly ranunculus in white dressed up with copper-hued textured grasses.
Default to Dried Elements
There's no rule that boutonnières have to contain fresh florals. In fact, rusted leaves and dried petals are the very essence of fall. The best part? You don't have to worry about them wilting throughout the day.
Embrace Jewel Tones
Planning an autumn wedding with a jewel-toned palette? Mix berries and foliage in your boutonnière. This mixture of green and crimson leaves, paired with wax flowers and berries, is absolutely stunning.
Make It Modern
A fall wedding can still be entirely modern. And this boutonnière is certainly composed to match. Greenery with a pop of bold crimson is sure to make a statement.
Be Bright
Autumn isn't just about a somber, moody aesthetic. It can be bright and beautiful, too! This playful wedding in Big Sur celebrated the season's more punchy characteristics with boutonnières of fluffy grasses and itty-bitty blooms.
Combine Texture and Twine
Plenty of texture steals the show with this boutonnière composition. While it's a simple color palette, we can’t get enough of the variety of textured white blooms paired with wrapped twine.