To DIY or Not to DIY: Boutonnieres

Pretty pink boutonnieres that are all a little different...love.

Boutonnieres are kind of a big deal, and my fiancé likes to think that he's kind of a big deal, too. (I agree with him there, but I guess I'm also kind of biased!)

We started looking at different kinds of boutonnieres online, and it's crazy to see how many different ones are out there. Sure, you can go with the typical flower bloom, but we were interested in coming up with something a little more creative.

It seems like grooms and groomsmen can wear anything they want on their jackets--and I mean anything. Here are just a few interesting boutonnieres I came across:

• Peacock feather
• Photo charm
• Other random bird feathers
• Starfish
• Pinwheel
• Book page flowers
• Matchbox cars and fishing lures...together

Yep, the sky's definitely the limit (and another boutonniere option) when it comes to expressing yourself in the boutonniere department.

Hops and backings from Black Creek Hops. Yes!

But my fiancé got really excited when we stumbled upon hops-and-burlap boutonnieres that were the perfect blend of cute and manly. The thing is, they were $15 each. While that seems like a decent price compared to some outlandish boutonnieres, we had to take into account my fiancé (obviously), nine groomsmen, a mini groomsman, and all the dads and grandpas.

So when I saw that we could buy hops in bulk for much cheaper from a shop called Black Creek Hops, I (literally) squealed with excitement! What we're planning on doing is ordering a bunch of hops that are already attached to backings (yay!) and then adding the burlap, twine, and ribbon ourselves.

I don't think it will be too difficult to do (knock on wood), and I'm eager to see how they turn out! I have a crafty stepmom and a few crafty bridesmaids on my team, so I have a feeling they'll turn out just as great as store-bought versions...and for a fraction of the cost of "real" ones.

Felt boutonnieres, Muncle Fred Art.

I mentioned that we have a mini groomsman in our wedding party. By mini, I mean he's going to be four years old when our wedding rolls around. Part of me thinks it would be wrong to have him wear something beer-related on his little vest, so I think we're going to get him a boutonniere that matches the bridesmaids bouquets--one made of felt from Muncle Fred Art.

Eek! I am getting so excited as all of this comes together. More to come...