Well, not war exactly, but its definitely nice to have a choice isn’t it!? The bride-to-be carrying a bouquet of flowers was a tradition borne from superstition and it was thought that the smellier flora warded off evil spirits. Later in the Victorian period of our history flowers were given their own special meanings so brides would choose their particular flowers according to which virtue they wanted to attract.

Thankfully times have moved on and even though some traditions are law or simply nice to adhere to on your wedding day, we now have more of a choice when it comes to what we carry down the aisle. This includes doing away with flowers altogether and enabling brides-to-be to show more of their individuality and unique nature, its also an excuse to show a bit more bling! Button bouquets are the new posies on the block and are growing in popularity, if you have no idea what I’m talking about, let me explain…button bouquets are posies made using just that, buttons! Mismatched buttons and other bits of collected haberdashery such as diamante, pearls, ribbon and lace can be arranged together in the shape of a wedding bouquet and hand tied together for you to use instead of the traditional floral display.

This idea is a simple but effective one and perfect if you have an allergy to fresh flowers and pollen. One of my favourite makers of this ingenious idea is Emma Lyth of Beaubuttons, her designs are as cute as a button (sorry, couldn’t resist!) and are made from carefully sourced and collected vintage buttons, found objects and heirlooms. Emma offers a completely bespoke service where no two bouquets are alike and can be made to your specific requirements including size, shape and colours. She also offers the option of coordinating accessories such as buttonholes, bridesmaid bouquets and corsages.

Emma can incorporate a family heirloom or sentimental item into your bouquet so that it has real meaning to you and you can treasure it forever, your button bouquet won’t fade over time and will look stunning as a focal piece of art in your home after the wedding is over. Why not use it as an opportunity for your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue’ all rolled into one!

As well as bouquets, Emma makes mini posies for flower girls, wrist and brooch corsages and garters for the bride. This flair for artistry was borne from dabbling in costume work and a background in Contemporary Dance, when Emma was getting married herself she decided to create a bouquet that would last forever using bits of vintage collectibles she owned and treasured. Creating her own keepsake got Emma hooked and now creates bouquets for others that can represent their own special memories,various eras and colour schemes.

She tells me…

I have always had a flair for composition, whether in dance and choreography or from an arts and crafts point of view. This is what lends itself so well to creating my button bouquets. It is all about composition, what buttons works well together, which colours will enhance each other, the best textures to layer together. All these thoughts are constantly in my head when I am panning or working on an order.

One of my favourite parts of my job is working closely with my brides. I find it so important that wedding suppliers have a good listening ear and to be able to turn a few suggestions and desires by the bride into their ideal creation, in my case a bouquet that will represent their style and wedding day that they can keep as a memory of their wedding for years to come.

Emma also doesn’t recommend tossing your button bouquet at your guests!

Now one of the jokes I often get about my bouquets is… “Ooh, you don’t want to toss one of those at your wedding, you’ll knock someone out!” Which is very true, I do not recommend throwing one of my bouquets at your guests! However, did you know that another tradition is to throw your garter? So I say, keep hold of your bouquet and toss your garter to the crowd for a fun alternative!

To get your mitts on one of Beaubuttons bouquets visit her online Etsy shop here or contact info@beaubuttons.co.uk

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