The corsage originates in 19th century fashion, where it referred to the bodice of a woman's dress. Modern day corsages are generally a small cluster of flowers held together by floral tape at the stems, and pinned just below the collarbone.
I want to start off by saying that I am not a floral expert so be sure to take advice from your florist as well. However as a wedding professional I have seen a lot of corsages and it's the little details that make these memorable. A florists creativity will give you many options to the "traditional" corsage that has been worn at weddings for years such as unique colors and flowers used in corsages. Your florist should also offer you the option of wrist corsages or purse corsages in case the woman may not prefer a floral for her dress or in case they are wearing a strapless dress.
As a wedding coordinator it is often my job to pin corsages onto mothers and grandmothers so let me give you a few tips.
1. Double check the list that you give your florist for whom should receive corsages. Most Brides only choose the mother of Bride, mother of Groom and grandmothers but you can also choose to include godmothers, sisters, special aunts or family members, guest book attendants, program attendants, greeters, special readers during the ceremony and wedding coordinators. It is the Bride and Grooms choice on what corsages to select for step-family members as well.
2. Ask you florist to include name or relationship descriptions (such as mother, grandmother, etc) on the package of each corsage to avoid any confusion - especially if you have chosen a particular type of flower for a specific person.
3. Request magnetic corsages instead of using pins to attach the corsage. Although I have never stuck anyone pinning on a corsage (at least nobody has ever told me that I did) it is not always easy to pin them onto thin delicate material and due to the weight they don't always stay in place. Heavy duty magnetics are now being used and have worked great in my experience. Caution: the magnets should not be used with people using a pacemaker!!!
Wrist Corsages are often chosen by a person that has either worn a ton of pin on corsages with bad experiences or is wearing a strapless dress. Wrist corsages can be beautified and made to look like a piece of jewelry by using a pearl or crystal wristlet instead of thick elastic so ask your florist about those options.
Another option is to choose a purse corsage. If you know they have purchased a special purse to wear with there dress then why not adorn it with beautiful flowers as well. Below you will see a beautiful purse corsage made by Corsair Floral & Decor at one of my recent weddings, the mother of the Bride loved it and it matched her dress and purse beautifully. Be sure to let your florist see the purse (or a picture) so they will know how the corsage can be pinned on and the size that the corsage should be.
Be sure to use your florists creativity when ordering your floral corsages. Your wedding is an important day in the special women in your life so if you would like to offer them a little "thank you" at your wedding spend some time on the little details and it will definitely pay off in the end.
Attn Florists: We'd love to hear your comments and tips on corsages too so be sure to add comments!
Purse Corsage made by Corsair Floral & Decor - www.corsairevents.com
Photo taken by Inspiration & Design Photography
