Prom Flowers 101
Prom day is often one of the busiest days of the year here at Madison Flower Shop -- every year we get hundreds of orders for boutonnieres, corsages, and prom bouquets, and we sometimes find that the students placing the orders are confused or stressed out about the flower situation. Here are some friendly tips to help you get through the prom flower process as easily and painlessly as possible!
1. Corsage or boutonniere? These aren't exactly words we use on a daily basis (unless you work in a flower shop!) so we understand it can be a bit confusing. Boutonnieres are the single flower that the boy wears on his lapel. Our boutonnieres come with a single flower of your choice (typically a rose, although freesia, calla lilies, or orchids can also be used) wired together with a piece of greens (we'll also include some baby's breath, if you ask for it). The boutonniere is held together with sleek black floral tape, and doesn't have the option for a ribbon color. Boutonnieres cost $10 if it's made from a rose, or $15 dollars if it contains a different variety of flower.
The corsage is what the girl wears on her wrist. It's typically made up of five spray rose heads (or fewer, if we use standard roses), but can also be made out of other flower varieties (orchids, freesia, calla lilies, and sometimes even funkier flowers, like thistle or succulents). The standard corsage comes on a stretchy elastic wristband (they're one size fits all, and we've found that it does fit most wrists), but we do offer glitzy jeweled or beaded band options for an additional charge. In addition to the roses, the corsages also come with greens and a ribbon in the color of your choice. If you request it, we can also add baby's breath and/or some jewels to any wrist corsage (jewels offered at an additional charge). All of the corsages we make for prom are wristlets, meaning they're to be worn on the wrist, but pin-on corsages are available as an option (although we don't recommend it -- it's very hard to pin a corsage onto a prom dress!).
2. Type of flower: roses are overwhelmingly the most typical variety of flower used in corsages and boutonnieres. However, if roses aren't your thing, the other standard options are freesia, calla lilies, and orchids. usually the type of flower picked depends on personal preference, but sometimes it has to do with color as well. Roses come in the widest variety of shades, while flowers like orchids and freesia are only available in a few different hues. Which brings us to our next point...
(Just in case you need some clarification on flower varieties, pictured below left to right are cymbidium orchids, dendrobium orchids, calla lilies, freesia, and roses.)
3. Color: Choosing a corsage and boutonniere color is a big decision for a lot of our customers. Some people spend a lot of time stressing out about whether or not the dress matches the flower, or if the ribbon color is the exact same hue as what their date will be wearing. Most of the time, it's almost impossible to exactly match the dress to the ribbon or the flower, but we can usually get pretty close. If you're not sure what color to order, stop by and take a look at the flowers in person rather than placing an order over the phone. When in doubt, go with white -- it matches everything!
4. Custom Corsages: For those looking to stand out from the crowd, we offer a custom-made corsage option, each of which is individually designed by our floral designers. Custom corsages often feature flowers that you wouldn't typically see on a wrist corsage -- succulents, gardenias, thistle, etc. There are some flowers that can't be used in corsages because they don't hold up out of water, but if you give our designers an idea of what you're looking for and a color scheme, they're sure to create something fabulous. Pictured below is a custom corsage made with gardenias. Custom corsages start at $50.
5. Cost: The prices of prom flowers vary based on types of flowers used. The standard rose wrist corsage is $25, with an additional $10 added if you choose a specialty wrist band or if you'd like to add jewels. A corsage made from freesia, calla lilies, or orchids starts at $35 dollars, with an additional $10 for the specialty wrist band or jewels. Custom corsages start at $50. Rose boutonnieres are $10, while a boutonniere made from freesia, calla lilies, or orchids costs $15.
6. Prom Flower Policies: Because we have to place our final flower orders for the weekend by mid-week, our policy is that you can't change your existing order after the Wednesday of prom week. We also do require payment for prom flowers in advance, so be sure to have cash or a valid credit card number with you when you place your order! Also, please order your boutonniere and corsage ahead of time (ideally we like to have all orders in by the day before prom, at the absolute latest), as we aren't able make them up while you wait. This year, we've also created a new option on the "shop" page of our website where you can design and order your corsage and boutonniere online to pick up at the flower shop in time for prom. Click HERE to check it out!
7. Alternative Options: Not every girl wants to wear a corsage. If your date wants something a little less traditional, we suggest presenting her with a single flower stem or a small seasonal bouquet. Getting your date loose flowers rather than a wrist corsage is a nice gesture and has some benefits that corsages don't -- you're still getting her flowers, but ones that she can put in water and enjoy for days rather than something that will likely get thrown away at the end of the night.
8. Have fun! Prom is supposed to be fun, so try not to stress too much about picking out your corsages and boutonnieres. Remember -- it's just a flower!
To order, visit our website, call us at (203) 245-3851, or pay us a visit at 376 Durham Road in Madison, CT!