The bouquet toss has been around for hundreds of years, but where did it come from? Here we’re explaining this wedding tradition and your options for throwing your bouquet.
English Tradition
Tossing the bouquet is a tradition that started in England. It began with the belief that touching the bride on her wedding day would bring good luck. Over time, this belief turned into wedding guests trying to take home a piece of the brides clothing – a section of her dress, shoes or even her garter.
To prevent her wedding attire being ripped from her by the wedding guests, brides began throwing their flowers to the wedding party before running to the safety of the bridal bedroom. Here the groom would take her garter and throw it to the guests who had followed.
As beliefs have evolved guests no longer attack the newlyweds for a shred of their clothing, and the bouquet and garter toss have become a traditional part of every wedding.
The Bouquet Toss
Some couples choose not to have a bouquet toss at all. But for those of you that are thinking of upholding the tradition, we have a few pointers on how to do it safely with the maximum amount of guests involved.
First of all, speak to your florist. Throwing a full bridal bouquet at your guests can cause some injuries, so having a smaller and lighter option for your toss is a good idea. This could be hidden in your main bouquet or created as a separate posy.
You’ll also need to speak to the DJ and talk about when you’d like your bouquet toss to happen. We recommend a short while after your first dance to make sure that all your evening guests have arrived and are already on the dancefloor!
Think about your guests. If you know that you have just 2 single, unmarried women in the room it might be a good idea to change the rules of throwing the bouquet. You could have every woman in the room try to catch it, or include the men too!
Combining your bouquet toss with the garter toss is also a good idea. Everyone will be in the same place and the excitement will be doubled.
Never heard of a garter toss? Find out more about it in our Wedding Traditions Explained: The Garter post.