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Today wedding celebrations are a melting pot of traditions and cultural elements, both old and new.  I am a big fan of encouraging my couple to make their wedding day match their personality, style, and likes. So in this post, I want to address the tradition but also the fact that you are in charge. Feel free to adapt all this to match the unique you!

The bouquet toss tradition is one that has existed for hundreds of years and evolved over time. In this tradition, brides toss their bouquets over their shoulders to a group of single ladies. Whoever catches the bouquet is supposedly “next” to walk down the aisle. It usually happens towards the end of the night at the reception, and it can get quite competitive… sometimes even dangerous. In my experience, I witness a bit of everything. From elbows and stiletto heels flying around trying to catch the bouquet to ladies not even trying and letting the bouquet fall as far from them as possible. LOL!

For brides, it’s a way to celebrate their single friends and wish them luck in love.

The tossing of the bouquet originated in England around 1800. After the wedding ceremony occurred, guests in attendance would try and rip off pieces of the bride’s dress or bridal bouquet as these were thought to bestow good luck and fortune to those who got one. In order to avoid this kind of harassment and save the dress, brides began the tradition of tossing their bouquets in one direction to ” escape” and leave in the other direction. Throughout time, this tradition has morphed into the carefree bouquet toss we now celebrate

Who participates in the bouquet toss?

According to tradition, all unmarried women can participate in the bouquet toss. However, if your single friends don’t want to participate in the tradition, don’t force them. They might be freshly single or feeling especially lonely at that moment, so let them sit this one out. This is a frivolous tradition, not meant to shame or guilt anyone into participating!

Some of our brides do not really want to give away their bouquets or might have a different destination in mind. For example, I wanted to bring the flowers of my bouquet to those important people that unfortunately passed and could not be physically present. In most cases, brides request smaller replicas of their bouquet to toss toward the end of their receptions.

The bouquet toss should be about the length of a song. Plan what song will play ahead of time with your DJ and make sure your most excited friends aren’t taking a bathroom break when the DJ calls for all the ladies to head down to the dance floor!

Bouquet Toss Alternatives

Brides who want to avoid hurt feelings and potential injury on behalf of their single friends might want to consider skipping the bouquet toss tradition and trading it in for something more modern and unexpected, like an anniversary dance. Basically, you invite all married couples to the dance floor and then have the MC start asking couples to leave the dance floor if they’ve been married one year, then five, then ten, until the last couple remaining wins the bouquet.

The bouquet toss tradition has been around for centuries, which is great for brides who want to incorporate these classic traditions into their wedding. Brides who want their wedding to be more modern can still incorporate this tradition into their reception with a fun twist. Tailor this tradition to you and your guests. If you know your single girlfriends are looking forward to the bouquet toss and are excited about the potential friendly competition, do it! Wedding traditions are only as traditional as you make them!