Anyone whose attended a wedding is familiar with the sometimes cringe-worthy bouquet toss.
All the single ladies gather behind the bride and try to get into the best position to catch the beautiful array of flowers as they fly through the air.
But why all this nonsense over a few pretty petals?
It is seen as a sign of good fortune, but only for the lucky lady who catches it!
Weddings are full of traditions and rituals, often passed down through the generations.
Throwing the bouquet is a tradition now mostly seen in American rom-coms but often excluded from a modern British wedding ceremony.
How did the tradition start?
Hundreds of years ago, it was thought to be very good luck to touch the bride.
This often caused discomfort and invasion of privacy to the bride, since guests would typically stand around her in an attempt to rip the gown off!
In order to deter guests, the bride began tossing their bouquets into the crowds to distract people, then making a break for it with her husband to the bridal chamber.
The groom would open the door and toss out the garter once the couple was inside.
People just wanted pieces of the bride’s accessories because she was married. So guests were naturally thrilled to grab the flowers, since they, too, were thought to bring romantic luck for the future.
Over the years, this act of distraction has turned into a tradition meant for the bride to pass on her good fortune to one single lady.
Whoever catches the bouquet at a wedding is thought to be the next lady in line to wed.
Unlike medieval times, however, today the bride doesn’t scamper away, but relishes the moment for her ability to unknowingly choose who will follow in her footsteps next, while the guests now respect the beauty of the bride and her gown, as opposed to ripping it off of her.
While obtaining the bouquet is only meant to bring good luck to women, the garter offers the same tradition for the men. And some forward-thinking brides are including men in the bouquet toss or foregoing it altogether.
If you do wish to incorporate a bouquet toss into your wedding day here's a suggestion for a more modern take on the tradition.
Try this ribbon cutting "toss" instead.
Step 1
Attach different coloured ribbons to your bridal bouquet
Step 2
Give each ribbon to a guest
Step 3
Give the bride a pair of scissors and a quick warning to avoid slicing her own hand off!
Step 4
The bride cuts a ribbon, one at a time, eliminating someone with each cut.
Step 5
The remaining guest "wins" the bouquet.
Extracts taken from https://www.rd.com/culture/bouquet-toss-tradition/