The bouquet toss started in France during the 14th century. Believing that brides held some special luck on their wedding day, guests would try to tear a piece from the bride’s dress after the ceremony ended. To ward off the luck-seeking mob, brides would throw their stockings or garter into the crowd. The practice later evolved to tossing the bouquet.
The bouquet/garter toss ranges from hysterical fun when you see your favorite cousin diving under a table to catch it to extreme embarrassment when the groom decides to get frisky while collecting the garter from his bride’s thigh. A few notes of caution on this:
Consider making the tradition adults only. Why, you might ask? The bouquet recipient usually has the garter slid onto her leg by the garter recipient. So if the bouquet catcher is a 12 year old girl and the garter catcher is a 35 year old man…you get where we’re going with this one.
If you’re easily embarrassed and would prefer a little discretion, slide the garter down closer to your knee before the groom publicly removes it.
Make sure you know what song the DJ will play while the garter is being removed. We’ve seen brides turn flush red when the DJ played strip tease style tunes with Grandpa sitting a few feet away.
There are also some alternatives to how the bouquet is awarded. Here are a few ideas:
Present the bouquet to your best friend or some other female you’d like to honor. It’s a great opportunity to say a few words about her significance in your life.
The bouquet could be a gift to the couple who has been married the longest.
Have your florist design a bouquet that separates into several pieces. You could then present sections of the bouquet to each of your bridesmaids, sisters or aunts.
Whatever you chose, make sure it’s something that’s special to you.
Happy Planning!
P.S. Here's a great read for customizing other wedding traditions: The Knot Guide to Wedding Vows and Traditions: Readings, Rituals, Music, Dances, and Toasts
No comments:
Post a Comment