The tradition of throwing the bridal bouquet originated from medieval Europe, where single women would tear pieces off the bride’s dress for good luck. To prevent this, brides began throwing other objects as a distraction, eventually settling on the bouquet as it symbolizes fertility and is perishable. Some modern couples choose to alter or eliminate the tradition due to inconvenience or potential violence.
Throughout Europe and North America, it is traditional for the bride to throw her bouquet at the reception and for all the single women in attendance to compete to pick it. The woman who catches the bouquet is said to be the next to be married. But how did this custom come about?
In medieval Europe, a bride typically did not expect to wear her wedding dress again, and the dress was considered good luck to other women, a type of fertility amulet. After the wedding, single women chased the bride and ripped pieces out of her dress, leaving her in tatters. Over the years, wedding dresses have become more expensive and it has become a tradition for women to keep them, either as a keepsake or to give to a daughter on her wedding day.
To prevent guests from tearing up the wedding dress, brides began throwing other objects as a distraction, one of which was the garter. Later, the bouquet became the most traditionally thrown item. The bridal bouquet is particularly suitable for this use, as flowers symbolize fertility and, as perishable items, are not something the bride would want to keep. The bouquet is also a safer item to throw than the garter, as unruly and impatient wedding guests were sometimes known to try to take the garter from the bride while she was still wearing it.
Some modern brides and grooms don’t like the tradition of tossing the bouquet and altering it or eliminating it altogether. Tossing the bouquet can be inconvenient for unmarried female guests who do not wish to get married or who feel embarrassed by the custom. Also, the competition to capture the bouquet can become a violent stampede. Some brides organize the event so that their maid of honor or an engaged friend takes the bouquet. Others choose to give a small bouquet to each of their bridesmaids, or give each woman at the reception a flower from the bridal bouquet.
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