Last Updated on December 27, 2021 by Guillermina
Today, we’re going to be looking at when to do bouquet toss. When you think of weddings, there are many traditions or superstitions that usually come to mind. One of the most common traditions is the bouquet. But when should you throw it? Why do you throw it? Do you need to do this? We’ll be answering all things bouquet toss in this post!
Why Do We Toss The Bouquet?
This tradition has actually been around for centuries! But has changed over the years. Years ago, it was seen as good luck to even touch the bride! However, nowadays, catching the bouquet is seen as a sign that you will be the next woman to walk down the aisle. Usually, the bride will toss the wedding bouquet over her shoulder into a group of single women. Whoever catches the bouquet is seen as the chosen one!
When To Throw The Bouquet?
When it comes to throwing wedding flowers, there really is no etiquette to follow. However, it’s often done nearer the end of the day. Most of the time, the toss occurs in the evening. After the dinner, toasts, and dances, etc. If you do leave it later in the day, be wary of drunk, scrambling women in high-heeled shoes! You don’t want any accidents occurring on your wedding day.
It’s all down to personal choice when to throw the bouquet, but I recommend throwing the bouquet once the cake has been cut. It’s the perfect playful tradition to follow the cutting of the cake – and most people will already be up snapping photos.
Do You Use Your Wedding Bouquet?
If you are happy for your wedding bouquet to be thrown into the air and potentially receive some damage – then, by all means, use your wedding bouquet! However, some brides prefer to pay for a bouquet that’s only used is to be thrown. That way you can use more robust flowers and keep your bouquet in pristine condition. However, the choice is entirely yours! Florists will usually be able to make a tossing bouquet at a fraction of the price of your bridal bouquet.
How Long Is The Bouquet Toss?
You can make your bouquet toss as long or as short as you wish. If you want it over in seconds, that’s definitely an option. However, it’s good fun to choose a specific song, gather all your single friends on the dance floor and have a giggle with it. Your DJ can play your song choice (more on that later) as they make their way over and make it as exciting as possible!
It doesn’t usually last more than one song of your choice.
Songs To Play During Your Bouquet Toss
It’s becoming increasingly popular to play a song during your bouquet toss and Brides have a fantastic Best Wedding Bouquet Toss Songs post. Some of my favorites include:
- Dear Future Husband – Meghan Trainor
- Only Girl in the World – Rihanna
- Single Ladies – Beyoncé
- Wannabe – Spice Girls
- Milkshake – Kelis
- Like a Virgin – Madonna
- Pour Some Sugar on Me – Def Leppard
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
- It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls
- Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
- Man! I Feel Like a Woman – Shania Twain
This is just a fraction of some of the brilliant ideas from their article. I think the song should be all about celebrating women and how fabulous we are! If you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know in the comments below.
Do You Need To Throw Your Bouquet?
Absolutely not! If this isn’t something you feel comfortable doing – just skip this part of your day. I kept my artificial bouquet pristine and 5 years later, it still looks perfect! There are plenty of alternatives if this isn’t something you want to do. We’ll be taking a look at some alternatives later in this article.
Throwing The Garter
Another wedding tradition is throwing the garter. This one is for all the single men out there! So you may like to combine the two traditions. You can even get the winner of each tradition to have their own dance together after! This is all light-hearted fun, but make sure whoever takes part is comfortable doing this if you do choose to do the dance after.
Bouquet Toss Alternatives
There’s plenty of choices to choose from if the traditional bouquet toss isn’t for you. You may not have many single friends, or you may not want to single them out – so why not try one of these options instead?
- Anniversary Dance. Choose a song and have the couples join you on the dancefloor. The DJ will then ask who’s been married longer than 5 years? 10 years? etc. Whoever is left on the dancefloor as being married the longest, gets the bouquet. It’s a super cute idea and completely different from the usual tradition.
- Girls Only Dance. I did something similar to this at my own wedding. I chose “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé. However, I ended up missing the dance as I was getting changed into my evening outfit! But dancing with all of your girls is a great idea.
- Split the Bouquet. In true Mean Girls-style, instead of breaking a tiara – break your bouquet! And give a flower to all the significant ladies in your life. That way the appreciation is for all, whether single, taken, or otherwise.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped to clear up when to do the bouquet toss and answered all the questions you could possibly have about throwing your wedding flowers, the best way to do it – and alternatives! There are no set rules around the bouquet toss, so just do whatever you feel most comfortable with. It’s your special day, after all.
Did you do a bouquet toss at your wedding? If so, I would love to know which song you chose and how you did it! If you’re happy to do so, please share your experiences below.