Tossing of bouquet has become a necessity at many modern weddings. Even if you haven’t been to many receptions, you will probably know how this tradition is carried out.
The unmarried guests gather on one side of the dance floor, while the bride stands several feet across from them. There, they turn to face the opposite direction and quite literally toss their bouquet over their shoulders to be caught by one of the participants. But what does catching the bouquet at a wedding mean? We take a look at the history of the bouquet toss and its modern symbolism to get a better idea of what it means when someone catches the bouquet.
The History of the Bouquet Toss
The tradition of tossing the bouquet started from ancient England, prior to the 1800s. History tells us that during this time it was considered good luck to touch the bride on her big day so that some of her good luck would rub off on you. After a couple’s wedding ceremony, those in attendance, especially single women would rush to the bride in hopes that some of this luck would transfer to them, so that they, too, could get married soon. Oftentimes, this would progress to people trying to rip pieces of fabric off of the bride’s gown. Many even tried to make off with the bouquet.
While this may come across as shocking, it’s important to keep in mind the purposes and culture surrounding getting married at the time. Back then, marriage was viewed as more of a transaction, oftentimes of wealth or social status. For many women, it was their only hope of rising above their situation or financially supporting themselves and their families. This made marrying the right person, by those standards, a very large responsibility or expectation. Knowing that, it isn’t difficult to imagine single women competing for every bit of luck they could get their hands on.
To avoid the sometimes brutal nature of this tradition, brides began tossing their bouquets as a distraction. They’d then run in the opposite direction in an attempt to escape the crowd and leave their wedding night in peace. Over time, this became incredibly common and eventually took the place of the older tradition. It has become a new tradition, and has enabled those getting married to still grant one wedding guest some luck without having to fight too hard for it.
The Modern Bouquet Toss
Now that the reasons for marriage have changed , people now marry for love. Along with this, the tossing of bouquet has evolved. It is now a fun game of competition and chance, as well as an opportunity to put the spotlight on unmarried friends. Some bride don’t even toss bouquet at their wedding anymore
Whether you plan to toss your bouquet or keep them for decoration, you can always get beautiful bouquets from Hadassah Bridals.
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