If you have been a single lady and attended a wedding, chances are you probably got in line to catch the bouquet. Did you grab it? If not, here’s the ultimate guide to catching the bouquet… without losing your ladylike grace in the process. Are you ready to fight for those flowers?
From courthouse quickies to destination ceremonies, weddings are full of traditions. Between walking down the aisle, keeping the happy couple separated the night before, and the blue-borrowed-new things, it’s a day with quite a few rules. And what better example than the bouquet throwing after the ceremony? If you’re a girl and have ever gone to a wedding, you know what it’s like to be squished between unknown relatives and sweaty friends trying to catch a weirdly-shaped flower arrangement. It’s even weirder when somebody inevitably ends up on the floor (if it’s the booze or their intent to catch the thing, no one really knows).
Either way, do you know how this especially weird tradition came to be? For starters, brides started carrying flowers in Ancient Rome, because it symbolized new beginnings, fidelity, and fertility. Then fast forward to the Middle Ages, when brides added strong-smelling herbs and flowers in order to scare off evil spirits that might bring them unhappiness.
The throwing of the actual bouquet stems from the belief (also from the Middle Ages) that touching any part of the bride’s body or dress would bring good fortune. This became such an extended custom that attendees started ripping off pieces of the bridal gown for “extra good luck”. Apparently, the tossing of the bouquet was ideally conceived as a distraction so brides could escape the ceremony with their dress intact.
The throwing tradition was adopted in the Victorian era in England, where it spread all over the world. Nowadays, it’s only a fun activity for guests to take some priceless pics.