Tossing The Bouquet - A Good Idea or Not?
The tossing of the wedding bouquet is a long-held tradition at weddings. It's a chance to have some light relief with friends (of the single kind) to see who might catch the flowers and therefore be destined to be married themselves. Ok, that might not exactly happen these days, and the idea of catching the wedding bouquet as being some sort of contract of marriage seems a little intense.
Is Tossing the Bouquet Still Done?
Throwing of the bouquet is not seen so much these days, at least not at the weddings I have photographed. I know that the bride has spent a long time choosing her colours and flowers and to then sling the bouquet over her head into a crowd of people might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But it does happen. After all, you only get married once (in most instances) and these quirks of tradition can be fun to explore.
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The Interesting History of The Bouquet Toss
“it was thought to be very good luck to touch the bride. This often caused discomfort and invasion of privacy to the bride, since guests would typically stand around her in an attempt to rip the gown off! (Uh, no thanks!) In order to deter guests, the bride began tossing their bouquets into the crowds to distract people, then making a break for it with her husband to the bridal chamber.”
Should I Toss My Bouquet at My Wedding?
So when recently I was told that the bouquet was going to be thrown in the gardens of Longstowe Hall in Cambridgeshire, I was all in.
The bride and I called out to all the ladies who were enjoying their cocktails and nibbles under the summer sun telling them what was about to happen. To say they were keen was an understatement. They all gathered at the bottom of the lawns and bunched together. Their competitive nature was suddenly oh-so apparent. The bride took her place, took a breath and threw the beautiful flowers up and over her head towards the sea of waiting single ladies.
The moment was really fun and one I captured on both my camera and GoPro which I had attached to the top. Watching it back and mixing it in with the photographs made a great snippet of the day to give to the couple.
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How Should I Throw The Bouquet?
But what was best was the fact that the groom and his rabble of men were not about to be undone. Of course, they wanted a go. But this throw didn't go quite the same way.
The bride's bouquet is a really important part of the overall vision of a wedding. It's the item the bride will carry around for most of the day and wants to be in as many photos as possible. So what's a good way to keep the wedding bouquet as fresh and vibrant as possible throughout a wedding day?
Caring For Your Wedding Bouquet - A FLorist’s Point of View
I asked some amazing local florists and wedding suppliers for their top tips on keeping the wedding bouquet going through the full day as well as what they thought of the old tradition of tossing the bouquet.
“My top tip for keeping your bouquet in the best condition throughout the day is to keep it in water for as long as possible before the ceremony. Being very careful not to fiddle with it too much before you walk down the aisle as some flowers can bruise very easily. I also often drop off an extra vase or two to the venue so that you can place the bouquets in water again after your photos, meaning they can be used to decorate the venue as well as stay fresh for as long as possible.
I LOVE a bouquet throw, although with the trend being big bouquets! You want to make sure you’re not going to accidentally hurt anyone. I tend to recommend either throwing one of the bridesmaid’s bouquets which are usually smaller, or adding on an additional bouquet especially to be thrown.”
Website: Sophie & Bee
Instagram: sophbeefroral
“When I do bouquets and flowers for a wedding I buy the freshest flowers I can and leave it as near as possible to the wedding to get them, I make them and straight away put them in water, I deliver them carefully wrapped and sitting in a jar of fresh water and tell the bride to leave them in there until they are needed for the photographer, some brides ask me to supply little vases to put them in after the photos are taken but quite frankly unless you re-cut the stems putting them in water is of no use as they won’t drink, after 20 mins flowers heal over so need re-cutting so I often supply a pair of florist scissors then maybe a bridesmaid or guest will do this for you, then they will last over a week after,or long enough to get them to whoever may be preserving them.
Obviously, this is a very old tradition so I don’t really have an opinion on it, but in my experience, most brides see the bouquet I’ve created for them and don’t want to put it down let alone throw it, so the only option is to make a cheaper version to do this, one of my brides recently supplied her own one to throw as flowers of course can be expensive and it’s another addition to your costs.”
Website: Bloom In Gorgeous
Instagram: bloom_in_gorgeous
“I like the new alternative way of doing this. Tie ribbon around the bouquet, each singleton that wishes to take place picks a ribbon. The bride is blindfolded and picks ribbons for her partner to cut loose - the last ribbon standing gets the bouquet. ”
Website: Kelly Hawes Celebrant
Instagram: kellyhcelebrant
“If it’s a warm day, don’t put it down outside and forget about it, the sun will soon leave your bouquet looking sad!
Flowers love water, so when you sit down to eat, try and remember to put your bouquet in a vase of water, your venue will often provide this for you.
Remember that your bouquet is fragile! Be gentle with it to make the most out of it, try and avoid crushing it when you hug people or flinging it around!
You’ve spent a lot of money on a beautiful bouquet, which is potentially fairly heavy too! You will most certainly damage some of the flowers, and if you have plans to preserve your bouquet you may make this impossible. In my opinion, I would avoid throwing your bridal bouquet and if you really want to partake in the tradition, ask one of your bridesmaids if you can use hers. ”
Website: Palm & Peony Flowers
Instagram: palmeaonyflowers
Did you throw your bouquet at your big day or are you still in the process of planning your wedding day?
If you're thinking about your wedding photography and how it can capture the traditions of your day, get in touch and let's see if your date is available. My wedding photography will always aim to capture the details such as the flowers and the wedding dress in order for you to have a true record of the day you created.
