Everyone knows that the lucky lady to catch a bride’s bouquet will be the next one to get married. But do you know where that tradition came from?
As early as the 1300’s, getting a piece of the bride’s dress was considered lucky, so female guests would try to tear off a piece of the bride’s gown. Tradition says that the brides began throwing their bouquets as a means to distract those grabbing for a lucky scrap of fabric. Over the years, the bouquet became the lucky piece of the bridal ensemble to catch and eventually evolved into the tradition brides, and their female guests, celebrate.
Recently, the tradition of the bridal bouquet toss has become less popular at weddings. A number of reasons have contributed to the lessening of importance of this tradition, including our modern lack of beliefs in superstitious traditions; the choice of many women and men to remain single, and their unwillingness to be singled out at a wedding; and the outrageous cost of bridal bouquets.
Some of today’s modern brides prefer to keep their expensive bouquet as a keepsake. Others are choosing to throw a less expensive flower arrangement instead, or one that breaks apart when tossed, scattering the flowers so more ladies have an opportunity to catch a flower. Sometimes brides will present their bouquet to mothers or grandmothers or even lay them on the grave of deceased family members whom they wish could have been at their wedding.
Personally, I think the tossing of the bridal bouquet is fun event at a wedding, even though I’ve never caught any of those flowers. I was married earlier than most of my girlfriends and didn’t have the opportunity to tussle for posies.
A romantic at heart, I suppose you could say I lived vicariously through my heroine when I put her in a position to catch a bridal bouquet in my contemporary inspirational novella, Bidding on the Bouquet. And what a bouquet it is! Nestled in the center of the bridal flowers is a solid rose-gold rosebud. Who wouldn’t want to catch that? Kind of makes you wonder why a bride would do that, doesn’t it?
What about you? Have you ever caught the bride’s bouquet?
Multi-award-winning author Catherine Castle loves writing, reading, traveling, singing, theatre, and quilting. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances.
About Bidding on the Bouquet: A social climber and a social misfit. Can a bridal bouquet unite them?
You can find her books The Nun and the Narc, A Groom for Mama, Bidding on the Bouquet and Trying Out for Love in a boxed set on Amazon. Click here to read an excerpt of Bidding on the Bouquet. You can connect with Catherine at her website and blog.
Catherine Castle says
Thanks for hosting me today!
Susi says
Thanks! These suggestions are all helpful.