Everything to Know About Bouquet Toss Rules + Tossing Etiquette

TLDR:

• The wedding bouquet toss is a tradition where the bride tosses her bouquet to unmarried women during the wedding reception.
• If you aren’t planning to toss your wedding bouquet, include the bouquet for the toss into your floral budget.
• Other alternatives to a bouquet toss include an anniversary dance or separating the bridal bouquet flowers to give to your loved ones.

Let's chat about bouquet tossing!

Weddings can be as traditional or as non-traditional as you want. The bouquet toss tradition is a wedding staple that has existed for hundreds of years. This wedding tradition takes place towards the end of the reception and involves the bride who will toss their bouquet over her shoulder into a group of single ladies.

The legend can be traced back as far as the 1300s and is still practiced in American and European weddings. Tradition says whoever catches the bouquet will be the next to walk down the aisle. It's competitive, as many try to elbow their way to being the next bride. Ultimately, the decision is up to the couple to determine if tossing the bouquet is the right tradition for their wedding, taking into consideration the venue, guest list, and preference.

FAQ: What are the rules of throwing bouquets?

Who participates in the bouquet toss traditionally?

Tradition calls for single ladies to participate, but if your unmarried friends aren’t feeling the idea of being pushed out of the way to catch the bouquet, don’t force them. Some may be feeling lonely or dealing with a breakup, so don’t shame anyone into participating.

If you only have one or two single friends attending, it might be awkward to do a toss, especially if other guests are married. The bouquet toss tradition has become a way for brides to include their single friends in the spotlight.

Is the bouquet toss only for single ladies?

If you're having an event that includes non-binary or same-sex friends, you can include them, too, if they want to take part. Chat with your partner about how much you want to stray from wedding tradition—after all, it is your big day. Essentially, the only people that absolutely shouldn't take part are married couples.

Do engaged people go up for the bouquet toss?

Whether or not engaged folks participate in trying to catch the bridal bouquet toss, is up to you and your partner. Although, we here at Zola think that they probably shouldn't. Since they're already headed to the altar soon, truly single folks—or at least once not already headed on their way to become married couples—are the ones who should be hitting the dance floor to try and catch the bouquet.

What time should a bouquet toss be?

The bride usually tosses her bouquet towards the end of the wedding reception. It's best to do it after the meal, toasts, and first dances are finished.

How to annouce the bouquet toss?

If you have a designed emcee or DJ have them annouce that it's time for the brides toss. An annoucement combined with (or preceeded by) a song, such as Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyoncé, that's always a telltale sign.

Who stands up for a bouquet toss?

Of course, the participants should stand up in hopes of catching the wedding bouquet. Additionally, the bride stands up to throw her flowers, and her partner often is standing nearby. Other than that, guests may stand in order to see, depending on the arrangement of your wedding reception.

What is the tradition of tossing the bouquet?

During the 1300s in medieval Europe, it was thought to be good luck to touch the bride's dress—so much so that unmarried maidens would try to rip off her dress as she ran away. Often she would toss her bouquet into the air to cause distraction. Thankfully, today's bouquet toss rules don't include having the bride run for modesty's sake.

As society progressed (and wedding gowns became more expensive), the wedding bouquet toss because more of a symbol of good luck for the unmarried. Flowers are also a symbol of fertility, so catching the bouquet also meant a bounty of babies. As with many wedding traditions, it's not a necessary element of the big day, but it does add a bit of fun.

6 Dos and don'ts for bouquet tosses

1. Don't: Forget to add your toss bouquet to the budget.

Determine if you’re tossing your actual wedding bouquet or ordering a second one for the toss. Flowers should be ordered a little over six months before the wedding. The bridal bouquet is estimated to cost anywhere from $100 and $350. If you opt for a second bouquet, it’s usually smaller, so it saves you some money, and it’s easier to catch.

Bonus Tip: Ask the florist if they have a package that allows for both bouquets. You may get a discounted price.

2. Do: Toss the bouquet on your time.

Many weddings feature the bouquet toss towards the end of the wedding reception, but there’s no hard and fast rule. It also can occur after the cake has been cut, the toasts have been made, and the dance floor has cleared out. Be sure to coordinate with your planner and DJ so that they can make sure that all of the participants are ready to catch the bouquet.

3. Don't: Make the toss last too long.

The bouquet toss shouldn’t last that long—the general rule of thumb is that it should last about the length of one song. Music can make or break a moment, so find a bouquet toss song that inspires empowerment, love, and hope. Plan with the DJ as to what song will be playing and the announcement that will be made to signal the ladies to get on the floor and in place for the toss to commence.

4. Do: Photograph the moment.

Your photographer will capture some great action shots to add to your photo album. Capturing your face and participants' faces as the bouquet flies through the air will make dynamic shots and preserve the moment that you may not be able to take in while it’s happening.

5. Don't: End the reception immediately after the toss.

Since this is usually one of the last activities of the reception, along with the garter toss, the rest of the evening continues with dancing and mingling until the couple’s exit.

6. Do: Consider bouquet toss alternatives.

If you decide not to toss a bouquet during your reception, there are other ways to use the bouquet. Handing it off to a family member, such as a mother, grandmother, or sister (or even a couple that’s been married for a long time) is one way to start a new tradition in your family. Go a step further and separate the flowers of your bouquet and hand out individual stems to your loved ones.

Plan another activity, such as a dance competition or even an anniversary dance. An anniversary dance would involve asking the married couples to the dance floor and then eliminating them by the number of years that they have been married, with the last couple remaining winning the bouquet. Another option is to set up a bouquet and boutonniere station so that guests can assemble their personalized blooms, ensuring that no one—singles or married couples—is left out.

As a couple, you can determine what tradition works best for you and your wedding. Be as traditional as you want, or put a modern spin on it. Remember, Zola is here for you. The team is here to help offer advice and help with all the details of your wedding down to the last petal of the bouquet.