Three Fresh Alternatives to the Bouquet Toss

How many weddings have you attended where the bride corralled all of her single friends to the dance floor, lined them up like paper dolls and watched as they scrambled madly for a bunch of overpriced flowers that-if they survived this masquerade-would no doubt be dead within the week?

Was that fun for you?


If so, feel free to ignore the rest of this post, but if you are like me and you didn’t enjoy taking out the groom’s six-year-old niece or having that 19-year-old wrestling champ stomp her stiletto into your freshly pedicured toes, then consider one of these three alternatives to the bouquet toss. Your friends will maintain their dignity and you’ll look like the thoughtful, trend-setting bride you know you are!

1. Anniversary Bouquet

I knew I didn’t want a traditional bouquet toss when I got married, but I still wanted to do something with those flowers, so I incorporated the wedding bouquet with the Anniversary Dance.

The Anniversary Dance is when the DJ or band leader invites all married couples to the dance floor. After a few beats, they announce for everyone who has been married less than an hour to step off of the dance floor … (that is you!). He continues to increase the time until there is only one couple left on the floor.

My maternal grandparents “won” my anniversary dance and my grandmother was thrilled when I presented her with my wedding bouquet. In fact, she doesn’t like to show emotions … but a tear or two nearly escaped … nearly … I saw them.


2. Wedding Bouquet Presentation

If you don’t want to have an Anniversary Dance, you can present your wedding bouquet to a special attendant during a short toast or presentation.

Consider giving your bouquet to your mother, grandmother, sister, mother-in-law or special aunt. If you have more than one person you want to recognize, consider having a pull-apart bouquet that you can easily divide among them.

3. Break-Away Bouquet

This idea almost-almost!-won me back over to flower-flinging. Here is how it works.

Instead of having a bouquet that is all nicely tied together, ask your florist to prepare a “break away” bouquet. This is essentially several small bouquets that are lightly tied together to resemble one bridal bouquet. Before the toss, the bride ensures each mini bouquet is separated but continues to hold the bouquet in one hand. When she tosses the flowers, the individual bouquets break away from each other so more than one person can catch the flowers.

If you do this during your wedding reception, you will still have to call your single friends out and some of them will still walk away empty handed. Instead, have a quick get-together with your wedding attendants either post-photo or pre-reception and toss the bouquet to them.

Imagine their surprise when you toss a bouquet that everyone catches. Ask your florist to tie a special note to each bouquet thanking your attendants for their participation in your day, so they will walk away with a bit of your bouquet and a special thank-you note.

I know it will be hard-since you tell your attendants everything-but keep this idea a secret. The surprise will be worth it.

For more alternative ideas to the bouquet toss, read this article by Amber Dusick, author of Do-It-Yourself Weddings Blog.

Are you throwing your bouquet or using an alternative to the toss? Please share in the comments.

Photos courtesy of sotursiops and hbm