Why Do Brides Throw Their Bouquets?

     It's customary all around the world for brides to carry bridal bouquets with them at weddings. Even someone who's never attended a wedding would know that. This someone would also know that at some point during a wedding, the bride tosses this bridal bouquet of hers into a crowd of her closest female friends. It's believed that whichever woman catches the bouquet is next in line to marry. This tradition is old and long-standing, but how did it all start?

     Ever since the general idea of weddings was introduced, people have considered brides to be particularly lucky people. Everyone wanted a piece of that luck. When a bride and groom would gather to throw their wedding, they would of course invite wedding guests. During the wedding, these guests would go to quite desperate measures to try and symbolize their desire for a piece of the brides luck; they would go so far as to chase her down and try to tear off bits of her bridal gown. Naturally, the bride would oppose this. That's why the idea of tossing the bridal bouquet came to mind, as a way of distracting the guests and leaving the bride with plenty of time to get away unscathed. Over the years, the activity evolved and replaced the act of tearing off bits of the bridal gown. Now, the tradition is seen at almost every wedding and still continues to symbolize the sharing of the brides luck.

 By Julia Dankov