The practice of throwing the wedding bouquet has been such a long-standing wedding tradition that it is, by and large, taken for granted. Given the process of finding the perfect flowers for a bride's special day, however, the idea of throwing such a beautiful array of flowers actually seems a little silly and impractical until you look back in history at the origins of the tradition.
A Bit of Bridal Luck
Wedding guests have long considered brides to be particularly lucky people. When gathered to celebrate the bride's special day, the hope is that such luck will rub off on others.
It is believed that, dating as far back as the 14th century, the desire to take home a piece of the bride's luck in finding herself a groom prompted wedding guests in Western Europe to try to tear off bits of her dress. Groups of people would chase after the lucky woman in the hope of a scrap of cloth or ribbon. Such a keepsake would bring good luck in love.
Brides, naturally, were opposed to the idea of being chased and having their wedding garments destroyed. As such, the idea of throwing the bouquet emerged - by distracting the crowd, the bride would have time to get away unscathed.
Ever since, the idea of the bridal bouquet toss is wrapped around the concept of good fortune. Whichever unmarried woman catches the bridal bouquet, so the story goes, will be the next to marry.
Alternatives to the Bouquet Toss
If you are a bride who would prefer to preserve your wedding bouquet, you do not have to feel as if you must part with the special souvenir. Tossing the bouquet is no longer an absolute staple of a wedding day, so you can elect to skip the act altogether.
If you want to pass on your good luck without throwing your bouquet, you can also have a backup bouquet created. You can elect to ask your florist to create an exact replica of your bridal bouquet or even have a silk flower version created. Many brides choose instead to privately present unmarried friends with bouquets.
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