I have three weddings booked for this winter. In case you were wondering, no, I'm not a wedding planner. Not even close! I have three weddings written down on my calendar to attend. Hey, these are important events. Weddings mean a chance for me to catch the bouquet. Do you know what that means?
Whoever catches the bouquet will presumably be the next to marry. It's almost like being a contestant on a TV game show. There is plenty of competition among the single women for the prized bouquet. So why, exactly, does the bridal bouquet hold this promise?
In Medieval Europe, (Why does every custom origin here? Ever noticed that? I'm just saying.) European brides were no different than American brides. Like you, they only expected to wear their wedding dress once. (And if you have plans for another time, all I can say is your poor husband.) In those days, single women looked at the bride's wedding dress as a good luck charm. After the wedding was over, these women chased the bride and ripped off pieces of her dress. You can imagine what the bride looked like after these women got through with her!
Bring us around to the other side of the globe, back to America. Women are buying more expensive wedding gowns and would actually like to keep them! Keep their dignity, too. After the wedding, the bride began throwing several different items in an attempt to distract all the aggressive women. The bride's goal was to keep the women happy and keep her wedding dress. Well, one of those items just so happened to be the bouquet! Have you figured it out yet? As time went by, the bouquet became the most traditionally thrown object.
The wedding bouquet seemed like the perfect solution. Flowers symbolize fertility, which is almost as good as having a piece of the actual wedding dress. Also, since flowers are perishable, brides do not usually save their bouquets. But, the wedding dress is something she does want to keep!
Be advised, when deciding which weddings to attend, some brides do away with throwing their bouquet. The bride does not want her still single great aunt (the one who talks to her cats) to feel uncomfortable. Or depending on what type of wedding guests the bride invites, the competition to catch the bouquet can become a violent stampede.
This wedding season is wearing me out! Let me know ahead of time if you do not plan on throwing your bouquet. That way, I can scratch your wedding off my list!