The bouquet toss is now a fun and familiar wedding tradition, but its origins are surprisingly unusual. Centuries ago, some wedding guests believed that touching the bride—or even taking a piece of her dress—could bring good luck, fertility, and prosperity. As a result, brides could find themselves surrounded by guests eager to grab at their clothing as the celebration came to an end.

To avoid this chaos, brides are believed to have started tossing their bouquets into the crowd as a distraction. While guests rushed to catch the flowers, the newlyweds could make their way out of the celebration more easily. The bouquet became a symbolic object of good fortune, allowing the bride to escape the crowd while preserving the festive spirit of the tradition.

The groom eventually became part of a similar custom by tossing the bride’s garter to the guests. Like the bouquet, the garter was considered a lucky token for whoever caught it. Over time, the bouquet and garter toss became more organized wedding traditions rather than the frantic customs they may have once represented.

As old beliefs faded, these traditions took on more symbolic meanings, representing love, happiness, romance, and the hope that the person who caught the bouquet would be the next to marry. Today, many couples adapt or skip the tradition entirely, choosing to include only the wedding customs that feel meaningful and enjoyable to them.