The bouquet toss might provide the most excitement during the reception, but it can also provide some ladies with the most embarrassment of the night. For some, there can be nothing worse than being displayed as the lonely single woman in the middle of a room filled with loving couples who expect them to fight over some flowers.
With so many people staying single longer and some simply boycotting marriage altogether, the whole idea of the bouquet/garter toss may seem boring and maybe a bit outdated. However, that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of the game completely. There is absolutely nothing wrong with tweaking traditions to better fit your needs and the needs of your guests. Not sure where to start?
Here’s a list of some alternatives to the bouquet toss.
- Tribute to Marriage: Invite all the married couples to join the newlyweds on the dance floor. Married couples will be eliminated according to the number of years they have been married as announced by the DJ. The newlyweds will be the the first to leave the dance floor once the DJ announces “couples married two hours or less.” This usually gets some laughs. The last couple dancing would be married the longest and winners of the bouquet and garter.
- Special Flower: The bride will make a speech for each of the girls in the bridal party or a few close friends. During her speech the special friend is presented with one of the flowers from the bride’s bouquet.
- Teddy Bear Toss: Instead of singling out the unattached men and women, everyone of all ages can participate in this one, though it’s most popular with the kiddies. To play, line up all the ladies/girls on the dance floor as you would for the bouquet toss. The bride tosses the Mrs. Teddy Bear into the sea of ladies. The groom proceeds to do the same with the guys using a Mr. Teddy Bear. If you want to take the game further, the winners of each bear can share a special dance with the bride and groom. Check out more ways to involve your kids in the wedding reception. Want to get your hands on a teddy bear toss set? Check them out here.
- Anniversary Gift: Prior to the wedding, find out the anniversary and wedding song of each of the couples attending the wedding. During the reception the newlweds will treat the couple celebrating their anniversary closest to the wedding date with a special dance to their wedding song and the bride’s bouquet.
- Fortune Teller: Tie motivational quotes and fortunes to the garter and flower stems and place them in two different baskets. Invite women to randomly select a flower from the basket to reveal their fortune. Men will follow by selecting a garter to retrieve his fortune or motivational quote.
Were you bored with the old bouquet toss and garter toss? How did you handle it? I’d love to hear your ideas.
