Alternatives to the Bouquet/Garter Toss

These days many couples are choosing to do something less traditional than a bouquet and garter toss at their reception. No one wants their bouquet toss to turn into a wrestling match, and often unmarried women don't want to be singled out in front of your guests.

Here are some fun and easy alternatives.

• Cake Charm Pull: This activity is actually a Victorian tradition. Purchase small cake charms. After attaching a ribbon on each, have your baker insert them in between the layers of the cake with the ribbons extending beyond the edge of the cake. At the wedding have your bride’s maids pull the charms out (you could purchase more and have all of the female guests pull one). The charms work like fortunes; a baby carriage for a future bun in the oven, a ring for a coming engagement, a plane for travel, a four-leaf clover for good luck, etc.

• Breakaway Bouquet: Make your single ladies think that you’re going to be throwing one whole bouquet, and instead untie the bundle so that each single lady can have one flower. You could also add to this idea and tie fortunes to each stem. You can also have all of the women come out for this activity, instead of singling out the unmarried women.
• Wish Come True Bouquet Toss: Invite all of the women out onto the dance floor. Have them all make a wish, then toss the bouquet. Whoever catches it will have their wish come true.
• Anniversary Bouquet Dance: Have all of the married couples come out on the dance floor. Slowly have your DJ “eliminate” couples until the longest marriage is the last dancing. For example, “If you’ve been married for less than a week, leave the dance floor.” “If you’ve been married less than a year, your dance is over!” etc. The longest married couple will win the bouquet.

• Honor True Love: If your longest married couple isn’t in dancing shape (often the longest married couple are the oldest couple). Simply have the married couples stand at their tables, and in a similar manner to the anniversary bouquet dance (eliminating the couples in increments), find the couple at your wedding that has been married the longest and give them the bouquet.
• Spin-the-bride: This alternative reminded me of spin the bottle. Instead of the bride tossing the bouquet, have her wear a blindfold, while the women circle around her. She’ll hold out the bouquet and spin (once or twice, don’t get dizzy!) and whoever she is pointing to when she stops gets the bouquet.
• Dedicate the Bouquet & Garter: Instead of tossing the items, dedicate the bouquet to someone very special to you (a sister, mother, aunt, etc.). You can also choose to dedicate your bouquet to your next friend to be married. Have your groom dedicate the garter to his “wing-man” that he obviously won’t be needing anymore!

While researching the topic, I found that recently a lot of couples are choosing to forgo the garter toss all-together. Because of this, there weren’t a lot of garter toss alternatives. Depending on how many single men you have at your wedding, it might not even be missed. If you feel uncomfortable with your man going under your dress in front of your guests, make it more tasteful by sliding your garter down to your upper calf before your new husband goes to retrieve it.

Photo Source: weddingaccessories.net, birchtreephotographyblog.com, iamstaggered.com