The tradition of the bouquet toss as we know it today started in England in the 1800s, but the origin of this tradition is even older. Prior to the 1800s, it was considered good luck to simply touch the bride on her wedding day. Hopeful single girls would often rush the bride—crowding her, touching her—in the hopes that a little bit of the bride’s wedding day good fortune would rub off on them and they would soon be married.

As legend has it, some single women would even go as far as to try and take home keepsakes of the bride’s wedding dress as she was walking by. To escape, the bride would often toss the bouquet and run. In addition to simply being an invasion of privacy, there were concerns that guests would try to rip parts of her dress off. The bouquet toss tradition was created, in part, to bestow luck on guests without going to such extreme measures.

While ripping off pieces of someone’s wedding dress might seem over the top today, back then, marriage was often a woman’s only form of upward mobility. Marriage could uplift a woman (and her family) out from poverty, and it was often more so a political and economic move than a romantic one. Single women were quite literally desperate to change their circumstances by marrying a man that could provide for her and her family.

As society has progressed, marriage has become more of a choice for women, so they don’t necessarily need luck. The bouquet toss tradition has endured over the years and evolved into a fun way for a bride to share the spotlight with her single friends.

Who participates in the bouquet toss?
According to tradition, all unmarried women can participate in the bouquet toss. However, if your single friends don’t want to participate in the tradition, don’t force them. They might be freshly single or feeling especially lonely at that moment, so let them sit this one out. This is a frivolous tradition, not meant to shame or guilt anyone into participating!

Whether you’re tossing your actual wedding bouquet or ordering a second bouquet just for the bouquet toss, you should order your wedding flowers six to nine months before the wedding.

This depends on your total floral budget, but if you’re ordering a second bouquet, it should be less than your normal wedding bouquet. Ask your florist if they have a package deal for the two.

There's no strict rule for when the bouquet toss should occur, but it usually happens during the reception once the toasts, dinner, and dances have come to a close. Oftentimes, the bride will choose to toss the bouquet after the cake has been cut.

The bouquet toss should be about the length of a song. Plan what song will play ahead of time with your DJ and make sure your most excited friends aren’t taking a bathroom break when the DJ calls for all the ladies to head down to the dance floor!

The bouquet toss is one of the last things to happen during a wedding reception, as it's more of a playful tradition, The remainder of the reception and dancing will resume until it comes time for the couple to make their exit from the wedding.

If you know early on that this is a tradition that you want to incorporate into your wedding, then you might want to consider opting for a second, smaller bouquet. Most couples today will choose to keep the original bouquet as a keepsake, so we do receive requests to craft a special arrangement that's designated specifically for tossing. Smaller bouquets also ensure that they can be caught with ease!

Some brides fear that the bouquet toss unfairly singles out their unmarried friends. Being single at a wedding is hard enough without broadcasting your relationship status by participating in the bouquet toss. It can also be quite dangerous, with a horde of women jumping up and down in their heels and wrestling on the floor to get the bouquet.

Brides who want to avoid hurt feelings and potential injury on behalf of their single friends might want to consider “tossing” the bouquet toss tradition and trading it in for something more modern and unexpected, like an anniversary dance. With this, you invite all married couples to the dance floor and then have the MC start asking couples to leave the dance floor if they’ve been married one year, then five, then ten, until the last couple remaining wins the bouquet. This typically delights the last couple many of whom have not had the chance to “win” a bouquet in 50 or 60 years.”

The bouquet toss tradition has been around for centuries, which is great for brides who want to incorporate these classic traditions into their wedding. Brides who want their wedding to be more modern can still incorporate this tradition into their reception with a fun twist. Tailor this tradition to you and your guests. If you know your single girlfriends are looking forward to the bouquet toss and are excited about the potential friendly competition, do it! Wedding traditions are only as traditional as you make them!

Whether you subscribe to a Claude Monet mindset on flowers, i.e. “I must have flowers, always, and always,” or color yourself a newbie in the flower department, you will never know more about florals than when you’re getting ready to say "I do." Apart from getting familiar with all the kinds of floral options you should have on your wedding flower checklist—from buttonholes and bouquets to ceremony flowers and centerpieces—you’ll also want to start thinking about seasonality because every bloom has a life cycle and a resulting impact on your budget.

After all, going with in-season stems will always be more cost-effective. However, if you have your heart set on a specific variety that won’t be readily accessible when you say your vows, you can always consult your florist on which flowers would make beautiful substitutes.

We usually ask our couples to have flexibility on flower choices, especially in the autumn and winter months. We encourage couples not to get too attached to a certain product because many of them are only in season for a few months. The best way to approach flowers, in our mind, is to work with local botanicals that are in season. Not only is there less stress, [but] there’s also so much beauty and intrigue in working with a rare product that you know won’t be around for very long.”

If a cold-weather wedding is on your wish list, you’ll have a little less to work with in terms of floral variety, but what is in season can make for a truly wonderful showing.

Amaryllis
A snow-like, all-white vision is usually exactly where we go with winter weddings, but you don’t have to limit yourself. Options like the large, star-shaped amaryllis come in plenty of warm, rich shades like red and burgundy with color-diffusing centers. There’s even a dual-tone peppermint striped flower that can stoke nostalgia for candy canes at Christmas. They’re not beyond-reason expensive, but luckily since each stem has a number of blooms, you can get away with using a lot less.

Anemones
We will always be here for the classic and impossibly chic anemone, especially when they’re used for interest in winter wedding florals. The soft petals of the circular bloom are delicate and charming, while the hypnotic, deeply pigmented center kind of dances before your eyes. While they come in a variety of hues like blue, red, plum, and cocoa, the black and white edition is the most striking and modern, in our opinion. You’ll have to account for around £10+ per stem from your overall budget, but with a flower that symbolizes anticipation and excitement to come (i.e. your marriage and many happy years ahead), we promise it is worth it!

Astilbe
Okay, so while these aren’t necessarily cold weather-blooming beauties (though a few selects are available late December through April), they’re still appropriate for florals taking center stage in winter. We don't think these are winter-specific flowers, but they’re available via wholesalers. We like using astilbe in the winter because of their fuzzy, fluffy texture, which we think resembles a sweater and provides a cozy warm feeling to arrangements without feeling too over the top wintertime or Christmas-like.” Those winter-evoking touches, like evergreen springs, berries, and acorns, go a long way!

Branches
Like the season itself, sometimes nature—in its barren, raw state—is undeniably beautiful. “Branches are a great way to play with lines in arrangements and to create unique sculptural arrangements. Once you have your branches in, you can play around with whatever winter foliage or flowers you have, as secondary items, to support your branches.” And the best part? They’re free if you can forage them (or enlist your florist for a trip out together!).

Hellebores
Similar to the amaryllis, hellebores have a beautiful and romantic look for winter weddings. Loved for their gorgeous range of entrancing colors like mauve, eggplant, burgundy, and beige, they can stand up well in jewel tone-forward floral arrangements and stun in oversized bouquets. Although the petals are paper-like, “they have a really nice, sturdy stem with multiple blooms on them, so you can get a lot of depth and movement with these arrangements, We find the ones grown locally are usually in the best condition and can last over a week sometimes!” They cost around £6 per stem.

If your wedding bells will be ringing in the spring, you’ll truly have your pick of the prettiest and most colorful petals.

Daffodils
Talk about an ultimate springtime flower (blooming at the end of winter into early spring): the yellow, white, and sometimes even blush colorations on these single-bloom stems give off straight sunny-weather vibes. And they can stand on their own or shine with other spring stunners like roses and ranunculus. Just keep daffodils in numbers since legend has it that a buttonhole with one single daffodil can bring bad luck.

Garden Roses
We wouldn’t even say that Shakespeare’s iconic line, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," would apply here because these beauties are one of the more fragrant roses. They come in nearly every color, from peach-bellini sherbet shades to cotton candy pinks, and they’re an amazing substitution for peonies, at a much more affordable price.

Light Brown Lisianthus
Lisianthus is a popular spring wedding flower for a number of reasons, one of which is its hardiness. These flowers have serious staying power and that’s why florists love to use them as linchpins for perfecting all of their arrangements and bouquets. They’re easy to tuck in, fill gaps, and hide mechanics—while simultaneously creating depth and movement.

Lilacs
Just as lustily as the word slips off your tongue, these plush purple and white pretties are loose, drapey, romantic, and luscious. “I like lilacs because they’re bouncy, they smell delicious, and they’re perfect for a lot of things and you don’t have to use a ton of them, either—the foliage is a delicate green and the blooms provide a lot of texture.”

Lily of the Valley
Our love for Lily of the Valley runs deep, but deep pockets are a must-have to work these beautiful bell-shaped blossoms into your spring wedding. These extremely fragile and delicate small white blooms render a look that’s timeless, refined, and oh-so chic. So, if your wedding already has a modern, classic vibe going for it, think about simple bouquets that make big statements.

Pieris Japonica
The filler flower is “great for adding texture to any floral arrangement. Because of their naturally droopy shape, they work really well for creating asymmetrical, overflowing arrangements and also hiding the lips of your flower vessels.” See if you can have your florist help with foraging to save some money while bringing some rawness of nature into your designs!

Ranunculi
These babies come in so many colors, and can blend into even more color palettes, Plus, they don’t mind the heat too much, which is nice when you’re marrying in late spring into summer. If you love the look of this ruffly, big face flower, you can brainstorm ways to make it fit into your budget (usually by way of lesser expensive counterpart flowers).

Sweet Peas
Everything from the delicate scent of these sweeties to their waif-like, watercolor petals is picture-perfect for spring. They often come in variegated pastels, which adds to their ethereal look and softness. We love using long sweet pea vine because it comes with the cutest curls and tendrils. And the kaleidoscopic colors of the flowers give any piece where they’re used a lot of ruffles!”

Tulips
With a meaning like "perfect love," tulips are naturally a great match for weddings. If you’re getting married in the spring though, you’ll have an even more unique variety of colors to choose from. What’s even cooler is that several of these cup-shaped styles even have a painterly quality to their petals, which makes them ideal for blending in bouquets and arrangements.

Tweedia
This teensy pop of color is the perfect "something blue" for your modern bridal trousseau. The preppy, full personality blooms can range in color from light blue to purple, even lavender—but we’re obsessed with the simple blue and white star-shaped iterations. And you don’t even need to use them in bulk for a lasting impression (even though they’re among the least expensive flowers already). In fact, they’re best for bright accenting jobs and their maneuverable greenery.

Summer
If you’ll be getting married when it’s hot outside, these are the best flowers around. Do note, though, that with weddings in the summer months, most flowers will need to be tubed or given some sort of water source to ensure proper hydration throughout your celebration’s duration.

Clematis
Have you found yourself dreaming about a wedding bathed in a soft, fine art focus, beautiful pastels, and a bouquet that cascades before you? If your response is "that's me," then you have to ask your florist about what you can do with clematises. They’re an expensive stem to weave into your day, but believe us when we say they’ll absolutely blow you away for the portrait-stealing purple, pink, and mauve shades they come in and for the way that they fall so softly down the silhouette of your bouquet.

Cosmos
Even though they’re not matches for clematis’ or tweedias’ size or colors, cosmos are likewise star-shaped, ethereal, and smile-inducing at a doable £3 to £4 per stem. Cosmos have a natural bounce to them, and they’re available in a wide array of colors—including dual tones. Apricot lemonade cosmos are one of our favorites for a bright summer palette.” We feel totally confident saying that they’re like the older, cool-girl cousin of the cheerful daisy.

Delphiniums
Whenever you’ve seen a pretty soft blue floral in your Instagram feed and double-tapped without hesitation, you’ve probably fallen in love with the lengthy and delightful delphinium. These cottagecore-friendly flowers are favorable for their height (they’re ringers for long-stemmed bouquets) and their functionality to act as both line (structure/boundary-setting flowers) and focal flowers (the ones that draw all the eyes). At roughly £5 to £6 per stem, they’re not cheap, but they can be used sparingly and still achieve maximum impact.

Foxgloves
Summer is all about embracing color and you can do it gorgeously with foxglove blooms. Foxglove stems are long and they do a great job of carrying your color upward and outward. The flowers are the cutest little bells, each with their own freckles and they can be found in solid and dual tones including blush, cream, nude, peach, and burgundy.

Hydrangeas
Even if you haven’t done much recon on wedding flowers yet, you’re probably familiar with hydrangeas. These fluffy, full-bodied blooms are on every florist’s "must-have" list because they come in so many useful and blendable single tones like blue, white, pink, purple, and green, plus a whole variety of multicolored, dusty antique iterations. They’re solid, too, which is important during the summer months. You might also love them for what they emblematise—perseverance—especially if the pandemic put you and your partner through the wringer with planning.

Poppies
The orange, white, and coral pink poppy is a popular choice in late spring and summer. specifically Colibri Icelandic Poppies, because their light, tissue-like petals sparkle in the sun. “They come in such nice bright colors that pair well with spring and summer flowers (in soft yellows, pinks, and whites). And at £5 to £7 per stem, the champagne-inspired flora to match your summer Champagne towers isn’t budget-busting, either!"

Scabiosa
While the name is funky and the look is a little wild in and of itself, These white, black, burgundy, pink, and purple pincushion-centered pretties. “Scabiosa is a dancing queen, truly! She’ll provide a lot of movement and bounce to bouquets, without breaking the bank!” You’ll just want to make sure your florist can work in some support (like wire for the stems) to prevent the blooms from drooping.

Sunflowers
We just can’t get over the bright and happy facade of these focal flowers—which do look right on-point for a rustic nuptials but can work well for any summer soirée. If your couple's aura has been yellow from the get-go, it’s safe to say that you two just exude joy, confidence, and magnetism. And so, this marigold magic is your flower power, capable of conjuring up all of that pleasing, electric, and jubilant energy at your event—for a reasonable cost, too!

White Campanulas
We certainly love a minimalist, all-white bouquet with larger-than-life flowers, but daintier blooms also work to create an effortlessly chic look. Campanulas, which are also known as Canterbury Bells, are light, feminine flowers that resemble sweet little baby bells. Available in shades like blue, lavender, violet, pink, and white, this airy assortment with frilly petals almost looks identical to the edible flower cup that Willy Wonka takes a bite out of in the room of pure imagination. True white-colored flowers” that will always get compliments when they’re used in floral ensembles because they can act great as fillers or line flowers, adding height to any arrangement or bouquet. So, the £3 to £4 per stem is well worth it!

Zinnias
These fun flowers symbolize friendship, thoughtfulness, and endurance (they bloom from mid-summer through to early winter), which bodes well if you’re stumped about what to use for your bridesmaid bouquets. Like the color and uniqueness of your crew, these flowers come in a range of playful colors from berry pink to pistachio green. They also attract butterflies, which might just make for the perfect summer ceremony picture!

We know lots when it comes to in-season flora, so pick our brains and see what’s worked out for us in the past. We're sure to have some secret weapon varieties in our toolkits, not to mention we regularly think about the whole picture, not just the flowers.

If you’ll be saying "I do" during wedding season’s true golden hour (a natural autumn backdrop is spectacular for photos), you’ll want to embrace color cues and also stay abreast of in-season foliage.

Chrysanthemums
Before you start scrolling, please hear us out on these stereotypical front stoop florals because their colors, their hardiness, and their rustic charm translate seamlessly into a autumn fête. The types include smaller button mums and statement Fuji and Football mums in a festive palette comprised of golden, terracotta, yellow, rust, and burgundy hues. Most importantly, though, they give you incredible bang for your buck—and with some impressive styling, you’ll be absolutely smitten. Mum’s the word!

Dahlias
Though they begin to bloom in late summer, these folds or ruffle-brimming flowers thrive in the autumn because they love colder weather, They are water-sensitive and do not like the heat, so we typically use them when the temperatures start to cool down. You can truthfully find a shade to go with any wedding color story, and their 3D layered petals offer so much to play with per stem (usually £3 to £5 each).

Hanging Amaranthus
We love hanging amaranthus, While we're not fond of the bright colors it can come in, there are rust and pale blush bunches that add beautiful texture and movement to any piece.” Blooming from October through December, the swaying foliage looks right at home peeking out of centerpieces, sprawled out on tablescapes, or suspended from a hanging chandelier or ceremony-positioned pergola.

Kangaroo Paws
Whimsical is the best way to describe these quirky one-of-a-kind fan blooms. “They come in autumn colors like browns, oranges, and reds without screaming Halloween, They have an interesting shape and texture that can align beautifully with a buttonhole or centerpiece. We also like that you can trim them into smaller pieces to use as filler flowers. At £3 to £4 per stem, you can grab guests’ attention without spending too much!

Toffee Roses
Should you want to pay homage to a autumn ambiance without going for a whole cornucopia of red and orange colors, toffee roses can be sweet and satisfying—albeit a bit expensive, at £10+ per stem. “Toffee roses can be paired with literally any color because, to us, anything brown and muddy toned is considered a neutral. So you could add these to a white and creamy palette, a palette full of burgundies and mauves, or even a palette full of blue flowers. Bringing in a grounding neutral can offer your eyes some rest, and allow the colorful flowers to really shine.”

Deciding what flowers you'll have at your wedding is no easy feat. From figuring out what will look best at your venue to knowing what's in season to determining your floral style (romantic and loose? traditional and tidy? artsy and minimalist?), it's a decision that can be daunting. So, if you want to offer your florist some direction but are still stuck on what your featured flowers will be (the flowers you'll use throughout your ceremony and reception), why not look to the stars to help you decide?

The Best Time of Year to Get Married Based on Your Zodiac Sign

That's right—a little insight from your zodiac can help you make some of those bouquet and centerpiece decisions. In fact, you can even use your astrological personality traits to decide on registry picks, decor, and other aspects of your wedding. Whether you're a bold Aries or a mysterious Scorpio, there's a flower out there that's a perfect complement for you on your big day.

Read on to find out the perfect wedding flower for you based on your zodiac sign.

People born under this sign are known to be fiery and bold, much like the bright and daring poppy flower. Just as you may be a little wild at times, the poppy does its own thing, often growing wildly and without abandon in fields. Their meandering stems always look like they're trying to escape whatever arrangement they're in, but they make perfect additions to a bouquet or centerpiece, as they always add a little movement.

A Taurus loves nothing more than beauty and luxury, and there's nothing like a bloom with an abundance of petals and often generous sizing (dinner plate dahlias can grow to be as big as your head!) to encapsulate this star sign's personality. Dahlias are best cultivated in the fall, but beautiful varieties exist pretty much all year.

The sign of the twins, Geminis always have two personalities within them. As such, the lush and full double tulip (named because of the number of petals they have—more than twice as many as what you think of for a normal tulip) makes for a perfect complement to the Gemini. They may look like a normal tulip before they've opened, but upon unfurling, they look similar to a peony.

Much like the delicate hyacinth, Cancers are sweet and sensitive. Blue hyacinths represent sincerity, something this sign is all too familiar with. These flowers work best as an accent flower but can also look beautiful on their own in a centerpiece or bouquet so that they aren't overshadowed by showier blooms.

Bold, confident, competitive Leos love to be in the spotlight—just like the standalone King Protea flower. This large and sculptural bloom works best alone in an arrangement with perhaps a couple of pieces of greenery, but its uniqueness and sheer size make it hard for any other flower to outshine or compete with it (Leos know all about that!).

We couldn't think of a better match for detail-oriented and hyper-organized Virgo than a neat and tidy lily of the valley. This classic wedding flower is often used solo in bouquets—their sweet little buds are otherwise overpowered by other flowers and will disappear completely.

Libras love nothing more than for everyone to be happy (being the sign of the scales, they want everything to be fair and equal), and no flower is quite so universally crowd-pleasing as the peony. And peonies, which are often face flowers, tend to balance a bouquet out when used in moderation!

Scorpios are known for their mysteriousness but also their magnetism—and much like a rose, they can hurt you with an unexpected prick when you least expect it. (Scorpios are the scorpion, after all, and are known to pack a punch if you get on their bad side). We love garden roses for their classically pleasing fullness, but there are many rose varieties (and some with fewer thorns) to choose from.

Sagittarius is known for being happy, cheerful, and very ambitious. Brightly colored bougainvillea are just that, and their ambitiousness as a flower means they spread and grow like crazy, regardless of the terrain. Add some wisps to an all-white arrangement or add in some stems to an already brightly colored tropical bouquet.

Hardy hellebores (also known as Lenten roses) are also known to be tenacious fighters, blooming when there is still snow on the ground. Capricorns are known to be similarly hard-working—symbolized by a mountain goat—and are often very career-oriented. Hellebores have come into popularity as of late and work well alongside almost any other flower or on their own for a delicate, sweet bouquet.

Aquarians are known to be avant-garde, individualistic, and independent. Japanese magnolias are large and showy blooms that are often displayed in big arrangements on tall branches—hard to miss and hard to mix—making these guys just as individualistic as Aquarians.

Demure and delicate-natured people who are born under this fish sign are often a little dreamy and floaty, off in their own world. Sweet peas are soft and similarly delicate—just as sweet as those born under Pisces!

Find a Vase – You may have noticed your flowers no longer have roots, and that they’re not in soil. Bet they’re thirsty! Time to put them in your favorite vase with some fresh water.

Trim Those Stems – Keep those stems trimmed! Always cut your flowers at an angle so they can absorb more water & won’t suffocate on the bottom of the vase. After the initial cut, check the bottoms of your stems every couple of days, and if the ends are looking a bit slimy, just snip off an inch or so.

Remove Leaves – Take off any excess leaves so that all the water is funneled into the petals. Pay special attention to leaves below the water line because they’ll decompose, causing rot and bacteria to grow, which will shorten the lifespan of your blooms.

Mist Them – Flowers like to be misted (let’s be honest, who doesn’t?). Lightly spray down the petals from time to time to keep your stems looking fresh, and remove any buds that are clearly past their prime.

Keep Them Cool – Last but not least, keep your flowers in a cool area. Don’t put them near radiators, computers, televisions, fireplaces, ovens… you get the idea.