Handing Off the Bouquet
The tradition of throwing the bridal bouquet blindly towards an assembled throng of unmarried female wedding guests is slowly being phased out as the popular option for a bride.
While many have taken to preserving their bouquets as a decorative piece for their new homes, another new trend focuses on presenting the bouquet to a single special individual in their life, rather than tossing it to a crowd of many.
It can be a grandmother or other relative or a friend who has recently lost someone special to them as a way of honoring both the surviving member and the lost love. It can be a congratulatory symbol of love to someone who has just gotten engaged or found out they are expecting, or it can be a way to honor a friend or family member who has been struggling, whether from illness or from some other personal issue. It can even be used as a presentation to a young niece or younger sister, as a way of welcoming them to womanhood and honoring their youth.
For some brides, especially those who wish to present a portion of their bouquet to their mother or other individual paramount in their raising, the beginning of the ceremony is the time chosen for the presentation, but for the majority, the moment during the reception when speeches are being given is usually the most timely and the most appropriate moment that presents itself.
At that time, the bride would simply rise, walk over to the podium or microphone, make a short and succinct speech, telling those assembled who she is presenting her bouquet to and why. Focusing heavily on the why in order to assure that other guests are not offended.
Whether you think putting your single friends on the hook to battle for your bouquet is too barbaric an act for your elegant affair, or simply want to stop and take a moment to highlight a particular person in your life, presenting the bouquet is a symbolic gesture that can let one person know, just how much they mean to you.
©2008 Weddingstar Inc.
