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cmbredenbeck

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Lisa50

I have no idea.  I did neither when I married the second time (in July).  When I married the first time (20 years ago), I did a bouquet toss.  I've never liked the garter ritual -- it always seemed demeaning to me.

redheadfsu

At least in my circle, I would say about half of weddings I have been to in the last few years have skipped them (I do not know if this is just my circle or not).

calliopeia2013

Well, I don't know how common they were before, but, like redheadfsu, about half (probably just over half?) of the weddings I've been to in the past few years have skipped them.

gundy21

We skipped them, most of my friends have been skipping them as well.

Most of our guests were married and many for 20+ years.  We opted for an anniversary dance instead (all married couples start, then the DJ starts calling out "if you have been married less than X years, please leave the floor" until one couple remains.  I gave my toss bouquet to them (DH's aunt and uncle at 44 years - just beat out my folks).  The couple also shared a bit of advice for us on how to have a long marriage.

Lark2013

All of the weddings I have been to have done at least the bouquet toss.  I think it really depends on where you are.

megsch88

I think it depends on where you live. Most weddings in the mid-west have a garter toss (or garter auction), bouquet toss, and dollar dance. I don't think the dollar dance is as popular on the east and west coast though. If it is a traditional, 'd say do it. Oterhwise, it is completely up to you :-)

[Deleted User]

I'm not doing it because we're one of the last in our group of friends to get married, so there's not a lot of single people to go out there and catch them, it always seems a little awkward to me so we're skipping it!

becky659

I'm not doing either, because I'm not having a boquet and I also think the garter thing is demeaning and I'm way, way too modest (Um, I hardly wanted to have a wedding in the first place because I'd be the center of attention... having my FI up my skirt in front of 100 people? Noooo thanks.)

RussoWill

We did it. Most weddings we've been to (all but 1) had it.  We are some of the first to get married, so plently of single friends to make it fun.  And DH did the Wayne's World 'foxy lady' scene for taking the garter off, which was really funny.

taraajones

We are doin g both. The garter I got benefits breast cancer (my grandmother beat it) and I want to show that off. I've always loved the bouquet toss and most of our friends are still single. I actually bought two garters one to keep as a keepsake, the toss one to toss and the one I wear to give to my grandma. That is a great idea about the anniversary dance, I have a lot of older people in my family that I think would enjoy that.

aragx6

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_bouquet-tossgarter-toss?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:36Discussion:51c265e1-db11-40d1-9dbb-8dcc2c93a8e0Post:3c6014e8-d5a2-40ad-ab2a-b411815f3fb3">Re: Bouquet toss/garter toss</a>:
[QUOTE]I think it depends on where you live. Most <strong>weddings in the mid-west have a garter toss (or garter auction), bouquet toss, and dollar dance. I</strong> don't think the dollar dance is as popular on the east and west coast though. If it is a traditional, 'd say do it. Oterhwise, it is completely up to you :-)
Posted by megsch88[/QUOTE]

From my experience that's inaccurate. i think it's much more about your particular social circle than any overarching regional tradition.

We're doing neither the bouquet or garter toss but the last couple of weddings I've been to did have them. I've only been to one wedding with a dollar dance and I just hid near the back.

Miliska

Here in Canada, there's a bouquet and a garter toss in pretty much every wedding. I have a lot of friends and cousins of my age who aren't married, so it should be a lot of fun!

I really like the anniversary dance idea too though. I think I'll talk to my fiancé about it and we might do it as well!

megsch88

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_bouquet-tossgarter-toss?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:36Discussion:51c265e1-db11-40d1-9dbb-8dcc2c93a8e0Post:5051b676-bcf7-4162-a131-298721643ba0">Re: Bouquet toss/garter toss</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Bouquet toss/garter toss : From my experience that's inaccurate. i think it's much more about your particular social circle than any overarching regional tradition. We're doing neither the bouquet or garter toss but the last couple of weddings I've been to did have them. I've only been to one wedding with a dollar dance and I just hid near the back.
Posted by aragx6[/QUOTE]


I should maybe have said ND (maybe I should have said upper mid-west)...I have yet to go to a wedding in ND that doesn't have a dollar dance, garter, or bouquet toss, but I agree that it is all about tradition :-)

kgrawedding

We will have only 2 single male guests, so no garter toss.  Since we are not dragging single men onto the floor, I refuse to drag single women out, but it is such an iconic wedding tradition.  Right now I am toying with the idea of inviting all women onto the floor and throw the bouquet wishing the receiver happiness, rather than "next to get married."  I went to a women's college that had a good luck tradition that was originally first to get married but got converted to first to attain success however she defines it, so that is how I am modeling the bouquet toss.

carynlwerner

<div>That is what we are doing too! I love this idea.</div><div>
</div>In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_bouquet-tossgarter-toss?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:51c265e1-db11-40d1-9dbb-8dcc2c93a8e0Post:8d1d3df1-ea0d-4383-bcdf-8a7cc73c205f">Re: Bouquet toss/garter toss</a>:
[QUOTE]We skipped them, most of my friends have been skipping them as well. Most of our guests were married and many for 20+ years.  We opted for an anniversary dance instead (all married couples start, then the DJ starts calling out "if you have been married less than X years, please leave the floor" until one couple remains.  I gave my toss bouquet to them (DH's aunt and uncle at 44 years - just beat out my folks).  The couple also shared a bit of advice for us on how to have a long marriage.
Posted by gundy21[/QUOTE]

devilishangel61401

Im not doing either of them. I always hate it when I go to weddings and the only "single girls" are me a granny or two and the flower girls, I dont want anyone but my hubby having my garter and am not ok with him going up my dress in any fashion modest or not in front of our family and freinds, his family is really conservitive  and I dont think it would go over well with them either..

M&MJK

I have hated the boquet toss since shortly after college.  I swore I would never have one in my wedding bacause I always felt embarrased and put on the spot.  When I told my fiance I didn't want to have a boquet toss he kind of balked.  This thread got me thinking though.  Perhaps we can have a boquet toss for all the women who want to participate, but rather than the next to get married it could be some other good fortune (health and long life, love surround you, etc.)  I will be reading the fortune cookie slips carefully for ideas.  That way Sweets can still do the garter toss if he wants. 

reppunzel

I've seen the groom toss his boutinnere rather than doing the whole garter thing. 

AurorasEnvy

I've only been to one wedding I can remember that skipped it.  I guess the DJ asked the bride & groom if they really wanted him to clear a perfectly packed dance floor just to do it, and they said just keep the party going!

We're not doing one either.  I don't think that people miss it, honestly I didn't notice they didn't have one until the bride mentioned skipping it.

nicolhuff

We're not doing either...  The only single people at our wedding are going to be my mom, his mom, his dad and my best friend...  So we figured we would skip the bouqiet and garter toss.