Two of the most exciting events of a wedding reception are the tossing of the bride’s bouquet and her garter. Tradition says that the single girl and guy that catch the bride’s objects will be next in line to be married; but have you ever wondered why this is? What is it about these two items that possess magical marriage powers?

The tradition of tossing the bouquet and garter dates back to the fourteenth century. Any piece of the bride’s attire was considered lucky, so guests were excited to claim their own bit of marriage luck. Some of the single guests would become so eager to have the bouquet that they would rush to the bride and enthusiastically try to grab it from her. To prevent the bride from being attacked by her guests, brides started tossing their bouquet to the crowd.

The tossing of the garter also evolved from trying to protect the bride. Way back when, when the reception was over, guests would accompany the newlyweds to their bedchamber. It was custom that the groom’s friends would try to remove the bride’s garters for good luck. Obviously this caused some discomfort. To avoid being bothered by drunken men, brides started tossing their garters in their direction instead.