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.
Have something out of the ordinary at your reception and display a decorative board saying “Share Your Key To Success.” This is a fun activity for guest to give their marriage advice to the newlyweds. Have a jar on the table with antique keys with tags attached, and then have guests write down their words of wisdom on the blank tags. The guests can then place their filled-out keys onto the board. The board would be ideal to have near the guest book.
It's bridal show season! Here in Jacksonville, we have two bridal shows going on this weekend. If you're planning on attending, here are some helpful tips:
Did you know you can insure your wedding? Of course, we hope nothing would go wrong on your wedding day, but Hurricane Irene churning in the Atlantic has us all thinking about backup plans! There are several companies that provide wedding insurance, but here is some information from 
Lately, we have been getting a lot of questions from brides about what to put in their welcome bags. In case you aren't familiar with the term, these are little bags or baskets of goodies delivered to the hotel room of your out-of-town guests. They can be as elaborate or as simple as your budget will allow!
The container itself can be inspired by your wedding location, theme, or personalities - we've seen everything from cute beach pails to formal baskets to reusable shopping bags. If you opt for the gift bag route, you can have them printed with your names and wedding date, or attach a cute tag to the handle. The bag pictured here is from 
I recently attended a conference session called "25 Centerpieces Under $25." While most of our clients spend a great deal more than that on their centerpieces, I got some great ideas for enhancing floral arrangements, adding a special touch to a bar or guest book table, or perking up the ladies' room.
