Author’s Note: this is the fifth entry in The Spotlight Dance Song Series of blog posts focusing on the music for specific moments of a wedding reception.
So, you’re considering tossing a bouquet at your wedding celebration, huh? Here’s a tidbit of information for you when it comes to a wedding bouquet: over 200 years ago, brides at weddings would often have a tough time trying to leave after the nuptials had taken place.
Okay… What does that have to do with me tossing a bouquet at MY wedding?
Getting to that. So, the other women attending the ceremony would go so far as to attempt to rip pieces of the bridal gown off of the bride. Why? Because it was thought that good fortune would rub off of her onto them in the process. In an effort to escape injury or the potential embarrassment of being disrobed, the bride would toss her bouquet in one direction then bolt in the opposite direction – the idea was that the single women would be too busy clamoring for the bouquet (and the good fortune it represented) while the bride made her safe, fully-clothed getaway.
Superstitious? You bet. Several traditions for the modern day wedding got their start due to superstitions of the past.
Today, the significance of the Bouquet Toss has morphed a bit. It’s fairly well known that whoever catches the bouquet is destined to be the next woman in the group to get married. While this is still a reference to the Good Fortune of old, this aspect has stepped to the forefront.
Okay, Steve. I thought that you were going to talk about music here, not give a history lesson.
Oh, I’m getting to that. Knowledge is power, ESPECIALLY when it comes to knowledge about history. But I’m getting sidetracked.
So, you’re throwing a bouquet at your wedding celebration? Wondering what song might be best to serve as the soundtrack for that event? While I can’t tell you what song to choose, I can tell you that I’ve been called upon to play several songs for that purpose over the last 19 years.
A bride preparing to throw her bridal bouquet.
One thing that you should keep in mind is that it should be fun. Songs that might get you and the ladies hyped up are always among the best options. The more hyped you are before you send that bouquet sailing in the air, the better.
With that in mind, here are MY Top 5 Bouquet Toss songs (this list is subject to change as new songs are released – rankings are based on my personal preference rather than on popularity).
5. Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
Who (of a certain age) doesn’t remember watching Cyndi Lauper briefly being taken to task by the late Captain Lou Albano in the music video for this song on MTV?
While this one’s a throwback to the 80’s, it’s still a pretty fun song to get the vibe going. Upbeat, with a nice hook to sing along to, I used this one quite frequently when I first started handling weddings. It’s nice to dust this one off on occasion, for nostalgia’s sake alone.
4. Ladies Night by Kool & The Gang
This one tends to be better received by a slightly more niche audience. You’re either into the Funk or you aren’t. However, when it comes to a Bouquet Toss, this one is actually fairly timeless. If you want to update it (and the vibe) a little bit, check out the Reggae version done with Sean Paul and Spanner Banner.
3. Lady Marmalade from Moulin Rouge
This throwback got MAJOR air play after the movie came out in 2001. It pleases the more “seasoned” ladies in the crowds by harkening back to the days of Disco. While updated to take care of the contemporaries, Lady Marmalade would OFTEN be received with packed dance floors and women belting “Lady Marmalade” at the top of their lungs.
2. Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) by Beyonce
Who can forget watching Justin Timberlake (in particular) messin’ up Beyonce’s vibe by twerking in that Saturday Night Live segment?
From the moment I saw that sketch, I KNEW that I’d be playing Single Ladies for Bouquet Tosses for YEARS to come. Some of the ladies do the dance. Some of the guys do the dance. What’s NOT to like about the energy that this song brings?
1. Man! I Feel Like a Woman by Shania Twain
For as long as this song has been out, it NEVER occurred to me to use it for a Bouquet Toss until one of the brides that was in my care chose it early last year. Here’s the thing about this song: I personally consider it an anthem. It’s RARE when I drop this song during a reception for it to get less than a PACKED dance floor with the ladies belting this song out at the top of their lungs.
What makes it more enjoyable is the fact that SEVERAL of the men in attendance will join them and belt it out at the top of their lungs, too. The DJ in me can’t ignore THAT kind of power from a song.
If you’d like to check out some more bouquet toss songs that I have in my favorites on Spotify, click HERE. Are there any songs that I’m missing? Anything that I should check out? Let me know.
For a more comprehensive list of Bouquet Toss songs, check out THIS LIST from My Wedding Songs.