Wedding Department Wedding Blog

Throwing things at the bride and groom has been a tradition since antiquity and there are many explanations as to why people do it.

Some think it has to do with showering food as a fertility offering but whatever the reason was, the reason now seems to be tradition.  Plain and simple, we do things is because other people are doing things and we like to emulate other people.  The old adage of jumping off a bridge because other people are doing it no longer holds water.  Just look at all the base jumpers who are jumping off bridges because others are doing it.

In our parents day the tradition was to shower rice on the bride and groom as they careened down the steps of the church, holding hands ducking the flying grain.  However some people can not seem to let well enough alone and the traditions has been altered.  The reason is that the only thing more important than doing what others are doing, is to do the same thing others are doing but with a personal twist.  This way we can feel special, while feeling like we fit in.  Cozy.

Some time in the 1970’s people began circulating the rumor that throwing rice was bad for birds and they would explode if they picked it up from the ground after a wedding.  It is unclear how these urban legends started but there are some theories.  Perhaps the janitor was tired of cleaning it up.  One idea that seems to make sense is the rice is very slippery and can cause a hard sole shoe to slip.  No matter what the reason the fact is people were trying to find something different.

In the 60’s and early 70’s there was a move to throw punch card chads.  These are the little square pieces of paper that are punched in computer punch cards.  The punch card confetti was in great supply due to all the punch card machines prior to the invention of other office machines.  This fad faded very quickly when people found that the little pieces of paper were extremely hard to brush out of ones hair and almost impossible to sweep up. 

Some time in the 80’s it became popular to throw bird seed. Some have suggested that bird seed companies came up with the idea that they could sell more bird seed if people threw that instead of rice.  This is questionable as the amount of bird seed sold for weddings would be a tiny drop in the bucked compared to what people spend to simply feed the birds.   However there is no doubt that bird seed attracts birds and the dropping they leave behind.

Lately, in the 90’s and beyond the idea of botanical throws has become popular.  Flower petals have long been associated with weddings but normally they are simply scattered before the bride and groom. The botanical throws are made from compressed flower petals that have the color of the blossoms and can be scented as well.  They are available in bulk or put up in small hand held launchers. The flower pellets can be thrown with relative accuracy and are bio degradable.  It is unlikely anyone would slip on them and they are renewable too.

The bottom line for wedding throws is to check before hand.  Be sure your choice of throw is approved for use by the venue and be sure to get the word to all the guests.  God forbid someone should throw some rice and choke a bird to death.