Bouquet/Garter Toss Alternative

I don't have any other ideas for alternatives- we're not doing either of those and we're not putting anything in their place. Just regular DJ/dancing without stopping to toss anything.

Following because I REALLY don't want to do the garter belt but FH thinks it's a fun thing to do. Ugghhh

I wouldn't do a couples dance because it will make people feel left out. It could be an awkward situation.

Couples dance didn't really get people dancing. Only for a minute then they all sit down. We haven't ruled out the tossing. If you want to start dancing get your bridal party up to the floor with an epic song to get everyone going.

We're doing the reunion dance (what you described) and not doing a bouquet/garter toss. There will be plenty of people who just don't dance anyway. I don't think it's alienating.

I'm going to give the tosser bouquet to the last couple on the dance floor. And I have a feeling that the last couple standing will be FH's grandparents.

Ashley: If we do the reunion dance (yay it has a name!), I have a feeling the bouquet will go to the people who own the jewelry store who did my engagement ring - or the couple who (at a theater gala fundraiser) gave my FH the diamond that they won, where FH ended up proposing (long story!).

We did the anniversary dance! We should have told the DJ that H's g-parents had been married 56 years before he started because he definitely didn't time it long enough for all those years. So GMIL got the bouquet and she loved it.

We did a couples dance. I wanted to honor the couple that had been together the longest. I do understand that not all guests could participate, but not all guests can participate in a garter or bouquet toss either, just the single ones. We played Let's Stay Together by Al Green and after dancing for a minute, the DJ dismissed couples by length of time together. It moved pretty quick, we didnt use the whole song. I think my guests enjoyed it, it was fun to see how long different couples were together. My bouquet went to the Best Mans parents, who had been together for over 40 years, it was sweet. We took a couple pictures with them and sent them after the wedding when we got the pro pics back.

We are doing the anniversary dance (same thing that Ashley called the reunion dance) and planned on it from the beginning. I always kind of like seeing it at weddings.

Originally I wasn't going to do a bouquet (or garter) toss but someone else had posted their plan for a different kind of bouquet toss and I decided I liked it so much, I'm stealing it. I'm going to throw the bouquet to all of the married ladies and have whoever caught it, start the open dance floor with her husband. Unfortunately, I don't remember who I got it from so I can't give them credit.

A reunion dance? It's called an anniversary dance, reunion doesn't even make sense.

You don't have to replace it with anything. Get up and dance yourselves and it will be a party.

I love the idea of the reunion dance!

We are doing the couples dance but our DJ does it backwards I guess. He said his job is to get people on the dance floor so why would he ask them to sit down? So he calls the couples up based on years of marriage this way at the end, the dance floor is full. Makes sense to me

We did the anniversary dance and everyone liked it. We only had 2 single guys and 4 single ladies at our wedding. I think it depends on your guest, we had mostly couples.

Yep, misspoke (mistyped) it is the anniversary dance not reunion dance.

...relax.

Pretty relaxed, also pretty fair to think that you were just wrong, considering it wasn't a typo, it was just the entirely wrong word, and helping OP, who took your words literally, from confusing people by asking for a reunion dance.

Ahhhh so relaxed.

I don't think you necessarily NEED an alternative....

If you don't want to do a bouquet toss, just skip it. Don't feel pressured to put anything else in unless its something you want to have as part of your reception anyway

I have been at a wedding where they did a couples dance...it was very nice. It got everyone involved and it added a little romance to the event. I agree---I personally do not like the garter/bouquet/dollar dance. We will be doing a couple's dance...giving away my bouquet to the couple married the longest. =)

We're just skipping the bouquet/garter toss. No need to replace it with everything. People should have plenty to do between food, drinks, catching up and dancing.

I'm not crazy about the anniversary dance. The DJ needs to know what he's doing, first of all, or it could get confusing. I'm never really a fan of being told to go do something in front of a crowd, even dance at a wedding. I think it would make single and (especially) divorced guests feel awkward, telling them to get off the dance floor for this song.

Then in my case, some of the older couples have physical limitations and wouldn't be able to dance, so that would be sad. Also, even if someone doesn't know they have a limitation, I would worry about heart conditions if I was trying to force people to dance. Two of my older uncles have pacemakers. One had to have a pacemaker put in after dancing at another uncle's birthday party last summer.

Just some things to consider when you think about if it's right for your wedding. I don't really like these types of activities. I won't be having a bouquet or garter toss, and I don't feel the need to replace it with anything. People will just be drinking and dancing as they please! ETA: I'm going to keep my bouquet, preserve it in silica and make a nice shadow box or something with it later. I like Brooke's DJ's way of doing the anniversary dance better, that way the oldest people aren't dancing the longest, but overall I don't really like dividing people by marital status like this.

We aren't doing a bouquet toss or a garter toss, but we are doing the anniversary dance. I've chosen a slow song so people don't even have to really dance-they can just stand on the dance floor and sway if they want to. And I don't have to give up my bouquet--my florist provides one for either the bouquet toss or anniversary dance for free! Plus, we're going to do it after a dance set, so other people will have had a chance to dance. We're older, so many of our guests are, too, and don't mind taking a break from dancing for one song.