Hello, Everyone!
September seems like a serious month. Summer is unofficially over, school has started, the days are shorter and I’m crawling out of bed without the benefit of the sun, the weather’s cooler forcing me to stay indoors more than I’d like, but at least it compels me to spend more time writing.
It also seems like the end of the wedding season, though many couples do plan a September or October or November wedding. December weddings are fun, too. Christmas is a wonderful celebration and celebrating nuptials that time of year makes the wedding seem magical!
After the wedding ceremony, the solemnity gives way to gaiety with dancing and toasting and eating—all the months of planning for a few hours of celebration seem to pass in a flash, but it’s so much fun.
The pinnacle of the reception is when the bride and groom escape for their honeymoon, but there are other high points cutting the cake, the speeches, the first dance and here’s a fun one for everyone—catching the bouquet. Some brides want to keep their bouquet so they ask the florist to make another bouquet for the toss.
Have you ever wondered why the bride tosses her bouquet? Apparently, in the days of old, the women guests wanted some of the bride’s luck and would try to tear away a piece of the bride’s dress or bouquet. In order to distract the guests from ripping apart her dress or bouquet, the bride would toss the bouquet. Catching the bouquet is a real competition. And so is catching the garter. Women can really show their skill when it comes to catching the bouquet. Whoever catches the bouquet will be the next to marry, according to legend, so the determination to catch the bouquet can be fierce.
In my book Wherever Love Finds You, the battle for the bouquet is a fierce competition, except for Ellora Duvall. She has no desire to catch the bouquet. She won’t even join the group of women gathered around the bride. Why should she catch the bouquet? There’s no one to marry. Zach Lowe couldn’t agree more. At the wedding reception, she stands on the terrace wishing the wedding would end. Suddenly, she hears everyone calling her name. She looks up. A shot of flowers and ribbons is rocketing straight toward her.
I have tried to catch the bouquet, but to no avail, though now I’m married and am no longer a competitor. When I was single, I wasn’t aggressive enough to jump over people to make sure the bouquet landed firmly in my hand, but to those of you who have caught the bouquet, my hat is off to you. It’s no easy feat and if you’re clever enough to catch it, then you deserve it.
Now we are winding our way through September, to crisp mornings and trees turning brilliant colors to bid summer adieu. I hope you have a wonderful week, and that wonderful things happen to you.
Love,
Laura
