Okay, gather around brides. Today we are going to talk proper technique for a bouquet toss. Here is an example of what can go wrong and what we can do to avoid this mishap.

Problem: Bride throws her bouquet up and hits a light fixture or the ceiling and it fall to the ground where a bridesmaid has to pick it up.

Solution: Ask your photographer to huddle with you beforehand and pick an area with high clearance. Toss behind and out.

I also ask brides to take it slow and tease the crowd by looking behind her a few times before throwing the bouquet. This builds excitement and also give me a a couple of opportunities for some some nice shots of the bride with her female guests waiting in anticipation. I will then step to the side and capture bride, bouquet and crowd in one shot.

Bonus tip for grooms: You know that garter you want to hurl like a fast ball in the world series? It is as light as a feather. It's not going to go far. Stay fairly close to the guys and give a light toss to keep it airborne for a little while.