10 Great Songs to Play During the Bouquet Toss
No matter how somber and romantic the rest of the ceremony is, the bouquet toss is the perfect point in a wedding to let your hair down and have some fun. It’s the moment when all the single ladies gather around to compete to catch the bride’s bouquet – the one who catches it will be the next one to walk up the aisle (or so the story goes, anyway). If you’re in need of some inspiration, here are our top 10 favorite bouquet toss songs of all time to get you started.
10. Shania Twain – Man! I Feel Like a Woman
As weddingwire.com says, if you want a bouquet toss song with a country twang and a ’90s throwback vibe, then you’ll struggle to find better than this attitude-laden treat from Shania Twain. Described by Billboard as having “great tempo, attitude, and a hook that sells like ice cream in summer,” it’s sure to get all the singles ladies on their feet. The song became one of Twain’s biggest hits on its release in March 1999, reaching the top ten in numerous countries and picking up a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
9. The Weather Girls – It’s Raining Men
If you want to introduce a bit of fun into the bouquet toss, this ’80’s classic is perfect. Released as the lead single from The Weather Girls’ third studio album, Success, on September 10, 1982, It’s Raining Men became a major dance hit both in the US and internationally, picking up a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and sending the group to the top of the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
8. Kelis – Milkshake
Named as one of the best songs to play during the bouquet toss by theknot.com, Kelis’ Milkshake is guaranteed to add plenty of sauce to the event with lyrics like “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard/ And they’re like, it’s better than yours/ Damn right it’s better than yours/I can teach you, but I have to charge.” The song was first offered to Britney Spears but when she rejected it, Kelis took it on and scored her biggest ever hit with it (not to mention a Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban/ Alternative Performance).
7. Billy Joel – Uptown Girl
“I’m in love with an uptown girl/You know I’ve seen her in her uptown world/She’s getting tired of her high-class toys/And all the presents from her uptown boys/She’s got a choice.” So sings Billy Joel on Uptown Girl, one of his most endearingly popular hits and a fitting choice for the bouquet toss. If you want to mix things up a bit, opt for the version by Irish boy band Westlife instead.
6. Beastie Boys – Hey Ladies
Like weddingforward.com says, no one wants a recycled, weak or tired song for their bouquet toss, so why not thumb a nose at tradition and opt for a left-field choice like the Beastie Boys‘ Hey Ladies? It’s got the catchy lyrics (“Hey ladies in the place, I’m callin’ out to ya/There never was a city kid truer and bluer/There’s more to me than you’ll ever know/And I’ve got more hits than Sadaharu Oh”), the funky samples (The Ballroom Blitz by Sweet, Jungle Boogie by Kool & the Gang, and more besides) and enough fun per square inch to get all the ladies in the house on their feet.
5. Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun
It may be almost 40 years old, but Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun is still as instantly recognizable today as it ever was. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser packed with good vibes, upbeat rhythms, a dash of girl power, and a chorus everyone can bop along to, it’s the ideal song for a bouquet toss.
4. Dusty Springfield – Wishin’ And Hopin’
If you want a song that will get all the women on their feet and ready to grab the bouquet, Dusty Springfield’s Wishin’ And Hopin’ is the one for you. It’s got all the hallmarks of the perfect wedding song – everyone knows it, the lyrics were tailor-made for the bouquet toss (“Just wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’. Plannin’ and dreamin’ his kiss is the start”) and it featured in “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” quite possibly the best wedding-themed movie of all time. What could be better?
3. Kool & The Gang – Ladies Night
The bouquet toss is a really fun moment that deserves an equally fun song. Enter Ladies Night by Kool & The Gang. In fairness, any Kool & The Gang song would probably do, but the lyrics (“Come on let’s all celebrate/ Oh it’s ladies night and the feeling’s right/ Come on let’s all celebrate/ Lovely lady, lady, I love you”), the hooks, and the insanely catchy chorus make Ladies Night particularly irresistible.
2. Rihanna – Only Girl (In the World)
The bouquet toss is all about the girls, so what could be a better song to get all the ladies on their feet and ready to catch the bouquet than Rhianna’s show-stopping hit from 2010? Released as the lead single from Rihanna’s fifth studio album Loud, Only Girl (In the World) was an international sensation, reaching number 1 in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland, and the top five in France, Germany, and Switzerland.
1. Beyonce – Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Who else could top our list than Beyonce, and what better song to do it with than Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), an anthem for women everywhere and a perennial favorite that’s perfect for the bouquet toss? Playful, perky, and powerful, it’s guaranteed to get every single lady in the room lining up to grab that bouquet.
