The bouquet toss of the century

I am from a large and loving family that is a bit well weird in most people’s eyes but weird is fun. As a quick example, when a photographer asks for us to pull a ‘silly face’ we have to clarify “marshall silly face or normal silly face?”. We all enjoy making each other laugh and goofing off. We are all each other’s best friend. As the second generation of twelve cousins becomes older there are marriages every year and babies every other. My father is one of four and is the second oldest. First it was Aunty Jenny followed by my father Steve, then uncle bill and lastly Uncle Keith, the craziest out of them all. It was his younger brother Williams (better known as Uncle Bill) middle child Caris who was getting married. This story is from Caris’s wedding in 2010, the first wedding of the second generation and ultimately the most memorable.

A Marshall wedding is not your usual wedding. Things are a bit crazier and kookier than most others. As it was Caris’s wedding all the girl cousins were asked to be bridesmaids. Having us all together we all knew it is was going to be the most unforgettable and unique wedding. There were five bridesmaids in total. Caris’s sister Lauren was maid of honour followed by Kailee and Katrina. Amy and I being the youngest were ‘junior’ bridesmaids. We have no important jobs to do but Caris did not want to exclude us. The ceremony was in the grandparent’s large backyard garden. There was a big grassy area surrounded by many trees, flowers, shrubs and a pond. Uncle Bill had been pruning and trimming the whole area for weeks and it had definitely paid off.

 Caris and Toms wedding reception filled a whole ball room as Tom is Italian and the Marshalls side is extensive and large. The rooms roof was decorated with floating white sheets and fairy lights. There were lights and flowers on every table and a large flower arrangement across the bridal table, which was stationed at the head of the dance floor. The pillars in the room were spiralled with flowers, lights and matching white material as the roof raising as high as the ceiling. The dance floor was at the centre at the room and large enough for all to join. To the side stood the tired white cake.

There were the usual proceedings of a regular wedding. The bridal party was introduced as we all danced to our seats. After some dancing, speeches and the Italian seven course feast it was time for the bouquet toss. The MC called all the ladies out onto the dance floor. All five of us bridesmaids gathered, arms around shoulders, ready for the toss and began talking tactics. It was Tully (Kailee) who said “Lets lift someone up”.

“Like a rugby lift?” ask Trina (aka Katrina)

“Yeah! Like a rugby lift” Tully replied

“Okay so who is getting married next?” asked Rat (aka Lauren).

“Ahhhhh… bub?! (aka Amy)” I explained.

There was a quick unanimous yes despite Amy being in a very new relationship.

Now this was all worked out in under sixty seconds. We talked fast and in hushed tones. All five girls in matching purple dressed positioned themselves close behind Caris for the toss and a meter or two in front of the other girls. We widened our stance and yanked up our dressed. This is where everything went in slow motion. The rest of the ladies behind us immediately discounted us because of our position. We all circled Bub, the aunties and uncles were yelling at us that we were too far forward but we waved them off, we had a plan. We turned our focus to Caris who was oblivious to where we were standing and what we were planning.

Caris bent slightly to build up the throw, we all grabbed what ever we could of Bub and began to push her up. Caris launched the bouquet. It was sailing through the air much higher than any of us anticipated. We had to dig deep. Amy grew higher and higher. This is when all the Marshalls in the room smiled and everyone else’s mouths dropped. No one could believe what was happening, no one had seen it before, the MC was speechless. The bouquet crashed into Bubs outstretched hands causing the frangipani petals to cascade down on the four of us. All the ladies behind us let out a gasp or a sigh. We lowered Bub thinking she had the bouquet but she had hit it down across the dance floor! She scurried for it and easily grabbed the now flowerless bouquet. With an extremely triumphant fist she thrusted it in the air as well all yelled in celebration. Everyone behind didn’t even stand a chance.

Everyone was left stunned and silent for only a few moments before the room was lit up with laughter and exclamations like “oh my gosh!” and “did you see that?”. The MC just didn’t know what to say and fumbled with his words for a minute or two before continuing with the next item.

To this day we still talk about the bouquet throw from Caris’s wedding. Anyone new to the family will be told by all the Aunties and Uncles at once followed by Uncle Bill proudly showing off the perfectly timed photo, he took of it. It perfectly depicts the amazement on everyone’s faces. The people in the background included the MC and most of Toms family who were not use to this sort of thing. All their eyes are wide and mouths open. The rest of the ladies in the back look much more defeated in comparison. However, we feel no remorse for are perfectly executed and impromptu plan. This photo hangs in centre stage in Caris’s house and will never be removed. The absolute best part of this story was that Bub was indeed the next one to get married.

By Brianna Marshall (AKA Buzz)