" Do you know how the tradition of the bridal bouquet toss was formed?” Hugh asked.
Sarah shook her head. “Are you asking me because you know, or are you asking me because you want to know?”
He ignored her slight sarcasm and said, “Brides are considered to be good luck, and many centuries ago young women who wanted a piece of that luck tried quite literally to get a piece of it by tearing off bits of her gown.”
“That’s barbaric!” Frances exclaimed.
He smiled at her outburst. “I can only deduce that some clever soul realized that if the bride could offer a different token of her romantic success, it might prove beneficial to her health and well-being. "

― Julia Quinn , The Sum of All Kisses (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #3)