The garter tradition is often done at weddings today, but some brides and grooms choose to exclude it. It’s up to the personal tastes of the couple. Some feel it’s degrading and some just find it fun. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, you may want to know where the tradition came from.
Back when weddings were not the costly and glamorous affairs they are today, wedding couples would wear their best clothes for the wedding. There was not renting of tuxedos or brilliantly adorned wedding gowns. The one thing the bride would put on is a garter to show her husband that she was pure and virginal. Often times it would be blue to signify an additional fidelity as blue is the color of modesty and cleanliness.
Back in the day, the bride would wear her garter secretly under her gown and the groom would remove it when he got to the honeymoon suite. Times being what they were, crowd control was an issue. Many a drunken guest tried to slip into the honeymoon room and grab the garter off the bride while she was still wearing it. It was thought to be a funny joke and yet it often left the bride in tears. So grooms began to protect their brides from the drunken revelry and instead tossed a garter outside to the crowd of men. Whoever caught it was thought to be lucky and the next one to marry. This was enough to leave the couple in peace for the night.
Today’s couples often use two wedding garters. One is for throwing and one is for keeping. The bride wears them both on her right leg above her knee. Right after the bouquet toss, the bride sits down in a chair and the groom reaches under her dress to remove the garter. There’s a lot of hooting and hollering and laughing. The men then line up to catch the garter as the groom tosses it. It’s thought that the man who catches the garter and the woman who catches the bouquet will marry each other or at least be the next in line to marry.
This tradition is now all in good fun, but some couples find that modern times don’t really call for this form of display. Many brides are shy and get embarrassed when the garter tradition comes up. If you feel that way, there’s no reason you have to include the garter toss in your day. It’s your special ceremony and reception and you can include whatever you want. Leave out anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. No one will even miss it.
But if you’re up for some fun, be sure to get all the guys lined up for this toss. It will just last a few minutes and then everyone has a good chuckle. This ceremony is usually done right before the couple departs for their honeymoon at the end of the reception.
Think about it. You may want to include it or omit it entirely. See how your groom feels about it and then check it off the list either way. Whether or not you have a garter toss, you can still do the bouquet toss for the ladies.
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