If the single women at a wedding catch the bridal bouquet, what do the single men at weddings catch for good luck? The bridal garter!
The tossing of the wedding garter is a naughty little wedding tradition that adds lots of fun to your wedding. It is usually done towards the end of the wedding and involves the groom removing his bride’s garter from around her thigh with his hands (or his teeth!) and tossing it to all his groomsmen! How did this funny little tradition start? Read on and find out the history behind the bridal garter tradition!
History of the Wedding Garter Toss Ritual
This is one of the oldest and longest surviving wedding tradition! It dates back as far as the 1500s in ancient France and England where it was customary for guests to playfully invade the bridal chamber after the wedding and grab the bride’s stockings or garter for good luck. They would then fling the stockings backwars with their backs to the couple as the person who successfully flung the stocking over the bride’s or groom’s head will be the lucky one to wed in the next 12 months!
Luckily, over time, bridal couples requested for some little privacy in their bedroom and as compensation, the groom would remove his bride’s garter during the wedding and toss it to his groomsmen instead! Before grooms were given the sole right of removing his bride’s garter, guests would sometimes rush towards the bride and remove it themselves which often left the poor bride trampled! Not what you would want for your wedding!
Another tradition of the wedding garter toss is similar to that of the bridal bouquet where guests would scramble for something belonging to the bride for good luck. That often meant that her wedding gown got ripped apart! So to avoid this, brides started tossing other personal items instead such as their bouquet to single women and grooms tossed garters to his groomsmen! According to tradition, the man who catches the garter must then put it on the thigh of the woman who caught the bridal bouquet and they will marry (not necessarily to each other) in the next 12 months! And the higher he places it, the longer the bridal couple will remain married!
Tossing Of The Bridal Garter In Modern Weddings
Aren’t you glad times have changed?! In modern weddings, this tradition is all done in good fun and the groom is usually teased mercilessly by his groomsmen to remove his bride’s garter with his teeth. Luckily modern garters are usually elasticated and easily removed! He will then throw it behind him to his single groomsmen. Some choose to follow the tradition of placing it on the woman who caught the bridal bouquet but others don’t as the woman might not be too pleased at a stranger pawing at her thigh!
Many brides also choose to incorporate the Something Blue tradition by wearing a blue themed garter around their thigh. Its an easy way to cover two traditions and a fun element to add to your wedding especially if you are in the company of close friends. Other brides choose to wear two garters – one special one that is handed down from generations which she usually wears higher and another disposable garter which is thrown to the waiting groomsmen.
This tradition is still widely followed in today’s weddings and most couples do it for a good laugh. It adds a naughty little edge to your wedding and if you’re choosing to follow it, heave a sigh of relief that the tradition has evolved from its original privacy invading customs!
With Love,
Elle
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very sexy and cute tradition indeed!
Hi Connie!
Make sure you practise it at your own wedding! 