There are many traditions that people associate with weddings. I love seeing what the couple comes up with for their timeless traditions and how they make it their own. One of the main traditions that is seen at weddings across the nation is the garter toss. This is one of the oldest surviving wedding traditions and has evolved from the Middle Ages.
It started in the 14th century in England, when wedding guests considered it lucky to get a piece of the bride’s clothing. In order to preserve her dress, the bride started throwing her garter at the male guests. As the male guests became rowdier, they tried to tear the garter off of the bride’s leg themselves. Um…yikes! In an attempt to preserve his new wife’s dignity, the groom started to remove the garter himself and toss it to the single men. Aren’t we glad some man out there had his head on straight enough to start the new tradition of taking it off his own bride and tossing it!
Today most brides wear two garters. They have one that they keep and one to “throw away” to the waiting men. They usually wear them on the right leg. It was popular for the groom to remove the garter with his teeth, but in recent years, it has been viewed as more appropriate for the groom to remove the garter with his hands. He then tosses the garter to all of the single men in attendance. The man that catches the garter is thought to be the next to get married.
Did you wear a garter? If so, did you wear one garter or two?
History facts were found here: http://www.alsformalwear.com/library-garter-history.asp
