Emily Chan
What Is The Wedding Garter Tradition?
The garter toss tradition dates back to the Dark Ages. During this time, guests would often follow newlyweds to their marital bed to try to witness the consummation of the marriage.
To appease the crowd, the bride and groom would throw the bouquet and garters so people could have a piece of the bride’s outfit, which was thought to bring good luck.
Today, the garter toss ritual is meant to be a fun, cheeky activity among the couples and their guests. The person who ends up with the garter is said to be the next in line to get married.
Alternatives To The Garter Toss
The most common reasons that couples skip out on the garter toss is because they’re uncomfortable with the history behind it, it’s just not their style, or it’s embarrassing to do in front of family.
Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives to the garter toss, and you can always put your own personal spin on it. Some brides may feel awkward about the idea of their partner fishing around for the garter underneath their dress while relatives look on.
If this is you, you can toss the garter without the whole undressing ritual. Leave your chosen garter on and have an extra garter handy that you can tuck away into your pocket and pull out when it’s time. This way, you can also keep the real garter as a token of remembrance or pass it down to future generations. If you would like to do away with the garter altogether, toss another prize like a gift card.
In the end, it’s up to the couple of honor to choose to include the garter toss tradition or not. The most important thing is to have fun and celebrate with your sweetheart in whatever ways you want!
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