bride wearing garter

Why do brides wear garters?

Wedding garters serve several functions. The first is the most visible; it is the dress the bride wears on her wedding day, and its significance may rival that of the bride's jewellery, hair accessory, and footwear.

Our blog entry, "What is the Tradition Behind the Wedding Garter?," goes into further detail regarding the history of bridal garters.

A bridal garter can also be a secret something to wear for your groom, which he might not be expecting. A bride sometimes has to wear plain lingerie under her dress so a wedding garter might be the perfect way of adding a little sensuality to your outfit.

Whoever thought it would be a good idea to start a wedding ritual where the groom uses his teeth to remove his new wife's garter from her upper thigh deserves some serious shaming.

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The tradition of removing the garter has become the male counterpart to the female bouquet throw. The newlywed bride sits in a chair while her new husband removes her garter belt and tosses it to the waiting bachelors. Whoever catches it is said to be the next to tie the knot.

From its origins in the Middle Ages, when a honeymoon wasn't precisely a private trip. According to Mental Floss, visitors used to follow the newlyweds into the bedroom to make sure they had consummated their marriage before leaving. It wasn't bad enough that people were watching the wedding; some of the more unruly guests would try to steal the bride's dress as she passed past. (Discover the wacky backstories of your bridesmaids' induction into the bridal party.) The garters that kept the bride's stockings up were a popular item among guests in the days when elastic was widely available.

Some time passed before onlookers realised how inappropriate it was to stare at a couple's marriage bed. As a sample of what he and his bride were up to behind closed doors, the groom would instead toss the garter to the guests waiting outside. Eventually, the custom was included into the welcome ceremony itself, so visitors no longer had to wait impatiently outside the hotel room. If seeing the bride's leg causes you to blush, at least you've only seen a little portion of it.

What Is A Garter?

For practical purposes, a garter is just a fabric band that is wrapped around a person's thigh to keep their stockings or socks in place. Nonetheless, they are more typically used as a fashion statement and are considered a sexy fashion item.

While garters are more commonly associated with women now, in Elizabethan England, many male figures wore them.  Nowadays, garters are primarily seen in women's fashion to provide an extra level of seduction for their outfit, and they are also a strong wedding tradition.

Wedding Garter History and Meaning

Hundreds of years ago, there were many superstitions and beliefs surrounding the wedding day. One superstition was that owning a piece of the wedding dress would bring good luck, leading to wedding guests essentially attacking the bride to rip off a piece of her gown. As a result, brides have come to wear a specific item of clothing—the garter—that will be cut and presented to the lucky recipient. Another common interpretation of the garter was that it proved to relatives and acquaintances that the newlyweds had consummated their marriage. Both of these superstitions call for the garter to be taken from the bride and delivered to a lucky guest.

The garter is traditionally removed by the groom in modern weddings. After the groom has done this in front of all the witnesses at the reception, he will next toss the garter to the single men in attendance. The bouquet throw is traditionally done by the bride, whereas the garter toss is traditionally done by the husband. Like the bouquet toss, the guy who catches the garter will supposedly be the next to tie the knot. Traditionally, the guy who catches the garter would present it to the woman who receives the bouquet.

How to Wear a Wedding Garter?

A garter is worn by a bride to keep her stockings in place. As a result, there is no one "right" leg on which to wear it. Depending on your own personal choice, you can wear your garter on either your left or right leg. In order to have a "garter to toss" and a "garter to retain," many brides opt to wear two garters. Both garters, in this situation, should be worn on the same leg, with the keeper garter higher up than the throwing garter. Make sure your spouse understands which leg it is on so he can quickly recover it when the time comes.

Avoid placing your garter too low or too high; the sweet place is usually right above the knee. By doing so, it will not fall off, restrict blood flow, or cause irritation to the other leg. Try it on in a few different settings to find the one that works best for you. If you want to flash the photographer in shots when your dress is raised to reveal your garter, you should put the garter low enough so that it doesn't show. Keep in mind that all of your guests will be looking while your lover removes the garter, so it's probably best to have it a little lower than usual so as not to reveal any inappropriate bodily features.

Where do you place the garter on your leg?

Wedding garters should be worn at or slightly above the knee. If you place your garter there, it won't brush against your other leg when you move. Additionally, the area around the knee is where the skirt of a mermaid or form-fitting wedding dress would flare out, making it a great spot for the garter. If a higher setting would be more to your liking, you may easily make the necessary adjustments.

Do you have to wear your garter for the entire wedding?

Choosing how to wear a garter on your wedding day is a matter of personal preference. One option is to keep the garter on all day, with the expectation that your spouse will take it off and toss it into a throng later in the day. Instead of a gathered fabric, choose a style composed of delicate stretch lace that will lie flat against your skin. If you have your eye on something fancier, you can always keep it in your bag until right before the toss. Go change in the restroom when the time comes so you can hit the dance floor in style.

Modern & Meaningful Designs

These styles aren't from your mum or grandma's age, and they certainly aren't from when you were a youngster. Designs for bridal garters nowadays are innovative, intelligent, and new. They have a great sense of style and are lovely and delicate. The materials used to create them are extraordinary.

Designs created today are designed to be cherished for decades. I take great pleasure in producing a garter that a modern bride would actually want to wear, with a style that's just as chic as she is.

Garters are becoming increasingly meaningful to brides as a way to incorporate sentimental family heirlooms into their big day. Even if they don't wear their mom's wedding dress on their big day, she'll be with them in spirit. Each member of the bridal party contributes a little scrap of antique fabric to create a one-of-a-kind garter for the bride.

Not For Tossing

Modern brides are looking for garters that will become a family treasure and a special part of their wedding day. They want a token of their personal style that will serve as a constant reminder of the joy they had on their wedding day. Do not confuse them with the trashpable, tacky fabrics you often see. In the modern era, garters are not disposable.

You're welcome to come into my garter shop and take a look around if you haven't seen a bridal garter in a while. You'll be pleasantly surprised by all the unique garter designs available for brides nowadays.

Traditional garter styles haven't changed in decades, yet the tradition of the bridal garter toss still strikes fear in the hearts of many. Plus, a garter tossed during a wedding is often worn by the bride. Many people assume that if you participate in a wedding and wear a garter, you must also participate in the garter toss. This is a common misconception regarding the garter, but everyone who has read my blog knows it's not true.

A lot of people are nervous about having to perform the garter throw, and even more nervous about having to be the one person called out onto the dance floor at the reception to collect the garter.

Read this piece I created to allay your fears about the garter toss and learn why wedding garters are not meant to be thrown. Hopefully this will help you feel better!

Wedding Garter Styles and Sets

Given that the garter won't be seen once you're in your wedding dress, feel free to pick one that reflects your individuality. The traditional route would be to select a white dress, but you also have the option of selecting a more provocative one that would photograph well. Even a blue bridal garter will do as your "something blue." Each bride may choose the perfect garter or garter pair from the wide variety of options available today.

Each bridal garter set includes two garters; one is more elaborate than the other. They are identical in style and shade, and the bride can retain whichever one she prefers. Laces, satins, and silks are all commonly used for garters. Lace and satin are lovely additions, and satin and silk are luxurious on the skin. Garters come in a wide variety of colours and designs, from superhero garters to animal prints to glittering gems. Traditional wedding day colours include white, ivory, and various hues of blue, which symbolise the bride's new life together with her groom. Remember that because the wedding garter is not a visible part of your attire, you can choose one that doesn't necessarily fit your wedding's theme. Have fun with this sexy accessory and select one that fits your personality. You can also make it a fun surprise for your partner by incorporating one of his favourite hobbies.

Songs for the Garter Toss

Traditionally, the garter toss takes place during the wedding reception. The groom removes the garter from the bride's leg, sometimes with his hands or perhaps with his teeth, while a crowd watches. Following the bride's bouquet toss, the groom tosses the garter to all of the eligible bachelors at the wedding. Depending on what kind of mood you want to set, many different songs can be played. Here are a few popular songs that will get the party started during the garter toss.

  • Sir Mix A Lot – Baby Got Back
  • Marvin Gaye – Let's Get It On
  • Destiny's Child – Bootylicious
  • The Mission Impossible Theme Song
  • Blondie – One Way Or Another

Whether you choose to follow tradition or want to take a more playful route, the wedding garter can play as big or as little of a role in your wedding as you'd like. Do whatever is most comfortable for you – if that means only your husband gets to see the garter on you, or if you want him to retrieve it in front of a crow. To check out more lingerie styles, check this best lingerie Melbourne. 

Do you have to toss your garter?

Whether or not you toss your garter is entirely up to you. If you aren't into the garter toss, don't do it. If you (or your partner) would rather not toss your bridal garter at your reception, that is perfectly okay.

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Garter Toss Alternatives

There are plenty of ways to get creative with the wedding garter tradition to make it your own, and you can modernize it in any way you want to.

One common reason for not wanting to actually toss the garter is that many brides want to keep it as a modern heirloom—if that's the case for you. However, you still want the fun moment of the groom peeling it off and then tossing it, consider getting a separate toss garter. A tossing garter is just an extra garter (often simpler than the main garter) that the groom can take off your leg and toss, while you get to keep your real garter as a keepsake forever.

Some brides may want to toss the garter but are uncomfortable with the idea of their groom fishing around for the garter beneath their dress as their parents and grandparents look on. If this is you, you can opt not to wear the garter, and you can hand it to your groom just before the toss. Tailor the toss to suit you.

This isn't for everyone you may choose to remove your toss garter for your husband to throw discreetly, or you may decide to keep it for his eyes only, the choice is entirely yours!

FAQs About Bridesmaid

The main role of a bridesmaid is to assist the Maid of Honor with her big wedding-planning duties and offer additional help to the bride as needed. They are all responsible for so many other pieces that go into planning and executing the bride's dream wedding.

Bridesmaids and maid of honour are two essential roles of the bridal party in a wedding. The main difference between bridesmaid and maid of honour is that the bridesmaid is a young woman who serves as the bride's attendant while the maid of honour is the chief bridesmaid.

They do not have to be single, but typically bridesmaids and groomsmen are younger people who are able to drink and party. Usually, bridal parties are more important, as they plan more events for the bride and help with all the wedding day duties. The groom just has to pick his best man and groomsman.

A bridesman is the male equivalent of a bridesmaid. He is chosen by the bride to be a member of the bridal party and is often a relative or close friend.

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