The Origins of Wedding Garters

All around the world, weddings are celebrations filled with centuries old traditions. Whilst modern

brides often like to add their own unique touches to their weddings, the traditional aspects will

often continue to play a big part in their big day. Wedding garters are actually one of the oldest

wedding traditions in the English-speaking world, but where did this tradition originally come from?

There are actually a few different theories about the origin of the wedding garter, and how they

became an important part of wedding tradition.

One theory suggests that mediaeval wedding guests would often like a piece of the bride’s dress as a

keepsake of the wedding; however this often led to the bride’s dress being torn and ruined by

overeager guests. In order to give them a little something special, brides chose to have their garter

tossed to the crowd instead. Whichever gentleman caught the garter was expected to be the next

person to marry, in much the same way that whichever lady caught the bridal bouquet could expect

a similar honor. At some weddings, the garter catcher and the bouquet catcher are even expected to

share a special dance with one another during the course of the evening!

Another theory suggests that the garter was originally worn as something private which would

delight the groom later on, following the public spectacle of the wedding. Whilst all of the guests

would have the chance to enjoy the beautiful dress, only the groom would have chance to enjoy the

beautiful wedding garter. Later on, the removal of the wedding garter by the groom would be

symbolic of the beginning of the couple’s life together. The garter could then be kept by the couple

as a reminder of the beginning of their marriage. Nowadays, it is possible to buy personalized or

themed wedding garters, so that your wedding garter will raise an extra smile when your husband-

to-be finally gets to see it.

How you choose to view your wedding garter is a matter of opinion, and may ultimately affect the

garter that you pick for your big day. If your groom is planning on throwing a wedding garter to the

crowd, you may want to get a wedding garter set including two garters. By doing this, you will have

one garter to throw to the crowd and your will be able to keep one as a memory of your big day.

Submitted By: Tania
Garters By Tania
https://www.gartersbytania.com