Will you toss the garter at your wedding, or even wear one?

It seems as if the once popular garter toss tradition has lost some of its esteem in the modern age. Many brides & grooms are choosing to forgo this traditional exchange, and instead opting to only do the bouquet toss or something else entirely. So today’s article examines the history of the garter toss, and will hopefully help you decide whether to garter or not to garter at your own wedding reception.

Garter 101

Before we get into the history of the garter, let’s hit the basics. A garter is an elastic band that traditionally (back in the olden days) helped hold up a girdle (which was a popular undergarment that helped women appear slimmer in the belly, backside, and hips). Garters can come in many different materials, and wedding garters especially can be decorated in frills, lace, or even your favorite team logo. Wedding garters these days are almost always ornamental more than functional.

At a wedding, the bride can wear two garters—one as a keepsake and the other for the garter toss. Both garters are worn above the knee of the right leg. During the reception, usually after the bouquet toss, the single men at the reception gather together for the toss, and the groom removes the garter (usually with his hand… less appropriately with his teeth!) and then tosses it into the crowd.

The man who catches the garter is said to be the next to marry. If you want to stick to the full tradition, that man then goes to the woman who caught to bouquet, and places the garter on her leg.

The History of the Garter

The garter toss tradition at weddings has been dated back to the Fourteenth Century, though thankfully for us, some of the original tradition has not been carried through the ages. It was still said that whomever caught the garter would be the next to marry, but collecting a piece of the bride’s clothing was also said to bring good luck. This lead to some weddings where guests at the wedding would tear apart the bride’s dress in order to obtain some of her good luck. As you can imagine, brides were not too happy with this, and hence the garter toss was created as a way to have a piece of the bride’s dress still available for wedding guests—but this piece fully removable—not torn off her dress at random.

To Garter or Not to Garter

If you’re soon to be married, chances are you’re considering whether to include the garter toss into your reception activities. And while many couples choose not to force their guests (the woman who catches the bouquet and the man who catches the garter) to work together to put the garter on her leg, the tradition of the garter toss itself—while less popular—still exists at many weddings. So is it right for you? Here are some pros and cons to keep in mind when deciding to toss or not to toss the garter.

Pros

• It’s traditional, and a nice nod to weddings of the past
• It’s a fun, relatively quick activity for the single guests (to help them meet & mingle!)
• It’s a great photo opportunity

Cons

• This tradition is for singles only, all couples are excluded and could feel excluded
• Guests may be uncomfortable—not only the single guests for being ‘singled’ out, but older guests who might not think the groom reaching for the garter on the bride is appropriate

Whatever you decided to do, remember: it’s your wedding day and your guests all want you to be happy. So do whatever you want to do at your wedding and reception, knowing that you’re surrounded by family and friends. It’s your wedding day, and you decide whether to garter or not to garter. Have other wedding questions? If you're planning your wedding in the Los Angeles or Orange County area, the Private Events team at Brookside Golf Club can help! Just contact me and let me know!