The tradition of the wedding garter toss dates back to the 14th century. In parts of Europe, wedding guests believed it was good fortune to have a piece of the bride’s clothing. At the end of the night, the bride’s dress would get destroyed from guests ripping pieces off to keep for themselves. (Can you imagine? Don’t touch a bride’s dress today. Harm one strand on that dream gown and you’re liable to get a black eye.)
Brides began throwing pieces of their attire to wedding guests before the guests could charge. It became customary for the bride to throw the garter to the men, which eventually turned into the groom removing the garter and tossing it to the men.
Today the wedding garter toss is purely for fun. A couple may or may not choose to include the tradition in their reception, but we highly recommend it. If you like to keep private matters private and prefer not to have your husband take it off with his teeth in front of Grandma Patty, we understand. The garter toss can be as wild or as mild as you want it to be.
If you choose not to toss a wedding garter at all, make sure to get one just as a special memento for yourself and a fun surprise for your husband at the end of the night!
You’ll find many places sell wedding garters to keep and wedding garters to toss. You’ll also find sets of two so you have one of each. Be sure to find a garter that fits your style and love every moment that you get to wear it!
