Why are wedding garters worn?
It's time to tick off a few of those last minute wedding errands and you realise you've forgotten to get your wedding garter - but do you really need one? Do brides even still wear them?
Many brides find themselves debating whether to have a garter on their big day and what the relevance may be but we're going to dive in to the history and traditions behind the wedding garter to uncover the value within them and their place in your wedding day.
The tradition of wedding garters seems to originate to the Dark Ages where it would be good luck to take home a piece of the bride's clothing. This would result in the guests trying to rip the bride's dress! God forbid - not the Berta!!
Thankfully, this tradition evolved into a removal garter that could be thrown and distract the guests so the brides could keep their dress and their clothes intact.
Another thought is that garter tradition links back to the expectation of a couple immediately consummating the marriage. The pair would head into the honeymoon suite and throw the garter out of the bedroom to a waiting crowd to show that they had in fact gotten down to business.
Today however, the tradition is similar to the throwing of the bouquet. In today's garter removal ceremony, the groom will remove (most likely with his teeth!) and throw the garter to the unmarried male guests with the thought that the person to catch it will be next to marry. This can be made quite playful and fun during the reception especially after some champagne.
With the current tradition in mind, most modern-day brides have two garters on the day. One to wear and invest in and one to throw to the lucky men. Many brides invest in a more luxury garter to keep as memorabilia with other keepsakes. The garter is also used to fulfil other traditions like the something new, old, borrowed, and blue.
Now, you might still be thinking... wait, my partner... has to remove my garter... with his teeth?? Don't worry, it's not uncommon to skip this part of the wedding day. Some couples like this cheeky, playful part of the ceremony but some also opt to leave this part out.
That being said, with or without the garter removal ceremony, the garter still remains an integral piece of traditional bridal clothing.
With modern dresses also comes more modern designs for garters that can be used to bring the whole theme and look of the wedding together in a way that feels elegant and sexy and gives you a small slice of your wedding day that you can keep forever or hand down to future generations.
Whether you decide to have a garter or not is completely your own decision and there is no pressure to have one. But should you choose to, they can add a subtle sexiness that both partners can enjoy.
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