{"id":12304,"date":"2018-09-07T14:07:53","date_gmt":"2018-09-07T14:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.topweddingquestions.com\/blog\/?p=12304"},"modified":"2018-09-07T14:07:53","modified_gmt":"2018-09-07T14:07:53","slug":"whats-with-the-garter-toss-during-the-reception","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wedding-planning\/whats-with-the-garter-toss-during-the-reception","title":{"rendered":"What’s With The Garter Toss During The Reception?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhat\u2019s With The Garter Toss (Do We Have To)?\u201d<\/h2>\n

There are a variety of traditional \u201cevents\u201d that take place throughout a wedding. From the receiving line to the farewell, we all anticipate these main points of celebration throughout one\u2019s big day. There\u2019s the cutting of the cake, the bouquet toss, and the garter toss as well. Everyone waits for it, some throw caution to tradition and don\u2019t include it, and others don\u2019t even know what any of it means!<\/p>\n

The garter toss takes place during the reception, usually right after the bouquet is thrown to all the single ladies. The single men throughout the guest list line up and take their shot at grabbing the garter – once it\u2019s taken from the bride\u2019s leg by the groom and thrown into the air.<\/b><\/p>\n

If you want to get really traditional, the man who catches the garter is supposed to place his new piece on the woman who caught the bouquet – and the two wouldn\u2019t be single for much longer according to the tales. It\u2019s a topping of light-hearted fun for everyone to take part in before the party dies down for the night.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re wondering where the tradition stemmed and evolved from, there is one main \u201cstory.\u201d Over the hundreds and hundreds of years that couples have participated in the event of marriage, we know that there was a lot of superstition surrounding it; one of them being that owning a bit of the bride\u2019s dress was considered good luck<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Eventually, guests would attack the white cloth to get a piece to keep for themselves. This \u201cattack\u201d led to the bride\u2019s wearing an easy article to be rid of and hand out on the day of: the garter.<\/em><\/p>\n

And lastly, you absolutely do not have to partake in these traditions<\/b>. No one will miss them, but they\u2019re a fun piece of the wedding day puzzle as well if you do decide to add it to the list of festivities. There\u2019s no judgment, there\u2019s no love lost, and it\u2019s your day to do what you wish!<\/p>\n

Other Expert Answers<\/h1>\n

Reader\u2019s Digest<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe tradition got its start the Middle Ages when a honeymoon wasn\u2019t exactly a private getaway. When the lucky couple rushed away to consummate the marriage, guests would follow them to the bedroom, watching to make sure they really did seal the deal, according to Mental Floss<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As if having spectators wasn\u2019t bad enough, rowdy guests would grab at the bride\u2019s dress as she walked by, trying to snatch a piece off for good luck. This was way before elastic was invented, so the garters holding the bride\u2019s stockings up became a go-to prize for handsy guests.<\/b><\/p>\n

Over time, people began to realize that gawking over the marriage bed was a tad intrusive. Instead, the groom would toss the garter to guests waiting outside as a taste of what he and his wife were up to behind closed doors.<\/p>\n

Eventually, the tradition became part of the reception – no need for guests to hover outside the hotel room. So if watching the bride show some skin makes you blush, just be thankful that you\u2019ve only seen a little leg.\u201d – Reader\u2019s Digest<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

The Knot<\/h3>\n

\u201cDon’t want to single out your single guests? We feel you. Some traditions are awesome, but others are still around just, kind of, because – while everyone secretly hopes they\u2019ll make a nice, orderly exit from our lives. Enter, the bouquet and garter toss, which held relevant superstitious symbolism back in the day, but often add a layer of awkwardness at modern weddings.<\/p>\n

(People once believed stealing a piece of the bride\u2019s wedding clothing or accessories would bestow some of her good fortunes upon them – seriously, they would try to tear off pieces of her dress! And removing the garter represented the consummation of marriage<\/b>.)<\/p>\n

These days, although the sentiment is benign and the activity can be fun if everyone\u2019s okay with it, it\u2019s basically a way to gather single or unmarried wedding guests and embarrass them in front of the entire party (yikes!). To be clear, no judgment here if you and your single friends want to partake<\/b> – that\u2019s your prerogative.\u201d – The Knot<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Brides<\/h3>\n

\u201cA bridal garter is likely the only piece of lingerie you’ll ever have removed by your husband and then flung gleefully into a rapt crowd. Whether this wedding garter tradition makes you laugh or cringe, it’s still going strong. And even brides that don’t embrace the garter toss sometimes wear a garter nonetheless \u2014 a bridal garter can still be a sexy addition for your wedding night\u2026<\/p>\n

Whether or not you toss your garter is entirely up to you. If you aren\u2019t into the garter toss, don\u2019t do it! If you (or your partner) would rather not toss your bridal garter at your reception, that is perfectly OK.<\/p>\n

One common reason for not wanting to actually toss the garter is that many brides want to keep it as a modern heirloom<\/b> \u2014 if that’s the case for you, but you still want to have the fun moment with the groom peeling (or biting) it off and then tossing it, consider getting a separate toss garter<\/b>. A toss garter – 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\u2026.<\/p>\n

Have you ever been to a fairly traditional, modest wedding, where you\u2019re all wearing your Easter best, and all of a sudden the groom is out there doing a sensual little dance in front of the crowd, and you find yourself cheering him on as he ducks under the bride’s skirt? It’s all in good fun nowadays, but, really, what’s the wedding garter tradition origin story?<\/p>\n

The wedding garter tradition originated in the Dark Ages. In Wedding Customs Then and Now, published in 1919, Carl Holliday paints the following picture of medieval England<\/b>:<\/p>\n