During the reception, the groom will remove the garter from underneath the bride's gown (with his hands or teeth) and toss it into the crowd. The garter toss is very similar to the bouquet toss. The bachelor that catches the garter is believed to be married next.
In this long-standing tradition, the groom reaches under the bride's dress to remove the garter and throws it to the male wedding guests. Often, this is a special-made, decorative "toss garter" used (sometimes doubling as a bride's "something blue").
The groom removes the bride's garter with his hands or maybe his teeth—the moment can be as flirty and raunchy as you feel comfortable with! The groom tosses the garter into the crowd of male onlookers. The man who catches the bride's garter is the “winner,” i.e., the next one to marry.
At modern weddings, the removing and tossing of the garter is now the privilege of the groom at the reception. He tosses the garter to the unmarried male guests at the wedding. It is thought that catching the garter will bring you good luck and in, some cases, indicate that you will be married next.
"These days, removing the garter is basically the male equivalent to the bride's bouquet toss. The bride sits on a chair so her new husband can take her garter belt off her leg and toss it to a crowd of bachelors. Supposedly, whoever is lucky enough to catch it will be next to get married. "
The removal of the garter is one of those wedding traditions that you either love or hate. Many brides are opting out of the garter toss these days, while others think it's funny. If you're on the fence about the garter tradition, here are four ways to make it a little less awkward.
The purpose of the ritual was to establish the consummation of the marriage, either by actually witnessing the couple's first sexual intercourse, or symbolically, by leaving before consummation. It symbolized the community's involvement in the marriage.
There is no set rule on who buys wedding garters, traditionally speaking. Most often, the bride will buy it herself, or occasionally a bridesmaid may purchase one as a bridal shower gift.
Traditionally, the person who catches the wedding garter at the reception is supposed to be the next person to be married. It is typically all of the singles that get together to catch the garter and then whoever catches it is supposed to pass it onto their future partner.
Way back before elastic was invented, garters served an important purpose: keeping stockings up. So, the bride wore one on each leg. Now though, you'll see garters worn on their own as fun accessories, not necessities. There's no rule about which leg to put yours on, so do what feels the most comfortable.
Believe it or not, the garter belt symbolizes good luck to the bachelors in attendance. Supposedly, whoever is lucky enough to catch it will be the next to get married. Of course, this is a tradition that's more symbolic and fun than realistic.
A bride can choose to have two garters: one to wear and keep as a keepsake and one to toss during the wedding reception. Having a second garter is a way to bypass having the groom remove the band in front of the wedding guests.
Specifically, “something borrowed” was preferably the undergarment from a woman who already had children, and “something blue” was typically a garter belt under the bride's dress, ideally sourced from a married woman or mother. The sixpence was traditionally given to the bride by her father to be placed in her shoe.
Tradition says
Some couples say no – especially those who aren't superstitious. Seeing each other in your outfits before the wedding ceremony will not affect your marriage, so why wait? Others believe it increases the suspense, anticipation, and excitement of the day. The truth is, there is no right or wrong answer.
Its original purpose was also to keep the groom from finding out what the bride looked like until the last possible minute, when it was too late to back out of the transaction. Today: Although arranged marriages are no longer common, most brides still don't want their groom to see them all done up before the wedding.
Groom. Traditionally, he walks down the aisle solo but some grooms prefer walking down the aisle escorted by both parents. Other grooms prefer a more subtle approach by entering the ceremony from the side of the venue (following the officiant and followed by the groomsmen) to take his place at the altar.
The Monarch alone decides who is appointed. Monarchs are known as the Sovereign of the Garter, and the Prince of Wales is known as a Royal Knight Companion of the Garter. Male members of the Order are titled "Knights Companion" and female members are called "Ladies Companion".
Ancient Origins
They believed that evil spirits would prey on brides as they walked down the aisle. So, to deter them, brides wore veils to hide their identity. Wedding historian, Susan Waggoner, broadens this perspective to say that the veil repels anything that may make the bride unhappy or cause her harm.
In most wedding receptions the bride will do the bouquet toss first and then the groom will do the removal of the garter. The woman who catches the bouquet will then have to sit down and let the man who caught the garter to put on said garter on her leg.
There is no traditional leg that a garter should be worn on. Garters were designed to keep stockings up on both legs, and so it can be worn on any leg that feels natural to you. We recommend you wear your garter just above your knee on either leg.
The origin of the garter toss at weddings derives from a 14th-century tradition in France. Back then, the bride and groom had to show proof of consummating the marriage after the wedding night. The friends and family of the couple would stay in the room and obtain the wedding garter as 'proof' of the consummation.
: a band worn to hold up a stocking or sock. b. : a band worn to hold up a shirt sleeve. c. : a strap hanging from a girdle or corset to support a stocking.
The wedding night, also most popularly known as 'suhaag raat', is when newly-weds are expected to consummate their marriage and for many couples, who had never had a physical relationship before, this night might be the first time they would be having sex with the partner.
Consummation is considered as the completion of the marriage, where the two parties involved in the union engage in sexual intercourse for the first time. Although consummation is not a legal requirement, whether or not the couple has engaged in it can still have legal consequences.
Suhag Raat is a significant ritual in the life of a newly wedded couple in the Indian subcontinent, and refers to the first night when the marriage is consummated. The bed of the newlywed couple is decorated with flowers, which are believed to bring sweetness to their relationship.