The history of the wedding garter tradition

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"Normally, an outdoor spring wedding is a risk. Will there be snow? Will it be cold? Will it be hot? Will it rain? Thankfully, today the risk paid off with no precipitation, perfect weather, and a beautiful backdrop to see the union of Paul and Linda."

For hundreds of years, brides have worn decorative bridal garters under their wedding dresses. Deemed a lucky token, this classical wedding accessory made of silk and lace is still coveted by groomsmen and single men attending wedding receptions. From the early history of invasions of the wedding couple's bedroom to the modern reception toss, the bridal garter has been a wedding tradition since early 14th century England.

1. Identification

   • Worn on the brides's mid-thigh under the wedding dress, a garter is a stretchy cloth decoration often adorned with lace and bows. Choosing a blue fabric garter is common, to adhere to the old wedding saying that all brides must have "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue." The color blue is said to represent fidelity, purity, love and good fortune. Coordinating the wedding garter to match the bridal gown or wedding colors is common.

   History

   • Worn to hold up a bride's stockings, wedding garters have a long and romantic history. Tossing the garter at the groom's nose in the wedding couple's bedroom after the ceremony was a common activity of the bridal party in the Dark Ages. Whichever bridesmaid successfully landed the garter on his nose, would be deemed the next to marry.

     Greed took over the tradition and it was common for guests to stampede toward the bride at the alter to get the garter. Throwing the garter to the mob saved the bride from being trampled. The guest who received the garter would then wear it on his hat until he gave it to a woman for luck.

   Tradition

   • Choosing two garters is common, and storing a keepsake garter with the bridal gown is traditional, while the other is ceremonially retrieved by the groom and tossed to a crowd of single men and the groomsmen during the wedding reception.

   Types

   • Choosing a bridal garter for a modern wedding can be daunting. Select a traditional blue garter, one with charms, ribbons or lace. The stretch cloth garters are also available with custom embroidery for the bride's initials. Some brides choose to pin items of good luck on the garter, such as a love note from the groom or a flower petal from the groom's boutonniere.

   Considerations

   • Modern brides may choose not to wear a garter. Retrieving the garter can often bloom into an embarrassing display of a lost groom under the skirt of the wedding gown. Modest brides may wish to forgo the garter tradition for fear of an inappropriate display of her legs.

Source: www.ehow.com

Tags: garter tradition, wedding garter, bridal garter, bridal gown, brides choose, couple bedroom