Wedding Garter Are More Than Just Accessories
Wedding garters, and subsequently the wedding garter toss, is a
tradition that has been carried out for centuries, but its practices
and rituals have differed through different civilizations and different
times.
In ancient times it was believed that a bride’s clothing
would bring good luck to anyone who got a hold of it. This became a
little upsetting to the bride, since her guests would demolish her
dress in order to have a piece of it, and its presumed fortune.
Obviously
over time, this tradition began to change. Soon the good fortune, it
was only associated with the bride’s garter, which guests would fight
over. This too turned out to be dangerous, as the bride would often be
knocked over by drunken male guests trying to remove her garter. In
current times, only the groom removes the garter, and then tosses it to
the unmarried male wedding guests.
Of course this all is based
on the process, but the tradition itself is steeped in symbolism. It’s
an iconic emblem towards the surrender of the bride’s virginal girdle
to the groom, the tossing away of a groom’s single life and embracing a
married life, good luck for the guest lucky enough to catch the garter.
But
why is the garter often blue, you ask? In several ancient cultures, the
color blue was considered symbolic of wealth and prosperity, so both
the bride and groom would have a blue band around the bottom of their
garments. As style and tradition have changed, so has this custom, so
that now the garter is often blue.
The most common garter
practices involve two garters: one that is tossed away, and another
above it that is for the bride to keep as a memento. These garters are
a valuable keepsake, and can be kept as a reminder of your special
wedding day for years to come.
So, whether you wear a garter out
of tradition, duty or simply for fun, know that it can be tailored to
you and an extremely fun part of the reception.
Proudly Canadian
