Garter tossing is an exceedingly engaging and fun event at a wedding reception. The newlywed couple partake in this traditional event with much ado and laughter. There could be variations in the way the garter is obtained, relying upon different family traditions.
There are many interesting theories about the way the garter toss custom came into existence. Apparently in 14th century France, it was considered lucky to get a fragment of the bride's clothing. They would grab at her dress and literally tear pieces off. Not liking this, brides began throwing personal articles, including the garter, stocking, bouquet, etc, to the guests to mollify them.
Later on, it became the best man's job to obtain the garter and distribute pieces of it to the guests. Again not liking to be manhandled, brides allowed one garter to dangle loosely, making it easy to reach and take away.
Another idea suggests that the garter tradition was related to consummating the wedding. In medieval times, guests would go together with the bride and groom to the bridal chamber to witness the consummation. The garter was taken as verification. Allegedly, this was sometimes pretty disorderly and people occasionally got hurt, so to prevent this situation, the groom would toss the bride's garter to the men to amuse them as he whisked his new bride away. Over time, the tradition changed, but the garter was (and is) still a good luck prize.
Nowadays, the groom will usually make a big show of getting the garter before tossing it to the single men, so a raunchy song is often selected for the garter removal and toss. Frequently, the guy who obtains the garter will dance with the lady who catches the bouquet, commencing the next round of dancing. Both the bouquet and garter tossing are among the most excitedly awaited events in the wedding festivity and people just can't help but get excited over these activities.
There are many interesting theories about the way the garter toss custom came into existence. Apparently in 14th century France, it was considered lucky to get a fragment of the bride's clothing. They would grab at her dress and literally tear pieces off. Not liking this, brides began throwing personal articles, including the garter, stocking, bouquet, etc, to the guests to mollify them.
Later on, it became the best man's job to obtain the garter and distribute pieces of it to the guests. Again not liking to be manhandled, brides allowed one garter to dangle loosely, making it easy to reach and take away.
Another idea suggests that the garter tradition was related to consummating the wedding. In medieval times, guests would go together with the bride and groom to the bridal chamber to witness the consummation. The garter was taken as verification. Allegedly, this was sometimes pretty disorderly and people occasionally got hurt, so to prevent this situation, the groom would toss the bride's garter to the men to amuse them as he whisked his new bride away. Over time, the tradition changed, but the garter was (and is) still a good luck prize.
Nowadays, the groom will usually make a big show of getting the garter before tossing it to the single men, so a raunchy song is often selected for the garter removal and toss. Frequently, the guy who obtains the garter will dance with the lady who catches the bouquet, commencing the next round of dancing. Both the bouquet and garter tossing are among the most excitedly awaited events in the wedding festivity and people just can't help but get excited over these activities.
About the Author:
Susan Todd writes about wedding dance songs that couples can play on their wedding day's first dance and in the father-daughter and mother-son dances during a wedding. Her website contains many wedding songs and dance reviews alongside information on the various activities that occur in a wedding party, including the wedding garter toss.
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