Brides-to-be, are you planning to purchase a bridal garter to toss at your wedding reception?  I would love to hear back from you.  I think garters are lovely.  The tradition of having your groom remove and toss your garter goes back many years and started with the brides bouquet.

The practice of the bride tossing her bouquet before she leaves on her wedding trip is said to have started in the 14th century, when getting a piece of the bride’s clothing was considered good luck. In those days, the bride was treated poorly. Guests would grab at her wedding dress in order to tear off pieces of it. Although brides continued to believe they would not be wearing their wedding gowns again, they objected to its wanton destruction. Instead of allowing guests to tear at their gowns, brides found an alternative and instead, started to throw personal items, such as the garter, to the guests. Today, the groom removes and tosses the garter, while the bride tosses her bouquet. The unmarried man who catches the garter is asked to put it on the leg of the unmarried woman who catches the bouquet. It is said that they will be the next to marry (not necessarily each other). Yet another version tells us that the garter had a very practical beginning. When silk stockings were standard garb, this accessory was a necessity. This “version” of the customs origin tells us that the tradition of stealing the garter began in England. Young men took this pre-ceremony procedure quite seriously, as it was considered very good luck to “win the prize.” To avoid embarrassing the bride, the custom evolved from stealing the garter into throwing the garter.

Today, there are several garter designers who create gorgeous keepsakes.   The practice is to buy one garter to keep, the other to toss.  To please all brides, some are sweet and feminine and some are downright sexy.  Whatever your preference, you’ll be able to find just what you want on our new sister-site http://www.GlamorousGarters.com.  We plan to launch our site on July 1, 2011.  Be sure to visit us!