The History of the Garter

There are many traditions that people associate with weddings. One of the main traditions that is seen at weddings across the nation is the garter toss. This is one of the oldest surviving wedding traditions and has evolved from the Middle Ages to the fun activity that it is today.

It started in the 14th century in England, when wedding guests considered it lucky to get a piece of the bride's clothing. In order to preserve her dress, the bride started throwing her garter at the male guests. As the male guests became rowdier, they tried to tear the garter off of the bride's leg themselves. In an attempt to preserve his new wife's dignity, the groom started to remove the garter himself and toss it to the single men.

Another old English tradition surrounding the garter had the wedding guests following the bride and groom into their bridal chamber. They would throw discarded stocking at the couple and the one that hung on either the bride's or the groom's nose was thought to be the next to get married.

Today most brides wear two garters. They have one that they keep and one to throw away. They usually wear them on the right leg. It was popular for the groom to remove the garter with his teeth, but in recent years, it has been viewed as more appropriate for the groom to remove the garter with his hands. He then tosses the garter to all of the single men in attendance. The man that catches the garter is thought to be the next to get married.