Why do brides wear a garter, and how do you wear it?

Most brides when choosing their wedding outfit at some point will think about wearing a garter. 

So what exactly is a garter, and why do brides wear it?

A wedding garter is a hidden piece of material that is worn around your thigh, hidden underneath your wedding dress. 

How do you wear the wedding garter?

Garters were originally worn by brides to hold up their stockings. So it’s entirely up to you which leg you prefer to wear it on - there is no right or wrong. You could even wear two garters - one to throw, one to keep! For that reason, many bridal shops sell garters in sets of two - a more intricate one for you to keep, and a slightly simpler one for the garter toss. It’s best to wear it just above your knee. You can try out wearing it lower or higher up to find out where it’s most comfortable for you. 

There are so many different wedding garter styles available these days. Some brides buy their garter, some garters are passed down from a special relative. You could even have your something borrowed, something blue associated with your garter, by adding a little blue ribbon to it, or another personal item, only for you to know. 

Where does the wedding garter tradition come from?

Centuries ago, the wedding guests believed that it brings you luck if you own a piece of the wedding dress, and that would cause some guests trying to rip off a little bit of the dress. In order to stop that behaviour, brides would then wear an additional piece of material that could be given away as a good luck item. Another belief says that the garter was a symbol of the marriage being consummated, and family and friends would take the garter as proof. 

The garter in both cases was removed in the evening, either by the bride or her groom, and given to someone attending the wedding.

The tradition today is that the groom removes the garter during the evening reception. The garter is the groom’s equivalent of throwing the bouquet. If you want, you can set a time aside during your evening reception for the groom to remove the garter and then the single men would gather behind him and he can throw the garter to the guys who would usually scramble to catch it. And whoever catches it is said to be the next man to be married! This can go even further that the man who caught the garter can place it on the girl who caught the bridal bouquet.

Removing the garter is usually a fun little ceremony during the evening reception. Some grooms crawl under the dress and remove it with their teeth, but more generally, he would try and find it with his hands!

Some brides choose to wear a garter, but decide not to throw it, it’s entirely up to you. There are no rules. It’s mostly just a bit of fun!