Every detail is important in a bride's image: from the wedding dress and shoes to the veil and garter. The latter, by the way, performs not only an aesthetic role, but also takes part in a beautiful action that helps determine which of the groom’s friends will marry next.
The garter often appears in the wedding frame, both during the shooting of the newlyweds and the bride's morning, and at the banquet itself. Therefore, if you want everything in your wedding look to be perfect down to the smallest detail, the Svadebka.ws portal advises you to pay sufficient attention to the choice of this important accessory.
Bridal garter: what is it and why is it needed?
The concept of “garter” comes from the French word “jarret”, which means the popliteal cavity, i.e. The garter was previously an elastic strip of fabric that held women's pantaloons in place. It was first used at weddings in the USA, and in the 90s of the last century such a sexual accessory appeared at Russian weddings.
Why was a garter worn on the bride’s leg needed at all? The history of the wedding garter is quite interesting and funny: it was believed that those guests who could take away some item from the wedding, preferably if it was part of the newlyweds’ clothing, would be happy. Therefore, all the guests tried to tear at least some piece from the bride’s dress. The brides felt sorry for their outfit, so they came up with garters, which they sewed from leftover fabric and threw to the guests. And the dress remained intact, and the guests were happy! Now, fortunately, there are no such barbaric traditions, and the groom carefully removes the garter from the bride’s leg and throws it to the unmarried guys at the end of the celebration. According to the sign, the one who catches this accessory will soon get married and be happy in his marriage.
As you know, one of these wedding signs for newlyweds is associated with the dress and accessories, including the garter: the bride should not see herself in full wedding attire before the ceremony. When trying on, you should not wear any of the elements, and it could just be a garter.
Appointments and history of appearance
The word “garter” is of French origin, but the history of the appearance of this beautiful accessory belongs to the British. It was originally invented as an inseparable part of a woman's or men's wardrobe. In the Old World, clothes were wide and voluminous, often falling down, which is why the bride and groom or free girls and gentlemen needed a garter on their legs. Gradually, men's trousers acquired their usual length, and women for a long time used the accessory to secure underwear or stockings to the body.
One of the legends says that the famous British monarch Edward III, at a gala event, saw that the lady accompanying him slipped off the bandage and fell to the floor. The king picked up the accessory to return it to its owner, but, seeing the malice of the courtiers around him, he put the garter on his leg, explaining his action by saying that such a ritual brings good luck. After this incident, the monarch established the Order of the Garter, which is still considered the highest honor in England.
There is also another version of the origin of the tradition, where wedding garters are used. In the Old World there were free morals towards women. Guests tore pieces of fabric from the bride's dress or veil as she stood in front of the altar. The newlyweds did not like this, so a little later the newlyweds themselves began to throw a small accessory at the crowd of invited guests. Today this item is a tribute to traditions and plays an aesthetic role.
After the advent of tights and stockings with elastic bands, the ribbon was forgotten, but at the end of the last century, American newlyweds resumed the wedding tradition.
Which leg should a bride wear a garter on?
A wedding garter is usually placed on the right leg slightly above the knee. But this is not a strict rule, so only you can decide based on your personal preferences and your comfort which leg you should choose for this accessory.
Usually the bride buys one garter for her wedding. However, sometimes you can find this accessory in the form of a set, for example, in America. Their first garter is called the “lucky” one; it is the one that the groom throws to his friends. The second - “honey” - remains as a keepsake for the bride and groom, who takes it off his chosen one during the first wedding night. It is attached above the “happy” one. Such interesting sets can be bought in Russia.
Advice: ask the photographer during your morning preparations to take a couple of beautiful shots of you putting on the garter. You will get tender and sexy photos!
How to carry and throw
Every wedding tradition has its own rules, and the use of a garter for the bride is no exception. What is the accessory for?
- An elegant ribbon complements the image of the young bride.
- A wedding garter is a symbol of a girl's innocence and purity.
- It is needed to maintain a tradition in which not only the newlyweds, but also invited guests participate.
- Many brides purchase 2 ribbons, one of which remains in the family as a memory, and in some cases is even inherited by children on their wedding day. The groom throws the second accessory to his friends.
It makes no difference which leg the bride wears the garter on. It all depends on the preferences or habits of the newlyweds. According to tradition, the accessory is put on the right leg, moving upward from the knee by 7-10 cm. Thus, the groom will not have to lift up the bride’s dress high when removing the accessory during the wedding ritual, and a low-mounted ribbon will be more suitable for photographs.
At the end of the holiday, after the ceremonial removal of the wedding cake, the groom removes the garter from his young wife, tossing the accessory into the crowd of friends. To do this, the man takes the girl in his arms and brings her to a chair in the center of the banquet hall. The woman stands on the seat, and the husband carefully dives under the dress, trying to remove the bride’s garter with his hands, after which he throws the ribbon to his friends. The man who catches the accessory is traditionally expected to plan his own wedding. American grooms usually remove the tape using their teeth.
Many girls are embarrassed to publicly remove the intimate part of their wedding wardrobe, so they get rid of it themselves, and only then give it to the groom. The question of why a garter is needed at a wedding, or how to use it, should be answered by the newlyweds themselves, based on their preferences for the celebration. Shy brides do not have to take off their ribbon when visiting guests; a boutonniere is a perfect accessory for a traditional throw.
When and how to remove the garter?
In addition to its aesthetic function, the bride's garter also plays an important role at the end of the celebration. What is it for? To find out which guy will get married next. After the bride throws the bouquet to her unmarried friends, she sits on a chair in the center of the hall, the groom kneels in front of her, carefully finds the garter, slightly lifting the hem of the dress, and slowly removes it with his hands so that the photographer has time to take a couple of successful photos.
If the groom hesitates, the bride can help him. And when the garter is in the hands of the groom, you can throw it to your unmarried friends. The one who catches her will soon lead his chosen one down the aisle. After this, the guy who caught the garter and the girl who caught the bouquet perform a dance (if, of course, they came to the wedding alone). It is believed that they can make a great couple.
Want to make the garter tossing experience more fun and spicy? Play out this humorous scene: let the groom take off not your garter, but your huge panties, which he quietly pulls out of his pocket and shows to all the guests. An alternative option is that instead of a garter, the groom discreetly throws a thong to his friends. The deception will be revealed only when the guy catches the deception. Surprise and laughter are guaranteed!
Tip: Don't like the garter toss idea? Replace this intimate accessory with the groom's boutonniere!
Is it possible not to throw anything at all?
Of course you can! This is your wedding, so you can do anything that fits perfectly into the format and style of the holiday and will definitely please your guests.
Cool options instead of throwing a garter:
- SMS. Let your friends simultaneously type an SMS with any content, for example, “I want to get married.” And at the same time they will send messages to the groom. The one whose SMS arrives first wins.
- A game. The groom stands in the center of the circle of unmarried guys. He is blindfolded. The guys start moving in a circle. At some point the groom says stop. Whoever ends up in front of him will be the next family man.
As you can see, if you don't feel like throwing the garter, you can come up with an alternative that will surprise your guests. You can play with this tradition from a completely different, modern side, then it will fit perfectly into the modern wedding scenario with competitions. Or you can support the custom and throw a beautiful garter, but without removing it from the bride’s leg in front of everyone, advises the portal www.svadbagolik.ru. Choose the option that suits you!
Choosing a garter: a couple of tips
When choosing a wedding garter, consider the following points:
- The color of the garter can either match the dress or contrast with it, emphasizing the wedding palette or simply your individuality. The same applies to its material: it can be made from the same fabric as the dress, or from another, for example, under a satin dress you can buy a bride’s garter made of lace, which will be combined with gloves or elements of wedding shoes.
- The decor of the garter should not only be spectacular and beautiful, but also safe for your dress, so as not to tighten or, even worse, tear the hem of the wedding dress.
- Consider the cut of your wedding dress. After all, all brides know that they should select underwear to match the style of their wedding dress. The garter is no exception! You can choose any option for a princess or A-line dress, but in the case of a tight-fitting dress, it is better to give preference to a smooth accessory that will not stand out through the material of the outfit.
- The garter should fit perfectly on the leg, not fall, but also not pinch it, causing discomfort. Try wearing it at home for a couple of hours and make sure it is the right width for you. A little trick: the bride can put on a garter not in the morning, but just before the ceremony.
Design options
Previously, the bride's garter was a lace ribbon sewn with her own hands. Now there are a huge number of options for this accessory. Most often, it is sewn from lace, silk or satin, decorated with a variety of decorative details: brooch, cameo, rhinestones, stones, feathers, buttons, embroidery, 3D appliqués, etc.
You can embroider or put rhinestones on the garter with the initials of the newlyweds or the wedding monogram, making it personalized.
The bride's garter can be either narrow or wide. It’s up to you to decide which accessory to buy for your wedding! Just keep in mind that a narrow garter will look better on a miniature leg, and vice versa.
A garter can both reflect the personality of the bride and emphasize the style of the celebration, for example, for a nautical wedding, the garter can be sewn from blue fabric and complemented with a brooch in the form of an anchor or a steering wheel; for a celebration in the style of Marie Antoinette, it can be decorated with a cameo and feathers; for a vintage wedding, it can be sewn made of fabric with a floral print and decorated with pearls.
Making a leg garter with your own hands
Sewing this accessory yourself will not be difficult and will not require large expenses. First you will need to decide on the desired style and design, and then buy all the necessary parts. For work you will need the following materials:
- rubber;
- lace;
- satin ribbons;
- glue and scissors;
- various decorative ornaments.
First you will need to measure the circumference of the thigh in the place where the garter will be located. To do this, wrap the elastic band around your leg at the height where you plan to place it at the wedding and secure it, then mark with a pencil the junction of its two ends. After this, cut the desired length of the elastic, adding 1 cm on each side as allowances. Usually, the elastic is cut to a length slightly less than the hip circumference so that it stays firmly on the leg, but the lace is 1.5-2 times longer for a beautiful fit.
Next, you need to stitch the elastic to the lace, and it must be under constant tension so that the necessary gathers are formed. If you want to make a garter from several types of lace, you must first fasten them with pins, and only then sew on the elastic.
The base for the garter is ready, all that remains is to decorate it as you wish. You can make neat bows or flowers from thin ribbons, sew on beads to form some kind of pattern from them, etc., here you can give free rein to your imagination.
Recently, themed weddings have become fashionable, for example, in a Gothic or carnival style. If you are planning a celebration with a specific theme, the garter can also be designed in this style, this will give it additional elegance and value for the subsequent owner. By the way, in the old days, girls embroidered a certain meaningful phrase on their garter, for example, “Here you have nothing else to look for” or “I wish you to find your beloved,” etc.
The bride's garter definitely plays a significant role in the celebration. Any young man, no matter how avid a bachelor he may be, will be incredibly happy to bring home such a valuable accessory. Many men keep the caught garter until their wedding, and some even after it. By observing this tradition, you selflessly share a piece of your newfound happiness with a loved one, a faithful friend or a good comrade, and he, in turn, will keep pleasant memories of your wedding in his soul.
