What is the tradition of wearing a garter?

What Is the Wedding Garter Tradition? The wedding garter tradition dates back centuries but has shifted over time. The basic idea is that having a piece of the bride's outfit brings good luck for wedding guests, so the newlyweds will offer a small token (AKA, the garter) to their guests to appease them.
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Where does the tradition of a garter come from?

The origin of the garter toss at weddings derives from a 14th-century tradition in France. Back then, the bride and groom had to show proof of consummating the marriage after the wedding night. The friends and family of the couple would stay in the room and obtain the wedding garter as 'proof' of the consummation.
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Why do grooms go under the bride's dress?

Garter and the history

Guest started taking a piece of the bride's gown after the wedding ceremony for this luck, giving them nothing to hold on to in terms of a gown memory. The culture of wearing a piece of garment as part of the wedding dress to be given out as the lucky charm brought about the garter.
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What's the purpose of a garter?

A garter is an article of clothing comprising a narrow band of fabric fastened about the leg to keep up stockings. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg is most slender, to keep the stocking from slipping.
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What does the garter belt symbolize?

Believe it or not, the garter belt symbolizes good luck to the bachelors in attendance. Supposedly, whoever is lucky enough to catch it will be the next to get married. Of course, this is a tradition that's more symbolic and fun than realistic.
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What is the Tradition of the Garter Toss



Why does a woman wear a garter on her wedding day?

Whatever the reason, many couples use the wedding garter as a chance to be sentimental on their wedding day. The garter is a chance to carry someone or something with you on your big day. I hand make many weddings garters from family heirloom wedding dresses.
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Why do brides wear 2 garters?

Many brides who wear two garters don't want to loose their main garter and would rather not think about having to get it back after the toss, so they opt to wear a second garter. (As someone once told me at a wedding show: "One to show, one to go!")
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What does removing the garter represent?

"These days, removing the garter is basically the male equivalent to the bride's bouquet toss. The bride sits on a chair so her new husband can take her garter belt off her leg and toss it to a crowd of bachelors. Supposedly, whoever is lucky enough to catch it will be next to get married. "
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What is the garter removal?

The garter toss involves the groom removing the garter from the brides' leg and throwing for a single male wedding guests to catch. In medieval times, wedding guests would tear the bride's clothes off, so brides began wearing garters they could throw into the crowd.
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Which leg does the garter go on?

There is no traditional leg that a garter should be worn on. Garters were designed to keep stockings up on both legs, and so it can be worn on any leg that feels natural to you. We recommend you wear your garter just above your knee on either leg.
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Why do bride and groom stay apart the night before?

Superstitious beliefs have kept many a couple separated until the ceremony, protecting their matrimonial fate from being doomed from the start. The tradition of spending the wedding eve apart is when to-be-weds refrain from seeing one another the night before their wedding, often until the ceremony.
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Why cant the mother of the groom see the wedding?

Mother of the bride and groom don't attend the wedding: In a traditional Bengali wedding, the mother of the bride and groom don't attend their son's or daughter's wedding as they believe that the mother would have a harmful or evil effect on the married life of the child.
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Why does the bride toss the bouquet?

Tossing the Bouquet – The tossing of the bouquet originated in ancient England. After the wedding ceremony occurred, guests in attendance would try and rip off pieces of the bride's dress or bridal bouquet as these were thought to bestow good luck and fortune to those who got one.
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What happens after garter toss?

Traditionally, the groom tosses the bridal garter and whomever catches it is also said to be next to marry. The bride tosses the bouquet and whomever catches it is said to be next to marry. It is also believed that the recipient of the garter and the person who catches the bouquet will be blessed with good luck.
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Do you give the garter back?

Give It Back

Many brides want to keep their wedding garter after their wedding. It is a small little wedding keepsake. The nice thing to do if you catch the garter is ask the bride if she wants it back. If the bride is busy, give the garter to one of her bridesmaids or the maid of honor to pass it on.
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Why does the bride wear something blue?

Something blue

Blue is the color of love, purity, faithfulness, and modesty. To keep with tradition, the bride can wear a blue piece of jewelry.
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Who buys the bride her garter?

Many bridesmaids and bridal parties also come together as a group to purchase an especially nice one (sometimes accompanied by other lingerie pieces). This can be tons of fun, as well as add sentimentality to the accessory. On the other hand, your spouse-to-be can purchase the wedding garter.
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Does the groom take both garters off?

The groom removes the garter from the bride's leg, sometimes with his hands or perhaps with his teeth, while a crowd watches. Following the bride's bouquet toss, the groom tosses the garter to all of the eligible bachelors at the wedding.
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Is a wedding garter necessary?

You may be a bride wondering 'do I need to wear a wedding garter?' , but it really is not something that you absolutely have to wear on your wedding day. It is, like every other wedding accessory, a choice that is completely up to you as the bride and your style.
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What if a man catches the bouquet?

Whoever catches the bouquet is supposedly “next” to walk down the aisle.
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How do you take off a wedding garter?

During the reception, the groom will remove the garter from underneath the bride's gown (with his hands or teeth) and toss it into the crowd. The garter toss is very similar to the bouquet toss. The bachelor that catches the garter is believed to be married next.
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Who holds the bride's bouquet during the ceremony?

The maid of honor.

Hand it to her at the start of the ceremony and let her keep it until after your first kiss. That way you can walk back up the aisle as a married woman with flowers in hand.
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Why does marriage happen at night?

According to Hinduism, sun signifies power, fire and the immortal world of Lord Brahma. But, Moon signifies cool and calmness, an indicator of general well being. It is believed that to have a calm and soulful relationship between the couple, marriages are generally conducted at night in north India.
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What four items does a bride supposedly need for luck?

The phrase comes from the English rhyme, “Something Olde, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A Sixpence in your Shoe.” Although in present day, the first four items are most familiar, some modern brides still maintain the tradition of putting a sixpence or penny in their shoe.
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Should mother of groom wear same color as mother of bride?

Traditionally, the mother of the bride has been the first to choose her dress. The color of the mother of the groom's dress should complement, but not match it. This is easier than it sounds because no two hues are exactly alike. To augment the distinction, you can choose different accessories.
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