The Bridal Cottage Blog

Ever wonder where the tradition of tossing the garter came from? Legend says that in olden days, the bride and groom had to show proof of their wedding consummation. In order for it to be proven, it was common tradition to have people like family and friends come into the room with the couple. The "witnesses" would obtain the garter as "proof" of the consummation.

Also having any article of the under garments was considered to be good luck, so one can imagine how things might’ve gotten out of hand with all those crazies snatching your unmentionables for good luck! This, of course, was not appreciated much by the bride (or many grooms). That’s when the groom started tossing the garter out so there would be no need to harass the bride. Thank goodness for those ladies who paved the way to a less barbaric tradition!

Today, tossing the garter is still a great way to incorporate tradition for the groom (cause let’s face it, the bride does get a fair amount of attention). At The Bridal Cottage, we have authentic Arkansas Razorback garters for Hog fans and fun Camouflage garters for men who love to hunt. Modern grooms have also found creative ways to incorporate the actual toss. We’ve seen the garter wrapped around a football and hurled toward his first string fellows!

What unique ways have you witnessed the garter toss? We’d love to hear about it!