Western Wedding Traditions and How Amazing Alterations in Minneapolis Can Play a Role in Your Wedding
At Amazing Alterations, we see many brides who are excited to create a unique garter. In modern weddings, the bride wears a garter on her leg. It is removed and thrown by the groom (sometimes with his teeth, if he’s feeling wild!) at the end of the reception. The man who catches the garter will supposedly be the next to get married.
The tradition of the wedding garter dates back to the Middle Ages. Firstly, in those days it was seen as good luck to have a piece of the bride’s clothing. In order to keep the dress from being torn to shreds, the garter would be thrown to distract the guests while the bride made her getaway to the bedroom. Secondly, families often wanted proof of the marriage’s consummation. In England and France, the wedding party would go into the bridal chamber and check the garter or stockings for signs of consummation. In France, the wedding party would even throw stockings at the bride and groom after they had undressed, supposedly gaining some kind of good luck if they hit either of them in the head. At some point, brides decided to have the groom simply throw the garter to the wedding party—possibly in order to save some dignity. From then on, the tradition has evolved from its destructive and humiliating roots into a fun custom.
If you’re choosing to join in the tradition, Amazing Alterations can create a custom garter to complement your wedding attire, or to incorporate aspects of the other tradition of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Call us today at 763-432-5243 or email us at appts@amazingalterations.com to set up a free consultation. Stay tuned to learn about the history of the bridal bouquet!
