Why Does a Groom Throw the Bride's Garter?

From Erik Michaels and June Hoffman of Megasound

We recently covered the bouquet toss tradition of weddings; today, we will cover the garter throw tradition. As we mentioned previously, during medieval times it was possible that guests might grab the bride's garter or the bride might toss the garter to prevent her guests from ripping her dress apart. Another variation on how the garter toss tradition originally began is in the fact that the whole point of many of these special traditions was to bless the bride and groom and their marriage and ward off evil spirits. One way to bless the couple and ward off evil spirits was to throw the bride's garter out a window of the inn the happy couple was staying in on their wedding night. The bride would hang her stockings or garter on the doorknob of the room they were in and the wedding party would then throw them out the window. Still yet another variation suggests that the wedding party would take the bridesmaids' garters and toss them into the bride's and groom's faces.

The garter throw was a chance for the single men to share in the good fortune of the groom. Just like how the girl who catches the bouquet is supposedly the next girl to get married, the man who catches the garter is supposedly the next guy who shall get married. In like manner, just like how some brides stage the bouquet toss so that one of her friends who is already engaged will catch it, some grooms stage their garter throw so that his friend who is engaged will catch the garter.

Nowadays with all the political correctness and such, some brides and grooms have decided to forego this ritual, claiming that it is sexist. Considering how this tradition actually began with women rather than men grabbing pieces of the bride's clothing, the so-called "sexist" portion of the tradition actually evolved to become the way that it is today. Regardless, it is still a fun way to celebrate with your guests during your reception!

At Megasound, we have all sorts of appropriate garter removal song suggestions for your reception. Contact us today to find out how to streamline your planning with song suggestions.

How Did the Bouquet Toss Began?

From Erik Michaels and June Hoffman of Megasound

Like many of today's wedding traditions, the bouquet toss also originated in Europe during medieval times. Surprisingly to many people, this custom is more closely related to the “Garter Throw” than many would believe. Back in those times, most brides would not wear their dress again, and the dress was considered to be good luck for other women to wear as a sort of fertility charm.

After the wedding, single women would chase the bride and rip pieces of her dress off, leaving her in tatters. Wedding dresses became far more expensive over time and it became traditional for women to keep them as a memento or to pass on to a daughter for her wedding day.

To prevent guests from ripping the wedding dress, brides began throwing other objects as a distraction; one of which was the garter. Later, the bouquet became the most traditionally thrown object. The wedding bouquet is particularly suited to this use, as flowers symbolize fertility; and as perishable items, they are not something the bride would wish to keep. The bouquet is also a safer item to toss than the garter, as unruly and impatient wedding guests were sometimes known to try to take the garter from the bride while she was still wearing it.

Today, some brides and grooms do not like the tradition of throwing the bouquet and either modify it or do away with it completely. Tossing the bouquet can be uncomfortable for unmarried female guests who do not wish to marry or who feel "put on the spot" by the custom. Also, competition to catch the bouquet can become a violent stampede. Some brides stage the event so that their maid of honor or a friend who is engaged catches the bouquet. Others choose to give a small bouquet to each of their bridesmaids, or to give each woman at the reception a flower from the bridal bouquet.

The Megasound staff works with each bridal couple ahead of time to determine if the bouquet toss is a tradition that they want to incorporate in their wedding reception. We offer many tasteful song suggestions as well. Give us a call for your complimentary consultation so you can find out firsthand how Megasound will assist you with your wedding.

Day #6 Offers Exciting Suggestions for Traditional Garter Toss

From Erik Michaels and June Hoffman of Megasound

Calling all single guys! Whether you are in Fort Wayne or elsewhere, get ready, as here are 6 song suggestions the traditional garter removal and toss. Enjoy the wedding reception!

6 garter toss suggestions for the guys:

1. The Stripper by The David Rose Orchestra

2. Hot, Hot, Hot by Buster Poindexter

3. Oh Yeah by Yellow

4. Legs by ZZ Top

5. Jump Around by House of Pain

6. Another One Bites The Dust by Queen