Archive for the 'Wedding Garters' Category
It is believed that the ritual of throwing the wedding garter dates back before women wore hoses with a garter belt. It was a chance for the single men to share in the good fortune of the groom. In our modern society it is believed that the man, who catches the wedding garter when it is thrown by the groom, will be the next to marry. In the 14th century, it was customary for the bride to toss her garter to the men, but they sometimes had too much to drink and under the influence of alcohol became too impatient and would try to remove the garter off the bride ahead of time.
Today, tossing the wedding garter has become just as much a part of tradition as well as fun. Some garters may even be personalized to make the finishing touch more special.
I sat around a table with three other married couples. Our conversation spread across multiple random topics. We talked about Brooklyn versus Queens and Long Island. We talked about the beauty and grandeur of the reception hall. We talked about the food that was well prepared and tastefully served. We even talked about the youthfulness of the waiters.
Soon it was time for the father and daughter’s dance and then the groom and his mother waltzed for a short while. The toast to the bride from her only sister was quite emotional and touching. Soon it was time for sorority sisters to display their talents and after this the bride tossed her bouquet for the lucky young lady to catch.
Best of all was the moment I was waiting for and that was the tossing of the wedding garter by the groom. I leaned over to a wonderful young man and beckoned to him that he needed to be in line to catch the wedding garter that the groom was preparing to toss. He smiled with a twinkle in his eye and repeated my question right back at me. He was apparently quite comfortable with his status as a very handsome bachelor. We were still talking when we heard a roar of laughter and noticed that a stocky young man had caught the garter.
It was now time for the young lady who caught the bouquet to have the wedding garter placed on her leg by the stocky young man who caught it. It appeared as if everyone had a rubber neck as they peered over the back of their chairs to see this interesting activity.
Cheers to the wonderful bride and her groom for a wedding filled with laughter.