Tossing the garter is one of the oldest wedding traditions that still survive. The tradition can be traced back to the 14th century, when it was believed in some parts of Europe that
Having a piece of the bride’s clothing would bring good luck to the wedding guests. In their enthusiasm, the guests would even go to the extent of destroying the bride’s dress by ripping off pieces of fabric. No wonder the practice was not taken kindly by the brides, who then began to throw various items to the guests. Garter is one of those items tossed by the brides. With it, it became a popular practice for the bride to throw the garter to men.

Drunken hurry

But it gave rise to a new problem. On several occasions, drunken men would lose patience and try to remove the garter well ahead of time. This necessitated the intervention of the groom in the process, who was entrusted with the responsibility of removing and tossing the garter to the men. As a result of this minor modification, the brides now began to toss the bridal boutique to the unwed girls who were eligible for marriage.

In ancient times, the removal of the wedding garter by the groom had a different meaning. At that time, the wedding garter represented the virginal girdle and when it was removed by the groom, it was taken as the bride’s relinquishment of her virginity.

Tossing of the garter was originally called "flinging the stocking." It was an ancient and bawdy ritual, mostly observed in Britain, during which guests would invade the bridal chamber. In this ritual, the ushers would be seated at the foot of the bed, and they would one by one “fling” the stockings over the heads of the couple after seizing the stockings of the bride.

Modern-day tips

Modern-day couples often forego these traditions due to a variety of reasons. However, if one still wants to get the toss right, it is wiser to have a specially made bouquet, because a separate throw bouquet would be easier to part with. You are not required to toss the garter or bridal bouquet backward over the shoulder. Without letting others know, aim the garter at someone you love for his luck. Last, a groom should not embarrass his new bride by hitching up her dress too high or removing the garter with his teeth. It would of course be a different story if she turns out to be game.

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