Is the Garter Toss Mandatory?
I think the garter toss is tacky,
but everyone says it’s a time-honored tradition and we
should include it in our reception. Do we have to do it, or
is there an alternative?
Yes, the garter toss is time-honored—it got its start
in medieval times. Guests would rip and tear at the bride’s
clothes to snag a piece of the fabric, which was thought to
bring them good luck. Often, the bride would strip off her
stockings and garters to throw to the pack so she could escape.
(Yikes!)
Fortunately, guests have become more civilized through the
centuries. Now, the groom strips the garter off the bride
to campy stripper music, then tosses it into a pack of salivating
unmarried men.
But the garter tradition has started to lose favor recently.
If you prefer to ax this ritual from your reception repertoire,
but still want to do something, you can opt for one of these
less titillating alternatives, using a garter or a bouquet:
- Toss a dummy garter and leave the real one for your own—private—wedding-night
striptease.
- Make the bouquet toss co-ed. Watch all your single friends
battle it out for the big prize.
- Give the bouquet to your favorite person. Honor your
parents or his, a special grandmother or a friend who was
such a big help during the wedding planning.
- Hand it over to the longest-married couple. Have your
DJ or band play a special "marrieds-only" song.
The band leader or DJ will first ask those married eight
hours or less to leave the floor (that means you), then
five years or less, ten years or less and so on, until there’s
one couple left standing. They get the prize—your
flowers.
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