What is the story behind the garter toss?

I remember someone posting on here about it..

Something like, the people would follow the bride and groom into the bedroom while they constemated the marriage and to steal their clothes was good luck or something.. so eventually, to give the couple more privacy, it turned into the groom tossing a garter.

Wtf!?

Haha funny

Haha right?

Wow... that's a tradition that must be really, really old!

You know i think our cake man told us something about that. but it was a bit creepier, it was that they would go into a room and constemate the marriage but most of the time the bride and groom would be too creeped out/tired/embarrassed whatever so the groom would cut himself, just a small cut, and then put it on the sheets so it would look like they did it! i almost barfed at our cake meeting lol

Yep...

Tossing the wedding garter is an old time held tradition. It is said that in the days gone past, the bride and groom had to show proof of their wedding consummation. In order for it to be proven, it was common tradition to have people like family and friends come into the room with the couple. The "witnesses" would obtain the garter as "proof" of the consummation. Also having any article of the under garments was considered to be good luck so sometimes things would get out of hand in the newly wed's bedroom as crazed onlookers snatched at clothing to get for good luck. This was not appreciated much by the bride nor many grooms, hence the groom started tossing the garter out so that no one would need to obtain it themselves.

Because of modesty, this tradition has been modified and moved from the bedroom to the reception. Now today we have the traditional garter toss, which is meant to bring good luck to the man who catches it. He is said to be the next one to marry. In some cultures the men stand and wait for the garter to be tossed. Other cultures they actually compete for it. The men may compete for the garter in a foot race or by horse (this is a medieval practice). At least it is better than having the men chase the bride and put her upside down to get the garter off... This is what used to happen! In yet other places, they even auction the garter off. As strange as these twists on the wedding garter tradition may sound, it's all just a tradition

~ good memory Jen

Haha! That's interesting conversation to have with your cake man...

Just googled and got this answer, sounds a little better then watching them constemate their marriage.

Throwing the garter began in France when pieces of the bridal attire were considered lucky. The bride would throw the garter to the guests at the wedding and whoever caught it could expect good luck. In the United States, the groom traditionally removes the garter from the bride and throws it to the unmarried men. The man who catches it is thought to be the next to marry. At some weddings the man who catches the garter will place it on the leg of the lady who caught the bouquet or they may start the next dance. It is also common for the recipients of the bouquet and garter to have a photograph taken with the bride and groom.

The garter is placed on the brides right leg, just above the knee.

Often the bride chooses to wear both a garter to throw as well as a garter that she would keep.

Ladies, remember it's your wedding and you do not have to do anything you do not wish.

Here's one about the Honeymoon:

The term 'honeymoon' comes from the tradition of the bride drinking mead (a brewed, fermented drink made of honey) for one month after the wedding to encourage fertility, and a male child in particular

@Elisa!!! he was so ODD!!! lol but we got a free cake with our venue so we have to go with him and his cakes look and taste great, he is just a little socially awkward lol he told us a butt ton of other wedding tradition (apparently he was an anthro major in college)

Thanks Hayley!!

@Hayley - he told us one where the groom would "kidnap" his bride and the brides brothers had 2 weeks to find her and bring her back home, but if she came back after the two weeks they were safe bc she was most likely pregnant by then and that is where the honeymoon came from and why its a week or two.

I also am not sure about the "watching" part, but I did find another one that it was to show "proof."

The garter toss became common at weddings in the 1500s in France. Originally, it was related to the concept of consummation of the marriage. The bridal party would approach the bride and groom’s bedroom for proof that the deed was accomplished.

They would then take an item of the bride’s clothing for good luck. This was often the garter used to hold up the bride’s stockings. The groomsman who retrieved the garter would then wear it in his hat for the remainder of the wedding celebration.

During the nineteenth century, as brides and grooms became uncomfortable with visitors in their chambers, the tradition evolved to that of the bride tossing her garter to the groomsmen before the end of the reception.

However, the men would often become violent competing for the garter and would sometimes tear at the bride’s dress or even flip her upside down to take the garter off (cont)

She had a chance.

Finally, the ritual changed to include the groom gaining full rights to the garter removal. This protected the bride from potential injury and put the onus on the groom to declare consummation of the marriage.

Omg!! i cant imagine a time when they WOULD be ok with people watching you bang for the first time lol

I'm kinda wishing I didn't know the tradition behind this now!

Shoes

At one time, the bride's father would have given the groom a pair of the bride's shoes to symbolize the passing of responsibility for her onto her new husband

Instead of throwing her bouquet over her shoulder, the bride originally threw one of her shoes. Shoes were tossed after the newlywed couples as they departed after the wedding to ensure them good luck. If the couple or their carriage were hit by one of the shoes, it was considered very lucky. Today, shoes are tied to the back of the couple's car to carry on the tradition

Exiting

During the Victorian Era, as the couple drove off in their carriage, only family and close friends would have been present. The guests threw shoes or satin slippers, rice or flower petals after the couple to ensure them happiness and good fortune. It was a sign of good luck if a shoe or slipper landed in the carriage or hit one of them, and if it was the left slipper, that was all the better, and if the slipper hit the b&g, that was even better

Shoes OUCh. thats sounds like it would of hurt.

I like the idea of having the person who catches the garter and bouquet, photograph together