THE GARTER TOSS
The history of the wedding garter is a bit bizarre. The tradition was that the bride and groom were expected to consummate their marriage on their wedding night. To ensure it was done, some of the wedding attendees would follow the couple into their room to be witnesses. Those witnessing the consummation would take the garter from the bride and bring it out to show the others at the wedding as proof of the marriage consummation. It eventually became a tradition to gather the undergarments of the bride and groom for good luck. History says the battle over the undergarments could get a little violent sometimes, as many wedding attendants wanted to have the good luck souvenirs from the bride and groom.
The GARTER TOSS is the man's equivalent of the bride's tossing of the bouquet. The single men gather on the dance floor, or some other central area of the reception, the groom removes the garter from the bride's leg and tosses it over his shoulder to the crowd of men. The one who catches it is said to have good luck and is also said to be the next to get married. The right GARTER TOSS SONG can send your guests over the edge with laughter and energy!
There are some twists on the traditional wedding garter toss as well. Some cultures have a race or a battle to get the garter, and some have an auction and the garter goes to the highest bidder. Another tradition is that the couple will stay married 10 years for every inch that the groom reaches up the bride's leg
