The history behind the long tradition of the garter toss and removal. It all started with a piece of the wedding dress believed to bring good luck, leading to wedding guests attacking the bride to rip off a piece of her gown. Yikes, Brides later began wearing a specific article of clothing to be given out as the lucky piece.
Pick A Classy Song
Your wedding band or DJ will often allow you to choose your songs in advance for the different parts of the reception. They might even be able to make some suggestions for songs like the first dance, wedding party entrance, and even the garter toss. Talk to your fiance’ and pick a song you can agree on. Preferably one that will put you at ease and get you excited! Remember that there might be a few grandparents in the room, so if you want to go classy, stick with something that won’t offend delicate ears.
Talk It Over
Before sitting in that chair, make sure you and your fiance’ are on the same page about how the garter tosses. Talk to him about what will make you comfortable.
In addition to your partner, talk it over with your wedding planner, event coordinator, or DJ. They need to know to get you a chair and be all prepared.
Pull Your Wedding Dress Up
Some of the worst wedding photos are the ones where the poor partner has his or her head up the bride’s dress looking for the garter! It is dark under there!
Help your partner out and pull your dress up a little bit. It makes for beautiful photos with your dress pulled up and a huge smile on your face!
Extend Your Leg
Put your leg out slightly, but not too much, so you give your wedding guests a sneak peek of too much! Any help or direction that you can provide your partner will be appreciated.
It will make those wedding photos much less awkward! It seems odd to put out your leg, but I promise it will help!
Host A Garter Auction
Before the wedding, choose a charity or cause (Honeymoon) you and your wife would like to support. Ask your DJ/Emcee to get involved and conduct a live auction format, with each guest raising a paddle, hand, or drink to place a bid. Briefly tell your guests where the proceeds go, then auction off the garter to raise money for that cause.
Have A Raffle Drawing
Have your groomsmen and bridesman go around the room selling 1/5/10 dollar raffle tickets to win a prize later in the evening. Some wedding raffle prize ideas could include something fun, like a Yacht (Paper mache boat) or family home (Sea Shells). You could also do something traditional like a booze cruise (a gift basket of your favorite drinks). You could also make the prize more personal, like tickets to your favorite sporting event or a hunting rifle.
Is It Tacky To Ask For Money At Your Wedding?
Many couples find it tacky to ask for money from their guests. However, there is no same. Most guests are happy you invited them and are excited to contribute to help pay for the wedding or honeymoon. If your wedding expenses are covered, host an anniversary dance as a substitute for the bouquet or garter tosses. Don’t want to toss the garter; throw a prize like a gift card to your favorite restaurant.
Make Sure Everyone Knows
Ensure that the garter toss is included in your day-of-the-wedding timeline and that all your wedding vendors know. Your wedding planner, DJ, band leader, and venue coordinator all need a copy of your wedding timelines. They will help to prepare you and your guest and help to keep everything running smoothly.
Make An Announcement
Have your wedding DJ or band leader announce that you will do the garter toss and that everyone should gather around a pre-determined location. If you invite all wedding guests around to see the garter removal, they will all be there for the toss. This way, the single guests are not singled out, and the garter toss becomes something fun for all your wedding guests and not something awkward for everyone, especially the single guests.
Put The Traditions Together
Nothing is more frustrating to your wedding guests when the night is constantly interrupted by different traditions, like the first dance, toasts, speeches, cake cutting, and the garter toss. You want to have as few wedding reception interruptions as possible. Try to group your traditions as much as possible so that there is enough time for your guests to enjoy themselves, the music, the food, and spending time with you. Talk to your wedding planner and your DJ about their experience with blending these wedding reception traditions seamlessly.
Do it later in the night.
If you’re feeling weird about your family witnessing someone going up your skirt, do it later in the evening when many of the older folks will have gone home. Not to mention you might feel more relaxed and confident than.
Tone it way down
Place the garter much lower on your leg; you don’t have to flash a ton of skin if you don’t want to! And pick a fun (innocent!) love song instead of something super non-classy.
Make it funny
Nothing says your partner has to pull a garter out from under your dress. We’ve heard grooms pulling out rubber chickens, granny panties, locks, mousetraps, and other ridiculous items. You could also blindfold the groom or have him choreograph a dance to take the focus off you!
Choosing a Bouquet and Garter Toss Songs is a great way to personalize your wedding’s entertainment. Below you’ll find bouquet removal and toss song ideas and the best garter toss songs 2022. (Need Bouquet Toss Song Ideas)
If you like this Garter removal guide, then you might like some of the following: The Best Last Dance Songs, 20 most played bouquet toss songs, Anniversary Songs, Wedding Party Songs, First Dance Songs, Grand March Songs, Father Daughter Dance Songs
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