Why does a bride need a garter on her leg?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

A wedding is not just a happy event, but a holiday filled with many special rituals. One of them is connected with the tradition of throwing the bride's garter into the crowd of bachelors. But what promises the accessory to the guest who caught it? Why is this element of the wedding dress needed?

Order of the Garter

Start getting acquainted with an integral part of the bride's wedding wardrobe with an interesting legend about how King Edward III, a talented politician and military leader, father of twelve children and just a gallant gentleman, established the Order of the Garter in England. The Countess of Salisbury enjoyed the special favor of the monarch - no wonder, because she was beautiful, smart, gifted with various talents. Numerous court ladies did not like her, so it is not difficult to imagine how difficult it was to get out of the awkward situation that occurred at one of the royal balls in honor of another British military victory with her head held high. Edward III invited Salisbury to dance. During one of the pas, the garter that held up the stocking slipped from her thigh and fell right at the feet of the king. Hearing the chuckles of the gentlemen and ladies of the court, Edward picked up the "fallen" accessory from the floor and tied iton his leg (or neck - there are various interpretations), shouting out a phrase that turned into an aphorism: "Shame on those who think badly about it."

The King established the Order of the Garter, whose members were the most worthy knights, led by the ruler himself. The patron saint of the association is St. George, and his motto is the words spoken by Edward III at the ball.

The Order of the Garter, established on April 23, 1348, still exists today. No more than 25 people can be his knights at the same time, including the monarch himself, who personally elects the rest of the knights (often aristocrats with an impeccable reputation). The garter with the motto of the order written on it in the form of a strap encircling the shield is even an element of the Royal coat of arms of the country at the present time.

The history of the custom

There are several interpretations of the origin of the tradition of putting a garter on the bride's leg.

First option

The history of this interesting phenomenon originates in medieval France. Garters in this country were a necessary attribute of the women's wardrobe, because without them, the stockings simply did not stay on the lady's leg. Of course, the wedding looked much more solemn and festive than everyday. However, after some time, garters ceased to enjoy their former popularity in France. The revival of the custom took place on the American continent, where the tradition was brought by French emigrants. It was the fashion for garters in the United States that marked the beginning of their frenzied popularity around the globe. The years go by, and the principlesdistribution of popular trends still remain the same: America today is the main power in the market of mass brands.

Second option

The bride's garter is a detail of the wedding image of a medieval Englishwoman. Of course, in the 14th century it was impossible to imagine that the groom would throw this intimate part of the betrothed's wardrobe into the crowd of his friends, but the inhabitants of the British Isles approached the wedding celebration with even more radical solutions. In those days, it was common among guests in Europe to tear the bride's wedding dress into small pieces. According to the deep conviction of the participants in this truly barbaric action, even a small piece of a wedding dress should have brought great happiness to its owner.

Original kidnapping and wedding run

If we assume that the second version of the appearance of the wedding custom is correct, as a result of which the intimate detail of the bride's dress is in the crowd, then in our time it has taken on a much more acceptable form. However, in different countries there were different ways of getting rid of the bride's garter. For example, in Northern England, one of the male guests kidnapped the newly-made wife right at the altar at the end of the wedding and tore off that very innermost detail from her leg. However, later it became the groom's direct responsibility to remove the garter from the bride's leg, and not immediately after the wedding, but at the very end of the celebration. In this form, this custom has come down to our time.

However, there were other interesting variations of this tradition. So, in the 19th century, among the men invited toholiday as guests, a kind of "wedding run" was arranged. They competed in who will run the fastest to the bride's house. The prize for the winner, in fact, was the wedding garter, which he kept for himself.

Why does a bride need a garter?

How is the bridal accessory doing today? Why does a bride need a garter on her leg? The custom of "absorption" of the garter by a crowd of unmarried guests was finally formed at the end of the twentieth century. It is interesting that today there may be two garters on the bride's right thigh. The first is called "happy" and announces to one of the groom's friends a quick, prosperous marriage; the second is called "sweet" or "honey", her groom takes off her beloved's leg not in front of all the guests of the celebration, but in the intimate atmosphere of the solitude of the newlyweds before the wedding night. It is customary to keep the "honey" bandage for the whole life together as a reminder of the sweetness of the first night of love, as well as a talisman and guarantee of a happy marriage.

The show starts

Traditionally, the bride's bouquet and garter from her beautiful leg are sent to the crowd of happy guests at the end of the celebration, when the wedding cake has already been cut, and all the congratulations have sounded. The only question is, how is it better to "release" the garter from under the multi-layered skirt of a wedding dress? As mentioned above, this should be done by none other than the groom. The newly-made spouse can arrangea real departure from this usual action for any wedding, turning on slow dubstep or tearing off an intimate detail with your teeth (in general, add a degree to an already hot celebration).

However, you must admit that representatives of the older generation are unlikely to appreciate this truly showman's move. If you don’t want to shock guests who lived a good half (or even more) of their lives in the twentieth century by slowly raising the hem of the dress to the very edge of the stockings, the groom can remove the accessory “blindly”, feeling for the garter under the skirt, or even entrust this ritual to the bride. But if you decide to organize a real youth party, don't be quiet and show your full potential!

What should a bride's garter be?

Earlier, the garter on the bride's leg must certainly have been blue, representing the purity and purity of a girl entering into marriage. Currently, it is most often white or beige, in harmony with the delicate image of the bride. However, the most daring girls can add spice in the form of, say, a bright red ribbon or some voluminous elements.

Traditionally, the garter is hidden under the long skirt of a white wedding dress, but today, outrageous brides, on the contrary, use the garter as a bright accent to complement the look, and deliberately flaunt it, wearing a short dress or coming up with an image with a hi-low skirt.

DIY wedding garter

Why do you need a bridal garter,bought in an expensive store, if you can easily sew it with your own hands? To make a wedding garter yourself, you will need a satin, guipure or nylon ribbon, an elastic band and decorative elements with which you want to decorate your little masterpiece. It is important to note that the ribbon should be twice the length of the thigh, and the elastic should be of medium width (so that its edges do not protrude beyond the ribbon, but remember that too narrow elastic bands will not work either).

The tape must be gathered into an "accordion" and carefully stitched with folds (so that something like a pleating effect is obtained), and then sewn onto an elastic band. A variant is possible in which the elastic band is inserted into the "tube" of a satin ribbon, and a lace pleated fabric is sewn on top. Decorate the garter with beads, bows, butterflies, beads, flowers or any other decorative elements. At the final stage, you can give your imagination absolute freedom!

Your attention is presented with a photo of the bride's handmade garter. By the way, a seductive element of a wedding dress can be sewn not only for yourself, but also for your beloved bride-friend. It is customary to make such a gift at a bachelorette party before the celebration.

FAQ

Wedding is one of the most exciting events in the life of every person. It is no wonder that the newlyweds are worried about everything going at the highest level. They have a lot of questions for a variety of reasons.

- Which leg should the wedding garter be worn on?

Usuallythe accessory is worn on the right leg just above the knee

- What color should the bride's garter be?

The most common variations are white and beige, but if you want to add some color, decorate the wardrobe piece with a decor, such as a red ribbon or a pink flower

- Should you wear a garter on your bare leg or prefer pantyhose/stockings?

The choice is yours, but if you decide to choose the second option, make sure that the elastic is tight enough, otherwise the accessory may "seem" to the guests ahead of time

- Should the garter be worn on the leg all day or can it be worn just before the "bachelor" ceremony?