The bride's garter: why is it needed, what leg is it worn on and who throws it?

Surely many people like to watch romantic movies and many have noticed that in Western films, at the end of the wedding ceremony, the newly-made spouse removes the garter from his beloved's leg and throws it into the crowd. We have this custom appeared relatively recently, but many Russian newlyweds are already trying to fully follow it.

The history of the bridal women's garter is rooted deep in the past. The word itself came to us from France, however, there this attribute performed a rather practical function - it supported pantaloons, and this attribute was used not only by the fairer sex, but also by men.

The tradition of using this accessory at weddings originated in England, historians do not have a consensus on how exactly such a peculiar custom arose.

According to one legend, many centuries ago, one of the English monarchs at a ball noticed that his companion's garter fell and picked it up to give it away. He just wanted to be gallant, but seeing the mocking smirks of the guests, he immediately declared that the garter of his beloved woman brings good luck and put it on his leg.

The second legend is less romantic, but more real. According to the chronicles, in some counties of Great Britain there was a wild custom - guests tried to rip the garter off the young bride's leg right next to the altar. This tradition was not to the taste of either the girls or their spouses, therefore, years later, it was replaced by another custom - to throw the pendant into the crowd of guests.

There are several reasons why brides give up their garters.

• The most common is following existing traditions, a tribute to fashion. The throwing of the bride's bouquet and garter is a bright culmination of a solemn event, a fun action with which young people seem to pass the baton to their lonely friends.
• In addition, the garter is used to embody the whole image of a delicate young bride. Knowing that the bride's outfit is thought out literally to the smallest detail, the young woman feels more feminine, sexy and self-confident.

Often, a garter becomes a real family value that is passed down from generation to generation. It's no secret that a wedding dress is quite difficult to preserve for decades, and over time it can simply go out of fashion, but the garter will always be relevant and over time has every chance of becoming a family heirloom.

By the way, there are some pretty interesting signs with a wedding garter.

• The higher the garter is, the more inaccessible the bride will be to all representatives of the stronger sex, with the exception of her husband.
• If the young spouse loses the garter, this promises an early infidelity to his beloved.
• There is one more sign that contradicts the very essence of this custom. Tradition says that if a garter located above the knee falls into the hands of a stranger, he will soon own the woman.

In order for the garter to perform all the tasks that ancient customs prescribe to it, this accessory should be properly tied on the leg. There are no specific requirements on this issue, but traditionally this romantic attribute is tied on the right leg just above the knee; if you tie it in the middle of the thigh, then the romantic tradition easily turns into vulgarity and the image of the bride no longer looks so delicate and mysterious.

Many wear two garters, a tradition that has its roots in North America, where, according to custom, each garter has its own meaning: the one tied on the right leg is intended for golden guests at a wedding event, and the one on the left is considered a more intimate attribute that the young takes off at the very beginning of the wedding night. Thus, she symbolically says goodbye to a free life and her innocence, passing herself into the hands of her beloved man.

The main custom associated with the garter is to take it off and then throw it to all single men present at the wedding. This is an interesting and fun tradition, but at the same time it is necessary first of all to think about the comfort of the young wife.

Traditionally, the newly-made spouse removes the garter with his teeth, but not all brides like this custom - many consider it vulgar, and someone is scared that the husband will bite or simply break the stockings. This is not a reason to abandon the existing tradition, because there are a large number of alternative options.

• The man removes the bandage from his woman's leg only with his hands so that the hem of the dress does not rise high.
• You can remove the garter in advance, away from prying eyes, and then hand it over to the groom.
• The girl can remove this accessory on her own and then give it to her partner.
• The young woman lowers the garter herself a little, for example, just below the knee, and from there the man gets it out by any available means.

The proposed options are good not only for shy brides, they quite often take place at weddings where religious people or representatives of the older generation are present, who may not like such liberties.

The custom of throwing a garter into a crowd of guests dates back to the 15th century in England. In those days, the guests believed that a piece of a girl's wedding dress brings good luck, so by all truths or fouls they tried to tear off a piece of dress or veil. In order to protect the wedding dress from such barbarism, the idea was born to instead throw part of the clothes to the guests. It was believed that whoever caught her would be lucky in all endeavors throughout the year.

A little later, the interpretation changed slightly: according to signs, the one who catches such a garter will be the very first of the guests to tie the knot. There is one more omen that goes back to the 15th century - the one who catches a garter and gives it to a girl will surely achieve reciprocity from her.

Fashionable and romantic accessory these days is presented in a rather diverse design.

The color scheme can also be very different, but traditionally garters are made in blue - it symbolizes the innocence of the young wife. However, when choosing such an element of an outfit, you should first of all be guided by the style and color scheme of the dress and underwear of the young and, of course, take into account her own preferences.

Garters can be wide: they are usually made from lace or satin ribbon. Such an accessory will look great both as "honey" and as a happy detail. In order for such a suspension not to slip, an elastic band is usually attached to it from the back side. This is an excellent solution for lovers of massive jewelry and large accessories, the garter looks great with any style of underwear and is harmonious on brides of any shape and size.

Thin garters are usually a satin ribbon adorned with decorative elements. Such a detail will be optimal for a short dress with a train; it is also worn with a lush outfit decorated with bright elements.

Accessories are often decorated with rhinestones, beads, natural or artificial flowers, and feathers. Decorated garters look quite stylish and attractive, however, here, more than ever, measure is important: a wedding attribute overloaded with additional elements will simply lose its sophistication and piquancy.

The cost of garters varies from 100 rubles, and the upper limit is not limited by anything - it all depends on the material used, decor and, of course, the brand. However, for those who want to save money, you can offer to make such an attribute of the holiday with your own hands, on the Internet it is easy to find a large number of master classes that will help you create a unique, original and exclusive handmade jewelry that fully meets the style and character of the young.

For information on how to make a garter for a bride with your own hands, see the next video.