A garter toss is a wedding tradition that many brides and grooms incorporate into their wedding day. It tends to go hand-in-hand with the tossing of the bouquet, in which the bride will toss her wedding bouquet into a crowd of all the single women at her wedding. Traditionally, the one who catches the bouquet is said to be the next to marry. A garter toss is similar, except it involves the groom tossing the bride’s garter into a crowd of all the single men at the wedding.
The garter toss often takes place near the end of the wedding, right after the tossing of the bouquet. The bride will often sit in a chair in the middle of the dance floor, and the groom will take off the garter while a chosen song plays. The DJ will typically call all the single men to the dance floor, while everyone else stands in a circle around the dance floor to watch.
Some couples choose to take off the garter in a more discreet way, while others try to have fun and be a bit more raunchy with it. The groom may remove the garter with his teeth while the bride pulls her dress up, or he may just reach up underneath her dress to grab the garter. Another option is for the bride to remove the garter herself, and just hand it to the groom.
Some brides may choose to wear two garters, one to keep for herself, and one to be removed for the garter toss. In that case, the bride will usually wear one garter further up on the thigh, and the other one closer to the knee so it is easier to remove. The method used to take off the garter is completely up to the couple. The groom will then turn around and, with his back to the crowd of single men, toss the garter into the crowd. The man catching the garter is believed to be the most likely to wed next.
The wedding photographer will likely want to get a few photos of the bride and groom, along with the man and woman who caught the bouquet and garter. They might also be asked to dance together. Though a garter toss can be a fun addition to a wedding, it is certainly not a requirement, and the decision is completely up to the bride and groom whether they want to add this tradition to their special day.