garter belts

July 15th, 2009 | By WeddingPlanner77

One of the oldest wedding traditions in the world that dates back to the Middle Ages in Europe and pre-Elizabethan England is the use of the wedding garter. The oldest accounts say that garter belts in weddings emerged from the belief that possessing a piece of a bride’s wedding dress was a sign of fertility and good fortune. The garter is tossed to guests and whoever catches it is said to have good luck.

Over time, the association of wedding garter belts as signs of good fortune has remained. In the past centuries, the garter became increasingly connected to single males thus evolved the tradition where men attempt to catch the bride’s garter belt as the male equivalent to the bridal bouquet.