Garter Toss: Tacky or Tradition?

deezidee04

I've always just figured my wedding would have the traditional bouquet and garter toss. But I've been reading in some magazines that the garter toss makes some guests uncomfortable and should be a tradition that's done away with.

My fiance's sister was recently married (she and her husband did neither bouquet nor garter toss) and I overheard their aunt the next day at the gift-opening brunch explaining to her young teenage children what exactly the garter toss is. The kids had never heard of it or seen one, and she described it as a "very tacky" tradition. Her kids looked appalled at her description of the groom going under the bride's dress skirt and removing the garter with his teeth to "stripper music."

My fiance and I think the garter toss is a fun, harmless tradition, but now I'm curious. How many of you think it's inappropriate or "tacky"? Do you consider it a Do or a Don't?

boxcar

We didn't do one--I just didn't feel comfortable with my husband's head up my dress in front of my father, family, and a good number of colleagues in attendance.
With that said, if you are comfortable with it, go for it. It still happens at the majority of weddings I've been to and if you're careful it doesn't have to be raunchy.

Jules08

I never considered this as a possibility for the "tacky" category.  As pp explained I can most certainly understand where you might not feel comfortable, but tacky??

Both the garter and bouquet tosses were part of our reception.  I think as long as you don't make it out to be raunchy it's a fun tradition that you can incorporate.  It brings out a lot of personality and when you make it into a fun game or such, guests can really get into it.

vitacosmopolita

I fall somewhere in the middle here. We did do it, but I have always heard my mom moan and groan at weddings about it. Sooo we surprised everyone and had a bag of crap under my dress. It matched my husbands crazy personality and the random items were things about us. (a video game controller, Bride magazine, etc etc)  He had to go digging in order to find the garter. Nothing sexual about it and the guests seemed to enjoy.

Also somewhere on The Knot I copied a girl who used "Move Bitch" (edited version) for her bouquet toss. We knew if we did one we had to do the other. Otherwise, I totally would have skipped the tosses,but couldn't resist the hilarious soundtrack for the bouquet toss.

ehathewa

Just make sure he doesn't take the garter off with his teeth.  That is the fastest way for this tradition to go tacky.

goetzr19

I haven't been to a wedding without one.  There are some weddings where the Groom will just put his hands under the dress, and the Bride has the garter only halfway up to her knee.  That could be a more "appropriate" way if you are uncomfortable with a "head under the dress to stripper music".  I think the Grandma was over-exaggerating it.  Could you have the Groom throw the garter to adults, and a teddy bear to the kids?