Garter Toss/ Bouquet Garter Catchers

ecg129

LOL I kinda wanna have some fun at my wedding and do the bouquet/garter tosses and then have the people who catch the bouquet and garter pair up for the garter to be placed on that girl.

Has anyone seen this done?

Do you like or not like?

I'd create a poll but my work computer does not let me do that lol.

Thoughts?

jchristel

I haven't seen it done in a long time and the last time I did I remember it being uncomfortable.  I'm not a fan.

cherylanddan0706

No one on the board is a big fan of it.  I wasn't a big fan of it because I don't want someone I do not know putting a garter on my leg, MH once caught the garter and the mob caught the bouquet...really uncomfortable for MH and the MOB was a weird cougar type who loved it, MH was red in the face and ran away after getting it to her shin LOL.

I've also heard horror stories, my one friend told me at one wedding they threw the bouquet and the girls let the flowers drop, and all walked away from it.

I did the bouquet toss for good luck, everyone woman was invited, I had a few engaged, a few married, some single, even a pregnant married woman lol.  No garter.

cherylanddan0706

This is my toss, if I did a garter it would have been about 1/8 of these people.


*Edit not sure why that picture came out so sucky from work.

TuffysMommie

I've seen it done at weddings, but I generally don't partake (have to pee at that moment, or stand up and hide in the back and make no effort to catch the bouquet)

I think it is an idea that a bride can think is fun, but ends up being uncomfortable for those that actually partake. However, if you know your friends and relatives and they seem into it - then by all means, do it!

mbcdefg

I'm not a fan of the bouquet/garter thing in general, but I really dislike it when the winners have to pair up and he has to put the garter on her leg. Especially if there's a corny DJ involved.

The last wedding I attended did this. The bouquet toss catcher's uncle went out onto the dance floor to "chaperone" while the garter toss catcher put the garter on her leg. I think there may have also been silly music, like striptease-esque stuff or the Mission Impossible theme. Just seemed kinda stupid.

I don't think it's as bad if the winners are an actual couple ... we have several dating/engaged friends so we thought maybe we'd do it and try and rig it for them to win. But we decided against it. It's also a little funny if the DJ has them switch places and the girl puts the garter on the guy. But I like it better when it's nixed all together.

Laurms15

FI and I were at the same wedding before we met (years later that bride set us up) and he caught the garter and the FLOWER GIRL caught the flowers needless to say he did not participate in the tradition and they just took a photo together.

I was at a wedding for a college friend and a girl whose family was not native to the US caught the bouquet and a MUCH MUCH older man caught the garter I have the funniest photo of her face as he's putting it on her leg.

I think its an awkward tradition and we are not doing that!

Jaytee501

I"ve seen awkward moments as a result of this  (think: 1st cousin sliiping garter on 1st cousin's leg...)

but if you really like it, do something fun/put a twist on it as some posters here did.

We skipped it at our wedding but hey, it's your wedding, I say do what you'd like to!

cvl105

We did it! It was funny.  The MC ended up switching the guy and girl and my friend had to put the garter on MH's friend.

DandT1206

we did the garter/bouquet toss, but we set up a couple that had been dating for years.  I fake tossed it directly to her.  and when it was his turn my husband flicked it at the guy.  then the couple put a sping on it and SHE put the garter on the guy.  everyone got a good laugh out of that.

ecg129

Hehe it seems like a mixed bag - but I have that terrible humor where if some random old dude got one of my friends I would think it was hillarious

akmackay

I intend on doing it. I know it's a corny tradition, but my BMs are looking forward to it and I think it'll be fun. Most of my friends are on the cusp of getting engaged so they are all going to be going for it. We are going to do some funny things with it, but are still working out the kinks.

akmackay

Oh, and when I was the flower girl I caught the bouquet and they had my mom go up there. It was hysterical and we have a ton of funny pictures.

rachaelb16

Not a big fan.  I have seen guys go way too far up  the leg of a stranger.  But it is your day, do what you want.  The last 5 weddings i attended did do it and people have been telling me it's strange that I'm not doing it.

dmoney79

we did it...and it was fun...my sil (mh's sister) caught the bouquet, and their cousin caught the garter...
which, was very awkward, yet totally hysterical for mh and i.......

VanessaB24

We're not doing this because there is only going to be 3 single girls and ... my dad did this @ his wedding and i nearly gagged... i had to look away because he was doing gross old people things like putting his head under her dress and i was mortified! I hope this is his last marriage.

pinknoseleather

We're not doing it, but we're not doing a lot of things that seem to be traditional at the Jersey weddings I've always attended: We're not having a big long head table, we're not having a separate cocktail hour, we are not being announced into the ballroom and/or running under everyone's outstreched hands, and we're not asking our bridal party to join us on the dance floor.

uppereastgirl

I've seen it done, and it is rarely (if ever classy).  I've seen people go all out and make a big, raunchy show of it.  And you really don't know who is going to catch the bouquet.  My husband's 14 year old cousin (who has very, very conservative and Catholic parents) caught the bouquet at our wedding.  Thankfully she didn't have to deal with an older boy putting a garter on her leg in front of 160 people.

ecg129

Maybe it can be an at the DJs discression thing? Like if the girl is younger then 15 - no go!! lol

NJMom050911

We're doing this cuz it's fun and we have plenty of singles attending. A little side story - My sister is much older than me and she got married in 1990, my aunt was single and caught the bouquet, my sisters husbands friend was there and caught the garter belt....This is how they met (he put the garter belt on her) and got married! They're still happily together. So don't knock the tradition!

So we're doing the toss but not sure about the putting the garter belt on, I think once we see who the people are we'll decide.

chrissy31805

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_garter-toss-bouquet-garter-catchers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:90Discussion:247888e6-ee4c-4de7-a2cc-3c3709afb7caPost:b7f5799a-5d82-493d-b013-dac16c89f75f">Re: Garter Toss/ Bouquet Garter Catchers</a>:
[QUOTE]Maybe it can be an at the DJs discression thing? Like if the girl is younger then 15 - no go!! lol
Posted by ecg129[/QUOTE]
i think its at the couple's discression... i mean obviously if the flower girl goes to catch it and she does, scratch the garter toss and just say the bouquet toss is for fun. if cousins/siblings/blood relative people catch it and it would just be weird don't have them put the garter on the other person's leg. no one wants to see that and be uncomfortable. however if its your friends who you know are going to have a good time with it, then have fun with it.
 
i actually think the garter and bouquet toss are fun traditional things that i have always wanted to do when i got married. we are doing both, and we wont have little ones trying to catch it so i dont have to worry about that. they only thing we might have to worry about is our 16-20 year old cousins catching the bouquet and then our 25-30 year old friends catching the bouquet. if that happens then my FI will make sure his friends are not putting the garters on any of the girls