What is a Wedding Garter Set?

I often get asked what a wedding garter set is. As a garter designer and hand maker of modern wedding heirlooms, you can assume why I get the garter set question a lot! It is confusing for brides to be and their friends and family who don't know much about wedding planning and might be purchasing this accessory for the first time!

Up next in my  wedding garter 101 advice blog series where I answer all of your wedding garter related questions (and more!), I am talking about what a garter set is and what it includes. If you have more questions and need more advice about a garter, check through this series, I have answered many, many questions over the years!

Here is a picture of a wedding garter set. This is my exquisite wedding garter set and it includes two garters. The main garter is made from the lace of a vintage wedding dress and then I hand sew ivory pearls on the top. But, that's not makes it a garter set! The set is made from the second garter that you can see in the picture. The second garter is all blue satin to match, or coordinate with the main garter, but not overshadow it.

Check out the exquisite garter set…

Photo credit: Red October Photography

The Main Garter

In general, a wedding garter set includes two wedding garters. One garter is your main garter that you will save as a keepsake or an heirloom after your wedding is over. (Maybe you'll even pass your garter on and make a new tradition in your family!) The other garter in the set, or the second garter, is a tossing garter, which will get thrown during the garter toss portion of your wedding reception. The main garter is generally more detailed or even bigger or wider than the tossing garter.

Sometimes wedding garter sets are matching where the tossing garter is a mini version of the main garter, or it coordinates with the main garter. Your tossing garter, obviously, doesn't have to match, but it is something fun that many brides opt for.

The Tossing Garter

The tossing garter is simple and it coordinates with the main garter, but it doesn't always have to coordinate. Some brides find it fun to get a totally different garter as their tossing garter. So, they will get something more classic or romantic as their main garter and then their tossing garter is a chance to have a little fun. Maybe they will make their tossing garter in their favorite sports team colors or their fiancé's favorite team! So many fun ideas here for a mismatching garter set!

If you aren't doing the garter toss part of the tradition or you don't care if you loose your garter, then you don't need a wedding garter set. Some brides are concerned about loosing their garter and so they opt for a set. But, you can certainly skip the garter set and only get for your wedding what you want to get!

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Hope this answers the garter set question! More questions about the wedding garter? Check out my garter 101 blog series or shop through my wedding garter set collection right here.