Do Brides Really Wear Wedding Garters Anymore?

I get this question quite a lot: Do brides really wearing wedding garters anymore? I get this relevancy question so many times from people – not my brides or my clients – but from friends and peers that I meet in the wedding industry. I thought it would be best to try to answer it once and for all here on my blog!

Before we really get into it below, I'll just jump right to the answer: Yes, brides wear garters on their wedding day. (Otherwise, I wouldn't be in business!!) They are getting a garter as a meaningful celebration of their style, a wedding heirloom just for them. Garters today are not for tossing, but rather as something special to love forever, maybe pass on through their family.

I am back with another installment of my wedding garter 101 blog series where I'm answering this garter wearing question and so much more! If you have any questions, be sure to check back through my wedding planning advice series, because I answer just about any question that you could possibly have about a garter!

Photo Credit: Love Knot Photo

When I first meet people and tell them that I am a stylish wedding garter designer. I usually get a blank stare. I can tell that they are trying to process what I just said. "Huh? Did she really just say that she makes wedding garters?" I can see the confusion written all over their face! Once they have finally processed my chosen profession, the next question is always the same.

Do Bride Actually Wear Wedding Garters?

It is always the same question: "Do brides still wear garters?" It doesn't matter if you are in the wedding industry, maybe as a wedding planner or a photographer, or you are not in the wedding world at all. They always say, "But, wait, I thought brides don't wear wedding garters anymore? I'm so confused, how can you make wedding garters if brides don't wear them?"

My short answer is always the same to these confused questions. Obviously, brides are still wearing garters! I know this because I'm still in business and busy as a bee hand making garters! I've been doing this since 2004 and each year gets busier than the last!

If think the confusion comes from what people think of when they think about a garter. Most people – in and out of the wedding profession – have a preconceived notion about wedding garters are and what they look like. They think that today's garter designs are still yesterday's designs. But, that couldn't not be further from the truth. The truth is that garter designs have changed. They have change a lot! 

Modern & Meaningful Designs

These are not the designs of your mother's or grandmother's era and they aren't even the designs from when you were a kid! Today's wedding garter designs are modern, fresh and thoughtful. They are beautiful, delicate and very stylish. They are made with amazing and unique materials.

Today's designs are meant to be loved forever. I pride myself on hand making a garter that actually looks like something today's bride would wear - a design as stylish as she is!

In addition to expressing their personal style, brides are also get a garter because they have it made out of important materials in their family, such as their mother's wedding dress or their grandmother's veil. So, they might not be wearing their mother's wedding dress, but they still have her close on their wedding day. They use a little piece of their family materials to make a family heirloom garter that is special to them. 

Not For Tossing

Brides today are seeking out garters to be the perfect accessory and heirloom for their wedding day. They are looking for something that is a small, but meaningful reflection of their style that will be a lifelong reminder of how they felt on their wedding day. These are not the cheap and cheesy pieces of fabric that get tossed. Garters today are not meant to be tossed.

If you haven't seen a wedding garter in a long time, I invite you to check a few of them out right here in my garter shop. You will be pleasantly surprised by the modern, yet feminine, and truly creative garter designs out on the market for brides.

In addition to outdated garter designs, many people are scared of the wedding garter toss. And, well, the garter toss is often associated with a bridal garter. Many think that just because you wear a wedding garter you have to do the garter toss. (If you read my blog at all, you know that this isn't true, but this is still what most people think about the garter!)

Many are scared to be the ones to do the garter toss and they are even more scared to be one of the single people called out to the dance floor during the wedding reception to catch the garter!

If you are scared by the garter toss, check out this post I wrote explaining that wedding garters are not for tossing! This might make you feel better! 

Yes, Yes and Yes!

So, what is my answer? It is always the same. Yes! Yes, brides are still wearing wedding garters. I'm busy as a bee here in my studio hand making and designing stylish wedding garters in designs that brides are loving and cherishing. So, we know at least some brides are going for the garter tradition!

This is what I usually respond with: Well, some brides are wearing them because I've been busy! If brides weren't wearing garters, then I'd be bored!

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So, those are my thoughts! What do you think? Are brides will wearing wedding garters? Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you!

Remember, you can shop for blue, vintage, classic and modern garter heirlooms anytime in my garter shop or get in touch with me at info@thegartergirl.com for information on custom designing a garter just for you!

If you have any more garter questions, check out my garter 101 blog series or find all of my wedding planning advice here on my blog.