Will they be able to see it? Will the bright color of my garter show through my dress? Will my wedding dress be all rumpled from my garter? Will my wedding dress look funny if there is a garter underneath? So many questions and concerns! But, don't worry, I got you covered! Are you worried that your wedding garter will show through your wedding dress? If so, you've come to the right blog post today.
In this next Garter 101 blog series, where I answer any and all questions related to a bridal garter, I'm sharing my tips for what to do if you are concerned about your wedding dress and your garter. More specifically, if you are worried that your wedding garter will be visible to your guests (or in pictures!) underneath your wedding dress.
Stick with me, 'cause I have you covered…literally!Â
I hand make bridal garters, as I'm sure you know, and I get this question quite often. (If you want to shop my heirloom garter collection you can do so right here on my website or you can custom design a garter as unique as you!) The bride wants to wear a bridal garter on her wedding, because garters are beautiful, sentimental and something that she will cherish forever from her wedding day, but she has some concerns about her garter showing through her wedding dress.
Read on for my tips for how to avoid any wedding dress and wedding garter problems!
Photo Credit: Renee Hollingshead Photography
First things, first, let's just get it right out of the way:
Your wedding garter most likely will not show through your wedding dress.
Why? Because most wedding dresses are lined. The liner in a wedding dress acts as a barrier so that you can't see through a dress and it hides any of the internal stitches in a dress. So, unless your wedding dress doesn't have a liner, your wedding garter probably won't show through your dress. In addition to the liner, there might be tulle and and under structure materials that will further mask anything under your wedding dress.
If your dress is a ballroom gown style with a bottom that is more flowing there will probably more under lining that a style that is more fitted through the legs. But, even wedding dresses that are fitted all the way through from top to bottom, are still lined with some type of material, which would block your garter from being seen.
If your wedding dress doesn't have a liner, because it is a lightweight dress, maybe made of silk for a beach wedding, then you might need to check it out. You'll just need to wear the garter with the dress together (before your wedding morning!!) to ensure that it doesn't show through the dress.
If there is no lining in your wedding dress, you'll need to check all of your undergarments too, not jut your garter!
In the case of a light weight wedding dress, you will also need to be mindful of the color choice on your garter. If you have an all silk light ivory wedding dress, then going with a hot pink for your garter is probably not a good choice. In the case of a light weight dress, go for a garter that is light in color.
If your dress does have a lining or is a ball gown style bottom, you should be OK choosing garter with some color in it!
In addition to physically seeing the color of your wedding garter under you dress, you might be concerned that your guests will be able to see your garter rumpling your wedding dress or making a little budge. You might be concerned that the outline of your garter will be visible.
If your dress has a tighter fit through your legs, then your garter outline showing through might be an issue. However, most dresses, even if they are fitted in style, will have a little bit of flare or give around the knee and through your legs so that you can walk. In this case, you should wear your garter right at the point where the dress starts to flare out so that it won't show through.
You can't have a wedding dress that is tight all the way to the bottom, or you would never be able to move! There will be some sort of slit or flare to make it walk-able. And, this flare spot is where you want to place your garter!
If your dress is tighter through the legs, you'll need to not only try it on before your wedding to make sure that it doesn't show through, but you'll need to get the placement right. If there is a high slit in the back, just make sure that your garter isn't visible when you walk (Or maybe you want it to be!)!
Regardless of the material or style if you wedding dress, I always recommend that brides wear their garter just above their knee.
Why? Just above your knee tends to be the most comfortable and it won't rub against your other leg as you walk down the aisle and dance the night away.
Also, I recommend to wear your garter above your knee because there is less of a chance that your garter will show through your dress. If you are wearing a tighter fitting dress, like a mermaid style wedding dress, then just above your knee is where your dress will flair out so that you can walk. In the case of a tighter dress, to wear your garter just above your knee is perfect, because your dress will be flaring out at your knees and you won't be able to see the garter through the dress.
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I hope this helped you with your concerns about your garter showing through your wedding dress. Send me more questions, I'm happy to answer your bridal garter questions anytime!
If you have more questions, look through all of my wedding garter 101 advice blog posts for lots more garter help and info. All of your wedding garter questions are answered in this series!
Don't forget, you can find a unique wedding garter here in my shop. I would love to make an heirloom wedding garter that you'll love forever! I specialize in custom wedding garters, so if you have concerns about your garter showing through your dress, don't worry, I can work with you to custom design the perfect wedding garter for you!