The garter toss stems from an ancient tradition that said that taking a bride’s clothing would bring good luck. Today, brides often choose to wear a blue garter as a way to add “something blue” to their attire. The garter is often tossed by the groom to his single male friends. The lucky guy who catches it sometimes wins a gift card or money tucked in the garter and like the throwing of the bouquet, symbolizes that he will be next one to get married.

I opted not to do this or have the bouquet toss out of consideration for my single friends. There are definitely pros and cons to sticking with this long-time tradition. If you decide to do it, however, make sure to sit at an angle where you won’t be flashing your guests. And another tip? Either take the garter off yourself or ease it down a bit so its not so high on your leg. And if you have sensitive and conservative guests, I’d say avoid having your groom taking the garter off with his teeth.

Sources: Wikipedia

Blue bow garter from Victoria’s Secret.

Deciding whether or not to have a destination wedding? Well, after seeing a number of brides getting married on drop dead gorgeous clips in Europe, I can see why you might. There are a few things to consider, however. Here are a list of pros and cons to help you decide whether a destination wedding is a go or not.

Pros:

1) Your friends, family and you and your significant other will be able to share an experience of a lifetime!

2) You might save money by having a shorter guest list and less people who will actually come.

3) You will already be at your honeymoon site! No need for paying the extra costs of travel. You’re already there!

Cons:

1) Having a destination wedding may upset some of your friends and family because they might be unable to go, or if they can afford to, will still have to spend extra money on plane fare and hotel.

2) You won’t have as much control over planning and won’t be able to meet often with vendors prior to your wedding day.

3) You’ll have to pack and bring all of your wedding things like your gown and his tux so make sure you find out about your airline’s baggage requirements before you leave and about the marriage requirements before you get there.

Send out wedding invitations with a destination wedding theme like this Palm Trees Wedding Invitation.

Well I’m back and I have to say it was a wonderful honeymoon! Lots of beautiful things to see and experience and so worth all of the headache it took to get there. I did learn a few valuable lessons along the way. One thing I wish I did was pack lightly. Since we were in Europe and traveled to several cities in a short amount of time, I had to lug my suitcase with me, plus a backpack everywhere! Did I really need to pack 4 dresses and 4 pairs of shoes? 

One thing that I’m glad I did was pack one light jacket and one heavy jacket and an umbrella. Though we checked the weather a few days before we left, even the weather report couldn’t predict the sudden cold shift that affected a lot of Europe. While we were expecting sunny skies with 60-70 degrees weather, we got rain and temperatures up to 51 degrees. Without my one warm sweater and an umbrella, I would have been so cold. 

Another thing that I would advise is to put together a little toiletry see through kit and keep it in one place. I had my toothbrush in one bag and my soap in another and it drove me crazy! Keep everything together and remember to pack things like toilet paper and seat covers just in case.  

And if you get motion sickness and are crazy enough to ride boats, plane and trains like me, either pack motion sickness medicine or one of those special wristbands. Try sea band or the psi band which prevents sickness and nausea by pushing down on an acupressure point on your wrists.

I had a memorable trip and I’m sure you will too! Just remember it’s easy to get lost in the romance of your honeymoon but coming prepared will make everything all the more better.