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.

I told my husband that it is tradition for the bride and groom to exchange gifts on the day of their wedding. At that time, I had visions of those heart-melting photos. The ones where the bride gets a surprise gift from her soon-to-be husband and everyone is in tears. But then I forgot about all of that when he bought me the most awesome present–a laptop I’ve always wanted. And so I started off my early wife days feeling guilty.

So what’s the 411 on bride and grooms giving gifts to each other? Well traditionally, women get jewelry and the groom gets a watch to wear on their wedding day. But gifts can range anywhere from extremely pricey earrings to inexpensive but thoughtful gifts such as a photo album. And etiquette says it’s best to discuss this with your loved one to make sure you’re on the same page, or else you’ll end up empty handed like me.

I had a lot of place cards left that I didn’t use. One thing you could do is to leave your loved one little notes on the place cards to let them know you’re thinking about them. And, whether it’s an expensive bracelet or golf clubs, the gift doesn’t really matter so much as if you’re doing it from the heart. You’ll be getting enough gifts anyway from your guests, so the best thing to do is to do something personal that’s sure to make them feel special.

Photo from WeddingChannel.com.

My friend wore blue nail polish, and I borrowed a diamond bracelet from my mom–but why do we follow these traditions, and what does this traditional poem even mean? Something old symbolizes the passing down of things from family, and something new signifies a hopeful future. Something borrowed is a reminder that the bride has friends and family near her for support.  And the something blue? Well it was used to symbolize fidelity in Rome and has symbolized purity in Christianity.

Here are some beautiful blue ways to help bring luck to your wedding day.

Photo: Turquoise jewelry from Brides.com

Crystal hair pin by Erica Bapst on Etsy