Gartering

So in hand with the throwing the bouquet, there's the garter toss. Before voting, please let me share with you a few stories about why I think if we do the flower and garter toss the tossing should be the end of it...everyone goes home a winner.

Exhibit A: At Lisa's wedding, she and her husband were barely out of college as were most of the guests invited. Basically everyone was single, and Lisa had a bouquet toss. Tina reluctantly caught the bouquet. Then there was the garter toss. Some kind of dorky guy adamantly went after and caught the garter. Then there was the awkward moment of him putting the garter on her. You could slice the tension and embarrassment with a knife during that moment.

Exhibit B: Hetal told me about a wedding that she went to where Tanuja caught the bouquet and so to not piss off or embarrass anyone the garter was just handed over to her boyfriend. How lame is that? If the awkwardness of putting the garter on the woman who caught the flowers was eliminated everyone could have participated. Small children too.

Exhibit C: Something like the above happened at Jon's cousin's wedding. The woman who caught the bouquet was engaged to the guy who caught the garter, but at least he had to try to catch it. It was kind of lame, but sweet nonetheless.

I guess the drama (but excitement) comes in the situations of Exhibit A (though I think everyone at that wedding is a little traumatized by it), but you come across trouble with people in relationships as in Exhibits B and C. Perhaps the best option is if we decide to do the garter toss to decide on the spot if both people are currently unattached to ask them if they want to do it. People will be expecting it right? But why?

The tradition was to rip apart a bride's dress because it was lucky to have a piece, which is why the garter was tossed instead--a relic of that tradition. The whole giving the garter to the woman who caught the flowers doesn't make any sense to me in that case then. Why give away your luck?

Still logically, a garter is kind of gross. I can't guarantee I won't sweat on it, and who wants that? Besides what do people even do with garters? Hang them next to their diplomas?