Garter Fun Facts

As early as the 13th century, most notably in Europe, it was considered good luck to have a piece of the bride's clothing. So wedding guests would chase after the bride and literally rip pieces of fabric from her dress and/or try to steal her garter.

Thankfully, we've come a long way since then! It is now the groom's privilege, of course, to remove the bride's garter and toss it to the male wedding guests. The man who catches the garter is believed to receive good luck and be the next in line to get married.

A different modern tradition has the garter being auctioned off instead of tossed at the wedding, with the proceeds going to the married couple for honeymoon expenses! Hence, there are generally two garters used these days - one "keepsake" and one "toss" garter, so the bride will always have the (usually) fancier keepsake one as a reminder of her special day.

Also, at some high schools (especially in the midwest), it's a tradition for girls to wear garters to their prom. At the end of the night, their date removes the garter and keeps it as a souvenir of the event. Sometimes the garter is exchanged for the date's bow tie, so each person has a nice prom keepsake.

*No matter what you'll be using your garters for, we at Fun Wedding Things certainly wish you the best of luck on your big day, as well as all the happiness in the world!



Swedish Wedding Traditions and Customs

Our friend Karl at Collective Sound in Minneapolis has a neat blog where he talks about everything from wedding music to wedding traditions. He came up with some interesting information about Swedish wedding traditions in his article below. Be sure to check out Karl's Web site at: http://www.collsound.com/index.html

If you want something different for your wedding or reception, then looking to the past is one way to both honor your heritage and provide a unique feel for your wedding day. The following Swedish traditions and customs are age-old, and although you may recognize some of them, they are still practiced in one form or another to this day. You should feel free to borrow or modify them for your special day - perhaps starting a new tradition of your own.

One Swedish custom that doesn't sound very conducive to dancing the night away is... The bride's father places a silver coin in her left shoe, and the bride's mother puts a gold coin in her right shoe. This way they will know that she will never go without.

A Swedish bride will wear three wedding bands on her ring finger. The engagement ring, the wedding ring, and the third ring - representing motherhood. The groom typically places both the wedding ring and motherhood ring on her finger during the ceremony.

The bridal crown is a tradition in Sweden as well. Worn directly on the bride's head or over the veil, it can be as simple as a ribbon, or if true authenticity is desired, made of myrtle leaves. The bridal crown by tradition is only allowed to be worn by virgin brides.

A traditional wedding dress may be a colorful costume that in the past would be associated with a peasant's clothing. Today they are worn for festive occasions or as formal wear and can show a certain flair for the beautiful.

Shared among many other cultures is the bouquet of flowers. In Sweden this was typically made from the strongest-smelling flowers in the hopes that the smell would ward off evil creatures such as trolls.

One item that is very different in Sweden is the idea that the bride's father will walk her up the isle. Instead, the bride and groom enter the church or venue together. It is also said that the first one to step over the threshold will be the dominant one in the relationship. In addition, the one that says "I Do" the loudest will be in control of the marriage.

Speeches at a Swedish reception are given by anyone who wants, but it is traditional for both the bride's and groom's fathers to speak first. The only requirement is that they first inform the toastmaster. The toastmaster is responsible for announcing the speaker. Anyone can give a speech though, and at any time throughout the evening.

If the bride leaves the room for any reason, other women at the reception are free to kiss the groom. When the groom leaves the room, other men will have a chance to kiss the bride.

Dinner will most likely consist of the traditional buffet, known as a smorgasbord. Such items as herring, Swedish meatballs, cowberry jam, and other favorites will be on the menu. Throughout dinner, traditional drinking songs may be sung. Clinking glasses in order to make the bride and groom kiss works, too.