Alternatives to Garter Toss
Though it is a time-honored tradition, the garter toss can be a source of nervousness for a bride. After all, it involves her new husband searching around beneath her skirts in front of everyone - and some grooms even pull the garter down with their teeth! Some brides are simply not interested in taking part in this ritual, but would still like their husbands to have the opportunity to do something similar to it. For those such couples, there are plenty of alternatives! Here are a few to explore:
-The "Not Really a Garter" Garter-Rather than tying a garter above the knee and having the groom retrieve it, the bride could tie a ribbon much lower - around the ankle, for example. Attach a button or something similar to give it a bit of weight without making it dangerous and toss away!
-King cake-Have you ever seen a "King cake", used during Mardi Gras? Do something similar with your wedding cake! Have two cakes - one for the men, one for the women - and have your baker bake a fake wedding ring into each one. Whoever finds the wedding rings "wins", just like they do with the bouquet and garter tosses!
-Tie toss-Every girl's crazy about a sharp-dressed man, so either toss a brand-new tie to the other gentlemen, or toss the groom's own tie! This works especially well if you are saving the tosses for the end of the reception, as it will allow the groom to dress down a bit before climbing into the getaway car.
-Musical chairs-It's a little childish, but that's the fun of it. Have all the single guys compete in a game of musical chairs - the groom controls the music - to see who will be the next one married off!
-Last couple standing-A sweet way to figure out which guy gets the garter is to mix it up a little - instead of someone single, choose whoever has been in a couple the longest! Do this by hosting a dance elimination. All the couples begin dancing, with the emcee gradually eliminating couples that have been together for shorter amounts of time. Whoever has been together the longest wins! This is a lovely way to honor a successful couple and bestow luck and blessings upon them, and it ties in the whole wedding theme nicely.
