The Tradition of the Wedding Garter

Today, we are pleased to introduce Jodie Ford as our guest blogger, who has written a piece on the traditions of the wedding garter.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue."- Opt for a wedding garter with a hint of blue to fulfil ‘something blue’, which symbolises purity, loyalty and faithfulness… or maybe, you could try ‘something different.’

Like a four-leafed clover, the tradition of tossing the bridal garter is seen as a symbol of good luck, dating back to the 14^th century. The romantic history of the garter still lives on and is a fundamental custom to any wedding ceremony.

It then came to be that the bride would instead throw various items to the crowd - including the garter. The accessory is taken off and thrown into the sea of bachelors or groomsmen, as opposed to the bouquet in which eligible ladies have their eyes fixated on and anticipate that it will fall to their hands.

The removal of the garter originated from the view held by guests at weddings that owning a piece of the bride’s clothing, would bring them good luck. As you can imagine, this did not bode well with the bride, having guests lunge at her to ruin and rip at her wedding dress.

The wedding garter was also associated with the bride’s virginity. When the groom removed this item from her leg, it represented the idea that she would be forsaking her virginity.

Generally brides have two garters - one to carry out the tradition during the ceremony and one to keep as a cherished keepsake. Charms can be added such as a horse shoe, double rings or hearts which add a personal touch.

Wedding garters are still very popular and they are lovingly-made with silk, lace and bows. However, lots of different materials and colours are available to take your pick from – wedding garters don’t have to be blue! Choose one that means something, reflects your personality or simply integrates with your wedding theme.

Wedding Paraphernalia offers a wide variety of beautiful wedding garters (blue or not), ranging from traditional, vintage garters to contemporary, pure and delicate pieces.

Winter Wonderland

You probably think we've lost the plot and should now be talking about spring and summer weddings .... but no we aren't as mad as we think we are.

The great thing about this time of the year is the January sales! Christmas brings lorry-loads of glitz and sparkle to the shops and no sooner have you deckled your halls, you've got to take it all down again but this is when the fun can start. Whilst you are rummaging through the fashion rails don't forget to shop around for decorations, ribbons and glittery bits that could be perfect for your wedding.

Candles are a perfect example. Opt for pillar candles and tealights, avoiding scented unless you can guarantee the scent will last until your wedding. Store in a cool place, keeping them away from direct sunlight or any where warm.

Dark, winter colours and crisp, bright white lend themselves to any wedding. Look out for wreaths which can be bulked out with artificial foliage and make fabulous centrepieces. Sparkly and organza ribbons can be found at knocked down prices great for your flowers or wedding favours. Look out for gift wrap, raffia and bags for your bridal party gifts.

Providing they will keep for your wedding, Christmas confectionery can be bought and stored in a cool place (not the fridge). Look out for silver and gold balls, foiled coins, fortune cookies and jellybeans.

But stop and think ..

Remember that a sale buy is only a good buy if you needed it in the first place and you therefore save yourself money.

Avoid bargains in unusual colours unless they are the colour of your wedding. You run the risk of discarding them at a later date.

Sale goods are often end of line which means you may not be able to purchase more in the future - make sure you buy enough at the time.

Have fun!

Ribbons and Bows

As we were uploading some photographs to Flickr today, we realised that we use a lot of ribbon, and when we say a lot of ribbon, we mean a LOT of ribbon.

Whether we use it to finish our wedding invitations as seen here in our California design or for creating a beautiful look on your reception tables with our Michigan Napkin Tags, ribbon gives a very feminine feel to your wedding stationery.

We use satin and sheer ribbon, depending on whether you want a sumptuous or a lighter feel to your design.

Use ribbons at your reception as a great way of adding colour; from the bows and sashes on your chairs, to little satin bows on your wedding favours. How about dressing up your napkins to bring in your colours?

Here we used black sheer ribbon as a bow and then finished with a smaller satin ribbon. The napkin look was finished with a personalised menu tucked underneath a personalised notebook.

Get creative with your wedding ribbon!

How to get your woman on YOUR wedding wavelength

We haven't blogged recently, but have something new in the pipeline that we are working on - which has been made easier with Kara now on board. Although I can't decided whether we should use Blogger or Wordpress - hence why I keep skipping between the two!

So in the meantime this is something we blogged on Wordpress in February! see you soon xx

So you went down on one knee and popped the question. Not only did she say yes, but she’s now having the time of her life showing off the engagement ring that cost you three months salary, looking at venues, choosing flowers and oohing and aahing over dresses.

But chances are your enthusiasm for making her your wife has now cooled a little and whilst you are really looking forward to the day and to be being the leading man to her leading lady; it really seems it’s all about her being the centre of attention. What about you?

Our Wedding

Make her smile by mentioning “our wedding” regularly, gently reminding her that it’s a big day for you too and that yes you would like some input.

Calendar

Make sure you write your important dates across your Nuts/Michelin/Rachel Stevenson calendar, including Sunday services to hear your banns being read, stag/hen weekends, appointment at the suit hire shop, her birthday, when the invites go out, RSVP date. When she sees how much you’ve got on the calendar, she won’t give you too much more to think about.

Off-Limits Time

Book a weekend break away and insist that you do “couple” things without mentioning the W word. Book a lovely hotel, run her a bubble bath, cook her breakfast in bed, or just stay in bed all weekend and remind her why she’s marrying you in the first place [nudge nudge].

Think Like a Woman

Whilst you don’t want to pay a great deal of attention to the finer detail, you tell her that’s her forte; why don’t you let me sort out the honeymoon – think of the time you can sit surfing the net looking for the perfect trip together and if you are a good negotiator think of the money you will save playing the agents off against each other.

Flatter Her

Tell her regularly what a fantastic job she is doing and she will be more inclined to let you sit back and watch her do all the hard work. Tell her how much you appreciate what she is doing, by boosting her ego you’ll get her on your wavelength faster than you thought possible!

Don’t let her ask you to make decisions on things she has chosen

You know she’s already chosen the invites, she’s been looking through websites for months. Tell you trust her judgement and would like to see her top three favourites so you can help her decide on THE ones.

And if this all fails subscribe to the leading online mens magazine Staggered.

Happy planning!