I think it's become antiquated and simply enforces the idea that women are nobodies until they're married. Everybody is supposed to be so determined to be the next one to get married?

Every wedding I've been to has had the garter catcher put the garter on the bouquet catcher, usually to very risque music (like the Stripper) with hooting and hollering for him to put it higher and higher. I'm not comfortable with it and therefore have always avoided catching the bouquet. I've had cousins fight over the bouquet though and injure themselves.

Smashing cake in each other's face is the other thing I don't like. You just vowed to honor, respect, love and cherish this person and you finish off the night with smashing cake in their face? You paid how much for that dress and tux to have it get frosting all over it? You paid how much to have your make up done that morning? You spend major time and money to ensure that you look your best that day only to have cake all over your face? I just don't get it.

Dee

I got a black eye cause of the last bouquet toss. Usually, I stand in the back. But it was my best friend, and she asked nicely before hand that I participate. So I did. And she throws it right for me. And I get lunged at by about 5 desperete women. As I was asking the bartender for another drink and some ice in a cup, I remembered why I don't like to participate.

Its a silly tradition and I don't plan to have it at my hypothetical wedding. But since I've never caught a bouquet, I guess I'm never getting married.

Honey you scare me.

I plan on tossing the bouquet at my wedding, and my sweetie can toss the garter. Never heard about the guy putting the garter on the bouquet girl though. :confused: That ain't happenin.

I mentioned in another thread that I tossed my bouquet, but we didn't do the garter thing.

Had I known about the longest couple contest thingy (aww!), I would've done that - it sounds really sweet.

...though the woman who caught my bouquet DID end up getting married less than a year after my wedding. ;)

Whoa, HC, that's a little scary!

My sorority sister who caught my bouquet ended up breaking up with her boyfriend a few months later :( Oops!

At my wedding, my father-in-law's girlfriend (a woman in her mid-fifties) knocked people out of the way to catch the bouquet. Thanks to my photographer, we have some lovely actions shots of it. She looks like a maniac with her arm clotheslining my grandmother and great-aunt to keep them away from the flowers. :eek:

My father-in-law caught the garter, and then spent the rest of the night wearing it around his head like a sweatband. :rolleyes:

I have tacky in-laws.

I certainly didn't mean to scare anyone, and it was somewhat of a joke. I would not have used the knife - but I wanted to make sure that he didn't get any cutesy ideas, either.

As long as your husband is normal, then I think you're ok. ;)

But yeah, that does sound just a wee bit.... :eek:

Yes, I consider myself lucky that DH doesn't seem to have inherited any of his family's quirks. :)

I like the bouquet toss, I normally run from it and then laugh at my sorority sisters try and maul each other for it.

Always hated having to stand there while it happened, so no way was I doing it at my own wedding! Hate the garter, too. I'm always so embarassed for the couple, the parents, everyong when the husband's head goes under the dress! :rolleyes:

My friend did the anniversary dance at her wedding last week. It was nice, but people didn't understand how to do it right and the dj was no help, so it was sorta dumb.

I figured, in the time it takes for bouquets and garters I can dance to least one actually fun song, so I didn't do them.

Re: Bouquet Toss
 

We did the bouquet toss, but no garter. After the bouquet toss, everyone just went back to dancing. We did all the rest of the stuff though (cake cutting, receiving line, etc.).

For me it's like anything else - your wedding you do what you want, and you don't judge how others conduct their weddings/receptions.

I have actually caught three wedding bouquets...all for the sake of "winning." I'm a tad competitive. ;) No black eyes, stiches, or injured six year old cousins in any of them. The first two were at family/friend weddings, and the garter was not put on the bouquet catcher. There was no tradition other than, you caught it. Whoo hoo! Go you!! I think I may have danced with the guy who caught the garter for like 15 seconds both times, but nothing really memorable. The third was where I learned about other traditions...

I moved and attended a wedding of a new friend of mine. I mentioned earlier to another friend that I'd catch the bouquet, and she said, "You can have it! I sure don't want it." I did indeed catch it with little effort since it landed in front of me (much to the chagrin of the bride's brother's girlfriend... aka:"Miss if I wear the same style and color of dress and hairstyle as your bridesmaids, are you sure that you still don't want me to be one??") I sat down pleased because I had caught my friend's bouquet. My friends at the table started chuckling and saying, oh what a shame for you. Huh? Don't I get to sit here and be happy? The garter was tossed, all the guys stepped back, and the brother of the bride was handed the garter. I was told to come back up the front. I looked blank and my friends started laughing. That's when I was introduced to the garter traditions complete with Stripper music. SUPER! :rolleyes: Needless to say, Miss Disgrunted (who now had a reason to be) was furious with me, and I was embarassed. I later asked the bride if she had wanted the girlfriend to have it and if I had messed it up. I was given a resounding NO! Apparently dressing up as a bridesmaid when you're not one doesn't win you points with the bride.

Long story short: my wedding = bouquet yes, garter NO!

At our wedding I didn't wear a garter, didn't even get one to wear. My boquet is hanging upside down in our basement dried out and still looking great. Most of our guests were married so it just made no sense to do it.







3 More days until our 1st Anniversary 10/16/05!! :D