New Website, New Blog!
The Garter Girl by Julianne Smith has moved! Check out my website here and my new blog here.
Photo credit: Mary Kate McKenna
See you in the new Garter Girl home!
Wedding Garter Spotlight…Peacock Feather, Ivory and Blue
This is a big week for me…new website, new collection and a launch party on Wednesday to celebrate. BUT, I could not not share this really fun custom wedding garter design that I recently completed. Ever since I made this peacock feather-inspired wedding garter, I’ve been wanting to share it. I don’t know what it is about it, maybe the bright blue colors? Not sure, I’ll stop babbling and let you check it out.
This is an ivory grosgrain stylish wedding garter with a peacock feather detail in the center (1.5 inches wide). It has a aqua blue grosgrain stripe and a blue (the technical term for this blue is “blueberry”!) satin bow…
So, what do you think? Pretty cool peacock feather, huh?
Thank you so much to the bride for letting me make this super stylish wedding garter. She came to me with a clear vision and an open mind. We needed to turn it around quickly because her wedding was fast approaching. I loved designing and making this stylish little wedding garter! Thank you!
Wedding Garter Toss Song: How to Choose…Advice from a DJ
I’m back with the third and final post about the wedding garter toss featuring great song selections from Evan of Washington, D.C.’s MyDeejay. This post is less about the music and more about the advice and how to actually pick a song for your wedding garter removal and toss.
After years of watching the wedding garter ceremony go down, Evan has a few great tips for couples from the DJ’s perspective…
1.) Have a plan. Before you even start talking about what songs to use, decide whether you want to do the wedding garter toss and how you want things to happen. If you want to keep things classy and low-key, you’ll pick a much different song than if you want the groom’s head up your dress.
2.) Get creative. Sure, there are plenty of lists out there containing hundreds of wedding garter tos song suggestions, but I’ve found that the best songs are always a creative pick by the couple. If a standard song doesn’t appeal to you, think of songs by bands you’ve seen together or movies you watched together – something might jump out at you!
3.) Talk to your DJ. Make sure you talk to your DJ about the amount of emcee “encouragement” and commentary you want (or don’t want) surrounding the garter removal and toss. Some DJs run the same shtick at every wedding they do, and it may not be what you intended for this part of your reception.
4.) Go over the plan. Sometime shortly before the wedding, have a discussion with your fiance(e) about the formalities during the reception, especially the cake cutting, bouquet toss, and wedding garter removal and toss. Make sure you’re both on the same page with everything, and agree to stick with the plan.
5.) Have fun! If you’re going to include a wedding garter toss in your reception, have fun with it! People will be able to tell if you’re uncomfortable or feel shy.
So, there you have it…three great posts (one, two and this is three) about the wedding garter song choice and how to make your selection. For more help and tips on the wedding garter, check out my garter 101 series.
Thank you so much to Evan for taking the time to share is words of wisdom! If you live in the Washington, D.C. area, be sure to check out Evan and MyDeejay…he clearly knows what he is doing, which is key, and you and your guests will definitely have a great time at your wedding!
Wedding Garter Toss Songs…Advice from a DJ
Welcome to part two in a three part series about the songs played during the wedding garter ceremony. There are lots of different ways that the wedding garter removal and toss can go down at a couple’s wedding reception, but the one thing that is constant…there will be music! I just can’t imagine a couple doing it without some tunes to help the tradition along.
I have another list of songs from Evan at MyDeejay. This list is for songs played during the toss part of the wedding garter ceremony. Remember from the first post…the wedding garter ceremony at most receptions is broken into two parts (toss and removal) each with their own song.
Here is Evan’s list, based on his clients over the years…
Wedding Garter Toss Songs
Wild Boys – Duran Duran
SexyBack – Justin Timberlake
I Believe in a Thing Called Love – The Darkness
Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
Dirty Deeds – AC/DC
The Moneymaker – Rilo Kiley
Return of the Mack – Mark Morrison
A Little Less Conversation (Remix) – Elvis vs. JXL
Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
Bad Boys – Inner Circle
Want to see more wedding garter toss song options? Check out these visitor-generated lists from Project Wedding and Wedding Wire.
So, there is the list of wedding garter toss songs. Do you have anything else to add? Leave a comment below so that future couples can learn and plan!
A big thank you, Evan, for providing such a great list! Check back on Friday for part three with advice on the garter toss ceremony from Evan.
More questions about the wedding garter? Check out my garter 101 series for answers!
Wedding Garter Removal Songs…Advice From A DJ
It is a fact…couples can’t talk about doing the wedding garter toss without talking about what music will help them to relax, set the tone and get their guests in the spirit!
Ever since I started my wedding garter 101 series, I knew that a post about good songs was a MUST. However, after talking to the awesome, super nice and extremely knowledgeable, Evan from MyDeeay, I learned quickly that there was much more to the wedding garter toss than one good, well-thought out tune.
When I first asked Evan for his suggestions for good wedding garter toss songs, he told me that he usually plays two different songs during the wedding garter ceremony…one during the removal and one during the toss. Who knew!? (Word to the wise, make sure you pick a DJ or band leader who knows that they are talking about!)
It was clear that after his years of experience as a DJ Evan had lots of great advice for couples, so I decided to break my wedding garter toss song post into three different posts…part one is today’s post on wedding garter removal songs, part two on Wednesday will have good wedding garter toss songs, and part three on Friday will feature some great wedding garter advice from Evan.
The wedding garter toss ceremony can really be broken into two different actions…removal and toss. For the first act, the wedding garter is tastefully (or not) removed from the bride’s leg. (Check out my wedding garter 101 series for some advice on how to actually do this.)
Here is a list of popular wedding garter removal songs that Evan provided based on actual songs used by his clients over the years…
Wedding Garter Removal Songs
Dirrty…Christina Aguilera
Drop Dead Legs…Van Halen
American Woman…The Guess Who
You Make My Dreams Come True…Hall and Oates
Would You Go With Me…Josh Turner
Short Skirt, Long Jacket…Cake
Oh Yeah…Yello
Cherry Pie…Warrant
Business Time…Flight of the Conchords
Foxey Lady…Jimi Hendrix
Want to see more wedding garter toss song options? Check out these visitor-generated lists from Project Wedding and Wedding Wire.
So, that’s the list of wedding garter removal songs. What do you think? What songs would you add? Leave a comment below so that everyone can see, learn and plan!
Thank you, Evan for being a star DJ and for sharing your insight! Check back on Wednesday for part two on wedding garter toss songs.
New Stylish Wedding Garter Collection Launch Party
The big day is fast approaching and I’m busy putting the finishes touches on my new stylish wedding garter collection and beautiful, new website! This new wedding garter collection will incorporate some new styles and elements. It will be smaller, fresher and, of course, super stylish. If you are a bride or in the wedding industry in the Washington, D.C. area, I’d love to meet you, so please come check out my new stylish wedding garter collection. Here are the details…
A big, big big thank you to all of the awesome people that are helping me pull this wedding garter collection launch together…Zinnia Films, Elegance & Simplicity, Eco-Beautiful Weddings, A Britton Photography, Cakes by Design, Holly Heider Chapple Flowers, My DeeJay, Bellwether Events, Bella Notte, Vastu, and Kendall’s Cakes.
See you April 7th!!
I often hear people mix up the terms “garter” and “garter belt.” There is a subtle, but distinct difference between the two, so I thought I’d just explain the difference.
First off, a garter belt. A garter belt is a piece of lingerie that goes around someone’s waist. It uses clips or snaps to hold up pantyhose or stockings. I can only imagine that the garter belt started back in the days before elastic when holding up stockings what a lot harder and thus anchoring it around the waist made the most sense. Over time, I think we can all agree that garter belts have grown into a sexy symbol of femininity.
Second, is the garter. The garter represents the oldest wedding tradition. It is a small piece of decorated elastic that is worn around one of the bride’s legs during the ceremony and reception. Often times, the couple will participate in the wedding garter toss tradition in which the garter is removed and tossed to guests as a sign of good luck. Tossed or not, the wedding garter is as a small little expression of a couple’s big day and it is a keepsake.
Although I’d like to think that I’m talented enough to design “garter belts,” I think they are a bit out of my wheel house, especially when it comes to actual construction. I think I’ll just stick to the wedding garters (for now).
So, there you have it…the difference between a garter belt and a wedding garter (according to me)!
For more on the wedding garter, check out my garter 101 series.
St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock and Green Wedding Garter
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I think this custom designed shamrock wedding garter that I recently designed is perfect for today…
This stylish wedding garter is white grosgrain with an emerald green grosgrain bow with a white shamrock pattern (1.5 inches wide). I hope that it brings the bride and groom lots of luck on their wedding day!
Hope you have a great St. Patty’s Day!
Custom Wedding Garter Spotlight…Silver and Ivory Wedding
This custom wedding garter design is based on the couple’s ivory and silver wedding color theme. But, what I love most is that it was a gift from the brides new sister-in-law. I love making wedding garters as presents. I always like to see how careful the gift giver is when picking out a wedding garter design and how excited they are to give their present and surprise the bride.
This custom wedding garter is ivory grosgrain with a silver satin bow (1.5 inches wide). In silver, I hand embroidered the couple’s initials on the top and their wedding date on the bottom. Here are a few more pictures…
Thank you so much for letting me make this stylish and personal wedding garter! I hope that the bride loved her present!
Wedding Garters on Display at Couture Wedding Show in D.C.
The snow tried to keep us away, but we all pushed through and ended up having a great time at the 2nd annual D.C. Couture Wedding Consortium luxury bridal show. It was a fun night full of pretty dresses from Punk Rock Bride, swanky cocktails from Honest Tea and yummy wedding cake samples from Kendall’s Cakes, MallowDrama, and Cakes by Design. Here are a few pictures of my stylish wedding garters on display (That’s me in the first picture!)…
Big thanks to Elegance & Simplicity and all of the other members of the DCCWC who came out and braved the snow!
Custom Wedding Garter Spotlight…Wine and Grapes
No doubt the bride wearing this wedding garter is fun! Check out this stylish wine themed wedding garter that I recently hand embroidered…
This stylish wedding garter was a gift from a friend of the bride who told me that it was a really great couple who were getting married in California’s wine country. Their wedding colors were deep purple and ivory. From there, the wine theme was born and we ran with it. This custom wedding garter design is a deep purple satin background with an ivory grosgrain stripe (1.5 inches wide). I hand embroidered a wine bottle and a bunch of grapes. Here are few more pictures…
I have to say, this was a really fun wedding garter to make! I just wish I was invited to the wedding! Thanks so much to the bride’s friend for letting me make this wedding garter! I hope that she loves it!
As a stylish wedding garter designer, this is the number one question that I get: If I wear a wedding garter, do I have to do the wedding garter toss?
The short and quick answer is: No, not at all. You don’t have to do anything on your wedding day that you don’t want to do. You can easily wear a wedding garter, skip the toss and save it as something special.
The wedding garter tradition is the oldest of wedding traditions, dating back to the Dark Ages. It has a great deal of history and meaning, so there is something sentimental about it. (For more on this, check out my wedding garter history post here.) Many brides today want to take part in this tradition. And, a wedding garter is something small that brides can easily save as a wedding day keepsake.
BUT, just because brides wear a wedding garter on their big day, doesn’t mean that they have to do the wedding garter toss part of the tradition. A lot of couples, but certainly not all, are turned off by the wedding garter toss. (Trust me, many couples are still doing the toss AND having lots of fun with it!) Be it they don’t want to break from the reception fun or show their legs in front of family and friends, whatever the reason many couples today are opting out of the wedding garter toss tradition. And, that’s OK, they should do only what they want to do on their wedding day.
So, to all the brides out there, I’m here to ease your worries and tell you that wearing a wedding garter and tossing it do not go hand-in-hand. You can do one without the other. (Although, I do think it would be tough if you tried to toss a wedding garter with out actually wearing one in the first place…) If you want to wear a wedding garter, but you don’t want to do the toss, go ahead! Wear your wedding garter and love it without fear! (But, if you want to do the toss…go for it and have FUN!)
For more on the wedding garter, check out my garter 101 series.
My Wedding In a Box
My friend, Jessica, was over a while ago and she was loving that I had all of my wedding paraphernalia saved in a little white box on a shelf. She called it my “wedding in a box”! Alas, she took some pictures and posted all about it on her blog. Here are few pictures…
This little muffin doesn’t fit into my wedding box, but she came in while we were taking pictures…
Check out the full post on A Foxy Wedding blog to see more pictures of me, my wedding box and even some pictures from my wedding day. Jessica is so creative that she has turned this into a little series on her blog where she features the wedding boxes of others. All brides have one, you know you do!
Thanks, Jessica! I loved being on your blog and going through my wedding memories again!
Hot off the presses is the premier issue of the new online wedding magazine, Izzy Magazine. I’m so honored that my environmentally friendly wedding garters (made from recycled plastic bottles) are featured! Check it out…
You can check out the entire Izzy Magazine here, be sure to check out my feature on page 72. Thanks, Izzy Magazine, for including my green garters in your premier issue!
Wedding Garters in Chicago at Weddings 826
Hello Chicago brides! I’m happy to let you know that that you and your friends can now find my stylish wedding garter designs at the Weddings 826 boutique in Lincoln Park.
Weddings 826 is a super cute wedding boutique full of lots of great finds for your wedding. When I went to visit recently, I loved seeing the large selection of accessories that they had on display. If you are looking for a wedding dress, they have a concept that I haven’t seen before. They carry about 100 dresses at a time and you can walk away with your dress the day you visit!
I’m excited to have my stylish wedding garters at Weddings 826. Chicago brides go check ’em out and let me know what you think!
Julianne Smith's Garter Girl Blog 